Great names gone, but others remain

Press, 24 July 1986, Page 46

Great names gone, but others remain

NZPA-AAP Edinburgh Some great names won’t be there, but performers like Daley Thompson, Robert de Castella, Steve Cram, Ben Johnson, Sebastian Coe and Steve Ovett will provide a world class track and field competition at the Commonwealth Games.

The boycott by African and Caribbean nations has robbed the Games of the sprinters, Bert Cameron and Grace Jackson, of Jamaica, Innocent Egbunike and Chidi Imog, of Nigeria, the Nigerian long jumper, Yussuf Alli, the Kenyan steeplechaser, Julius Korir and the Tanzanian marathoner, Jimo Ikanga, who pushed de Castella so hard in Brisbane four years ago. The world recordholder, Zola Budd, will also be missing after the Commonwealth Games Federation ruled she was ineligible for the English team on residential grounds. Unless he breaks a leg Thompson looks certain to win his fifth successive Games decathlon gold medal in an unbeaten run he began in Edmonton eight years ago. His English distancerunning team-mates, Coe and Cram, will fight out the medals in the 800 m and 1500 m, in which they hold respective world records.

The former world mile record-holder, Ovett, will step ,up to 5000 m here. In the absence of the Africans, New Zealand’s hardy perennial, John Walker, also a former mile record-holder, will be a leading contender a full 10 years after he won the Olympic 1500 m gold medal In Montreal.

The Canadian sprinter, Ben Johnson, believes he has a good chance of breaking the world 100 m record at the Games. Johnson ran a marvellous 9.95 s at the Goodwill Games in Moscow this month, only twohundredths of a second outside the world mark set by the American, Calvin Smith. In the women’s events Australia’s Debbie Flintoff is a strong chance to win the 40um flat and hurdles medals. She is second in world rankings over hurdles and set an Australian flat record at Crystal Palace earlier this month.

XIII COMMONWEALTH GAMES SCOTLAND 1986

In the women’s sprint and distance events the Commonwealth trails far behind American and Eastern bloc countries, and the loss of Budd deprives the Games of the best known female runner.

Australia’s Commonwealth and Olympic heptathlon gold champion, Glynis Nunn, will not defend her title here, concentrating instead on the 100 m hurdles. However, she has been out of form in lead-up races. In the high jump the West Australian, Chris Stanton and Canada’s seasoned Debbie Brill look the top contenders. In the javelin the English pair, Fatima Whitbread and Tessa Sanderson and Australia’s Sue Howland are ranked in the top eight in the world. The Olympic bronze medallist, Gael Martin, is favourite to win the shot put.

Games reports, page 26