Renner predicts gold

Press, 21 July 1986, Page 38

Renner predicts gold

NZPA Birmingham The Canterbury steeplechaser, Peter Renner, declared yesterday he could easily win gold at the Commonwealth Games after pushing Kenya’s Samson Obwocha to a new world best.

Renner, who posted a New Zealand best time of smin 24.06 s for the 2000 metres steeplechase, led for successive laps and at the bell in a Birmingham pre-Games meeting. With the Olympic gold medallist, Julius Korir, and his fellow Kenyan,

Obwocha, at his heels until the last 200 metres, Renner set up an exciting race.

He only flagged as Korir and Obwocha shot past half-way through the last lap and the two battled out the finish.

The third-placed Renner said it was a shame “the Africans had pulled out of the Commonwealth Games but I should get a medal.

“I could easily win a gold.”

New Zealand officials at Birmingham believed

Renner’s time could not be claimed as a national record because they doubted the distance was officially recognised. He will run the 3000 metres steeplechase at Edinburgh. Renner argued the distance was run regularly and the time should be a record. World and European marks enjoyed that status, he said.

He also said it was only a dodgy last hurdle that put him over four seconds behind the Kenyan’s historic time of 5:19.68.