Bowden sets sights on 10,000m gold

Press, 26 July 1986, Page 31

Bowden sets sights on 10,000m gold

If determination and positive thinking count for anything, then the tall Auckland shop assistant, John Bowden, will run with distinction in the feature 10,009 m on the opening day of track and field competition at the Meadowbank Stadium on Sunday morning (New Zealand time). “Obviously, my alm is to win a medal. There would have been no point in coming if that was not the case,” said Bowden yesterday. Bowden, aged 30, has a best time of 28min 295, which puts him at the bottom of the top 10 in the Commonwealth rankings, but he expects to improve on this by a considerable margin in the long-distance track event \

His responsibility has increased since the unfortunate back injury suffered by New Zealand’s No. 1 10,000 m runner, Rex Wilson, and he is currently the sole New Zealand starter.

There remains a very faint chance that John Walker might step in at the eleventh hour, but it is more likely that Bowden, now a runner of considerable experience, will carry the New Zealand colours alone. Recent time trials of 13min 45s for 5000 m (the second fastest of his career) and 7min 57s for 3000 m (a career best) have left him in a buoyant mood. His coach, Lawrence Losen, arrived two days ago and together they have mapped out a schedule which they hope will catapult Bowden among the medals.

Nothing has been left to chance. He has even read Dick Tayler’s book in search of inspiration. Tayler was the winner of this event at the Christchurch Commonwealth Games in 1974 and nothing would make Bowden happier than to emulate this feat He has also talked at length with John Davies, an Olympic

From ROD DEW in Edinburgh

medallist over 1599 m. “He knows what it is all about New Zealand has a long tradition in distance running and I would like to uphold this.” Bowden fully appreciates the task he has given himself. Nine athletes broke 28min in the Commonwealth for the 10,900 m in the last six months and although three of these were Kenyans, now out of the Games, the race will be very competitive. Paul Williams (Canada) is now the topranked runner in the field with a best of 27min 50.195, but Bowden fears most the challenge which will be offered by the three Englishmen, Mike McLeod, Jon Solly, and Steve Bins.

Solly, a 23-year-old market research assistant, is the reigning Brit- . ish champion and holds second ranking with 27mln 50.195. Binns has z also broken 28min. He has a personal best this year of 27mln 58.695. It might prove, however, that the very experienced Mike McLeod will be the man to watch. McLeod, aged 34, has a best this year of 28min 2.835, but he has. run the distance more than 23s faster than this.

Quite clearly, Bowden is cast, in the role of underdog, a position he is quite happy with. He is sad that the boycott has taken so many friends out of the Games. “I have raced on the United States road circuit with many of them, and I am very sorry I am not going to meet them here. But this is not going to stop me getting on with the job. I have been training well, and am looking forward to what promises to be a very good race.”