Bid to lure Coe to N.Z.

Press, 22 October 1984, Page 28

Bid to lure Coe to N.Z.

PA Auckland The Olympic 1500 m champion, Sebastian Coe, is being sought for a series of races against John Walker in New Zealand in late February and early March. An Auckland sports promoter, Ari Hallenberg, said he would approach Coe, who holds the world records for 800 m, 1000 m, and the mile within the next fortnight to see if he is available to compete in several mile races against New Zealand’s 1976 Olympic 1500 m champion. Mr Hallenberg, whose company works in conjunction with the Auckland Athletic Centre, left for London on Saturday. He intended contacting Coe while in England. Coe expressed interest in coming to New Zealand this summer when he spoke with Walker during the Los Angeles Olympics; The Auckland centre was keen to work with several other centres in staging a series of meetings throughout New Zealand in February and early March. The mile would be the feature race on each day’s programme and clashes between Coe and Walker would clearly be a great drawcard.

The Auckland centre chairman, Mr John Cornaga, said yesterday: “We will be discussing the series with officials from the other centres within the next week to see if they are agreeable to the plan. “Several of the meetings would be held on Sundays so

as not to clash with the big, one-day cricket matches that will be played on the Saturdays at that time of the year. Up to 10 . world class athletes will be invited to the last three meetings in Christchurch, Wanganui and Auckland.

Among those who could be here for the meetings are Spain’s Olympic 1500 m bronze medallist, Jose Abascal, Switzerland’s Olympic 5000 m silver medallist, Markus Ryfel, the world’s second ranked 3000 m steeplechaser, Boguslaw Maminski of Poland, and former world high jump recordholder, Dwight Stones, of the United States.

Abascal and Stones are both keen to compete here this summer, according to Walker, while Ryfel and Maminski are expected to spend several months training in Auckland and could be persuaded to compete in the proposed international meetings.