Renner to give Burridge a boost

Press, 14 January 1986, Page 23

Renner to give Burridge a boost

By ROD DEW The Olympic steeplechase finalist, Peter Renner, has withdrawn from the Canterbury track and field team which will compete against Wellington for the Dorrie Leslie Trophy at Queen Elizabeth H Park on Saturday. Instead, he will help the former New Zealand crosscountry representative, Dave Burridge, in a bid for a fast 5000 m in a special time trial being held at the park tomorrow evening by the University club.

“Dave has been planning this run for two or three weeks, and I said I would help him,” said Renner. Burridge is hoping to impress the New Zealand cross-country selectors with his performance and, depending on how he feels, might also try for the Edinburgh Commonwealth Games qualifying standard of 13min 355.

Renner is also aiming for selection in the cross-coun-try team, which will contest the world championships in Switzerland in March.

Wendy Renner, his wife, appears certain of a place in the team after her outstanding 3000 m run at Ashburton. Peter Renner is

keen to make it* a family double as far as selection is concerned. A welcome visitor tomorrow evening will be the experienced Auckland runner, John Bowden, who is also looking towards cross-country selection.

Renner feels it is too early for him to be considering a Commonwealth Games qualifying run over 5000 m, although he expects a good time. The former Canterbury 1500 m champion, Brian Rhodes, back in New Zealand after several years in his homeland, Canada, has offered to set the pace for the first five or six laps.

The race will be one of the few times Renner will be seen on the track this summer. His next outing will be in the Canterbury 3000 m steeplechase championship on January 25, his only steeplechase this season.

He is satisfied that his deeds of the past will ensure that the Commonwealth Games selectors do not pass him over. Just in case, he will aim for a time around Bmin 30s. His withdrawal from the Canterbury team for the Wellington match is a blow,

because he would have been certain of gaining maximum points in the steeplechase. This race will still be of special interest because it will mark the return to steeplechase of the Brisbane Commonwealth Games 1500 m finalist, Michael Gilchrist (Technical). Gilchrist was a New Zealand steeplechase champion as a junior, and only now is beginning to explore his potential in this event Several additions to the Canterbury team were announced yesterday by the convener of selectors, Mr Valdemars Briedis. Andrew Stark has been included in the 800 m, substantially improving Canterbury’s chances of maximum points. Jeff Bamfield and Lindsay Linton will join Dougal Cockram in the short sprints, and Vern Roberts will run in the 400 m. Keith Olds becomes the third man in the senior high jump, and Derek McKee wins a place in both the triple jump and the pole vault.

In the senior women’s grade, P. Nicholls joins the 800 m field, and C. Southern is added to the 100 m hurdles.