Walker hits peak with track treble

Press, 21 July 1986, Page 38

Walker hits peak with track treble

NZPA staff correspondent Birmingham John Walker kicked home for a straightforward pre-Games 2000 metres win yesterday to complete an impressive treble in his run-up to the Edinburgh 5000 metres.

Walker, aged 34, won the Birmingham event in smin 01.335, leaving England’s David Moorcroft struggling 10 metres back staving off the effects of recent injury and a challenge from a compatriot, Tim Hutchings. Walker sped home to win the Crystal Palace 3000 metres a week ago following a personal best in the Cork 5000 metres and is set for a gold medal duel with England’s Steve Ovett at Edinburgh.

He shifted gear to cruise away from Moorcroft (returning from a long absence after a pelvic injury) when the Englishman challenged in the Birmingham back straight. Walker says he is a

definite starter in the 5000 metres at the Games, and has already stated that if he opted for the longer distance he would ditch both the 800 m and 1500 m. Yesterday’s 2000 metres time ended up faster than he thought. “I wasn’t running for time. I just wanted to see what it was like running 400 metres out — I found it quite easy.” Walker, the 1500 metres gold medallist in the Montreal Olympics 10 years ago, said he might run a mile in Glasgow a few days before the Edinburgh Games open on Thursday. With boycotts depleting the Games fields, he has a feeling there won’t be any heats in the 5000

The Auckland decathlete, Simon Poelman, equalled his best pole vault by recording 4.80 metres at the Pearl Assurance meeting.

He also ran a satisfactory 110 metres hurdles time of 14.75 s while finishing third. Tony Rogers, in Europe under his own steam trying to qualify for the Games, lost possibly his last chance when he ran just outside four minutes finishing twelfth in a mile field.

Christine Pfitzinger, of Auckland, was fourth and recorded Bmin 58.78 s in the 3000 metres, five places clear of the nearest New Zealander, Christine McMiken.