Cram, Coe qualify for 800m final

Press, 30 July 1986, Page 46

Cram, Coe qualify for 800m final

From

ROD DEW

in Edinburgh

' "I am just pleased to get it out of the way,” said England’s Steve Cram, after an impressive win in his semi-final of the men’s 800 m in the Meadowbank Stadium yesterday. Cram hung back until the last curve and then ran right round the field for a win in Imin 48.715. Second place went to another strong contender for the gold, Thomas McKean, of Scotland, in Imin 49.025. Cram, the defending Commonwealth champion over 1500 m and the reigning European and world champion over the same distance, is attempting the 800m-1500m double for the first time. Yesterday he won his heat as well as the semi-final, and looks sharp enough to have a great chance of his first gold over two laps in the final on Friday morning. “It was a new experience for me, running two races in one day,” he said. "I ran the last 200 m of the semi-final well, and I enjoyed it,” he said. Cram’s meeting with the world record-holder, Sebastian Coe, of England, in the final will be the first of two meetings at the Games between the

two outstanding Englishmen. Both are also entered for the 1500 m, which will be decided on the final day. Yesterday, Coe was suffering from a virus infection and not at his best, but he still qualified easily enough, winning his heat and later finishing a comfortable third in his semi-final in Imin 48.075. A warning was Issued, however, by yet another Englishman, Peter Elliott, that the final would be more than a two-man affair. He won the second semi-final in Imin 47.42 s from Simon Hoogewerf, of Canada.

Ann Purvis, of Scotland, won the first women’s 800 m semi-final in 2min 2.475. The second semifinal went to the defending champion, Kirsty Wade of Wales, ini 2min 3.945. These two now seem likely to battle for the gold in the final on Friday morning (New Zealand time):'