Hurdler just misses Games standard

Press, 27 February 1986, Page 44

Hurdler just misses Games standard

By

ROD DEW

The New Zealand 100 m hurdles champion, Lynette Stock, missed the Edinburgh Commonwealth Games qualifying standard by a mere six-hundreths of a second in the outstanding performance of the Toe H-High School Old Boys twilight track and field meeting at Queen Elizabeth II Park last evening.

Stock won her race in 13.85, equalling her Canterbury hand-timed record. Second place went to the Old Boys all-roun-der, Karen Forbes, in 15.35.

This season Stock has beaten the Games qualifying standard of 13.74 s twice, only to lose official recognition because of wind assistance. Her best chance for an official qualifying time now appears to be the New Zealand championship, which will be held in Christchurch early next month. The injury-troubled Michael Gilchrist was also unsuccessful in his attempt to better the Games qualifying standard of Bmin 32s in the 3000 m steeplechase. A fast opening lap adversely affected his rhythm and his strength began to fail him about two laps from the

finish. His winning time of Bmin 39.85, although a second slower than his best, was an excellent one considering his recent background. His training has been severely restricted for the last two weeks by a leg muscle injury.

“I have really only come right in the last three or four days,” he explained later.

A 1500 m finalist at the Brisbane Commonwealth Games, Gilchrist had decided to step up to the 5000 m for the Games this year. But his progress in the steeplechase has been so marked that it is now likely that he will concentrate on this in the time he has left.

“I think I will flag away the 5000 m at the nationals,” he said. “I will probably put all my effort into the steeples and hope that it is a good day.”

Gilchrist is confident that he can better the Edinburgh standard for the steeplechase, in spite of a rather difficult season. “I have normally run about 12 races by this time. Tonight’s race was only my fifth.” The Olympic steeplechase finalist, Peter Renner, ran with

Gilchrist for much of the distance last evening, pulling off just a lap from the finish. “I really appreciate what Peter did,” said Gilchrist. “He was supposed to leave today for the world cross-country championships and changed his ticket just so he could help me. I would have been right down the track without his help.” Peter and Wendy Renner, a husband-and-wife combination in the New Zealand cross-coun-try team, leave Christchurch today. Second place, some distance back, was a former Canterbury champion, Alan McLaren, in 9min 425. ■ The new Canterbury 1500 m champion, Phillip Clode, made a bold first attempt for a Games qualifying time but had to settle for 3mln 46.3 s — seven seconds slower than his target time. His early pace was a fraction slow and at the bell he was three seconds down on the schedule he needed to maintain. On his final lap he dropped further behind. Clode, one of the surprises of the season, will try again. Because of the proximity of the national cham-

pionships, many odd distances were contested last evening, some with excellent results. Colin McDonald won the 600 m in a very fast Imin 20.5 s from Richard Coadwell and the new Canterbury senior sprint champion, Darren Dale, doubled up with excellent wins in the 80m (8.8 s and 300 m (34.15). Nicky Doyle won the women’s 80m in 9.6 s from Vicky Lewis, who later won the 150 m in 18.45. Karen Forbes was an impressive winner of the women’s 600 m in Imin 38.95, defeating two accomplished middle distance runners, Sharon Hughes and Carolyn Barrie. A very promising young thrower, Kaye Nordstrom, won the women’s javelin with a distance of 42.04 m while the New Zealand javelin champion, Lyh Osmers, turned her atterition to the high jump. She achieved a winning height of 1.62 m. The decathlon specialist, Peter Henry, had a successful night, winning the javelin (46.64 m and the discus (37.88 m and finishing second behind Matt Leech in the shot. Leech recorded 13.13 m and Henry 12.58 m.