Audain sets sights on Games mark

Press, 18 February 1986, Page 24

Audain sets sights on Games mark

PA Auckland Anne Audaln is confident that she will qualify on Saturday for the Edinburgh Commonwealth Games women’s 10,000metre event.

She will go after the 33min 20s qualifying standard at Mount Smart Stadium, and believes that, given ideal conditions, she could even beat the Commonwealth record held by Australia’s Lis Martin at 31min 58s. Audain looked far more impressive winning the Auckland women’s 3000 m championship final in 9min 6.6 s at Mount Smart Stadium on Sunday than she had when finishing third in the Auckland 1500 m final the previous week-end.

“I was really pleased with my 3000 m today - much better than the 1500 m, ” she said. “John Davies, my coach, has had me on a very hard training programme recently and I didn’t freshen up at all for the championships.

“But I hope, and expect, he will lighten the workload this week before the attempt on the games 10,000 m qualifying standard.

“After today’s run, I am confident I will easily qualify given reasonable conditions on Saturday night.” Audain has already said that the women’s 10,000 m in Edinburgh will be her main aim this year. Conditions were poor for what should have been the final session of the 1986 Auckland championships. Audain was fortunate that the women’s 3000 m was held during three hours between downpours, although she likened it to "running in a sauna.” Shane Downey completed the difficult senior men’s sprint treble— or so he thought — when he crossed the finish line first in the 200 m final in 22.575. But minutes later he was dismayed to find he had been disqualified for

running on or inside the line marking his lane. , He was not the only athlete to. suffer under the new ruling which says that an athlete is disqualified if found to be running on a line.

Cathy Power was similarly disqualified after finishing second in the women’s 200 m final.

Christine Pfitzinger, who opted for the women’s 800 m rather than the 3000 m, ran a tough race, winning in 2min 7.49 s from Michelle Gimblett and Carlene Dillimore.

One of the most promising performers in the championships was Andrew Mcßoberts, winner of the junior men’s 400 m -800 m double. In both finals his times were faster than those for the winners of the senior men’s finals.

Those championship events not held because rain flooded the track will be staged during next Saturday’s twilight meeting at Mount Smart.