Stapylton-Smith strikes gold

Press, 24 June 1985, Page 44

Stapylton-Smith strikes gold

NZPA staff correspondent Berkeley A gold medal and a new meeting record in the javelin by Canterbury’s John Stapylton-Smith was New Zealand’s major success in the first day of the Pacific Conference Games in Berkeley, across the bay from San Francisco. The meeting mixes athletes from the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan and New Zealand. Many have little international experience, but the teams include a sprinkling of Olympians and other world class athletes. Stapylton-Smith, aged 23, of Christchurch, was left with only one javelin after breaking three others in New Zealand before leaving.

He had dropped “something heavy” on them. That did not allow him

the luxury of picking the best javelin for the cohditions, but he threw 87.28 metres on his third attempt at the university stadium to beat the American, Cary Feldmann’s 1973 record of 82.50 m by close to sm. Second was the Canadian, Mike Mahovlich, who threw 83.46 m on his first attempt, but was unable to improve on it. Stapylton-Smith’s effort was a personal best and a Canterbury record, but it was still well off Mike O’Rourke’s New Zealand record of 90.58 m, set in Auckland in January, 1983. Stapylton-Smith said afterwards that the conditions, including a light cross-to-head-wind, were good but not perfect.

“I was aiming to win,” he said. “That was all I wanted to do. The distance was immaterial. “Now I’ll go for the New Zealand record, but I’ll concentrate on improving my personal bests until it comes.” Stapylton-Smith said he had hardly gained any international experience, and found that this event had brought out the best in him, boosting his performance by about 5 per cent. In the high jump, Roger Te Puni, aged 21, of Auckland, crossed the bar at 2.18 m to better his own New Zealand record of 2.17 m in Auckland in November, 1983. The jump gave him only fifth place, though. The

winner was the American, Jimmy Howard, a guest competitor, who jumped

2.31 m to set a stadium record. Rex Wilson, aged 25, of Havelock North, led the 10,000 m for most of the race, covering the first 5000 m in 14min 25.05. Close behind were Peter Butler, of Canada, and Paul Gorman, of the United States. With five-and-a-half laps to go, Wilson and Butler lost Gorman with a 67.3 s lap. Butler kept up the pressure to win by 85m and with a time of 28min- 53.15. Wilson was second in '29min 7.0 s and Gorman third in 29min 21.05. In the women’s 1500 m, Anne McKenzie, of Lower Hutt, took the lead at the start, but the American, Sue Foster, tucked in behind her. Foster overtook her to win in 4min 09.36 s — a new meeting record. McKenzie, aged 21, took the silver, but was well back, finishing in 4min 11.615. Her personal best is 4min 10.595. The shot putter, Henry Smith, aged 30, of Wellington, took the bronze in his event with a put of 16.96 m on his third attempt. The other New Zealand bronze went to 22-year-old Lynette Stock, of Christchurch, in the 100 m hurdles. She was facing strong competition: Stephanie Hightower, of the United States, who set a meeting record with 13.345, and Silvia Forgrave, of Canada, who was second in 13.615. Stock finished in 13.67 s to set a new Canterbury record for the event, improving on the record of 13.99 s she set at Vancouver earlier this week.

In the men’s decathlon, Simon Poelman, of Auckland, was in third place after five events. John Hunt, of Timaru, pulled out of the event after damaging a ligament in Vancouver. Results page 3.