Osmers takes outstanding double

Press, 10 November 1986, Page 24

Osmers takes outstanding double

BY

ROD DEW

A splendid long jump and javelin double by the Edinburgh Commonwealth Games heptathlon representative, Lyn Osmers (Technical), earned her the senior “Athlete of the Week” award on the first day of the A.N.Z. Bank track and field club championships at Queen Elizabeth II Park on Saturday. Osmers, who appears to be heading for another outstanding season, started the day with a winning leap of 5.23 m in

the long jump and finished it with the defeat of her young arch-rival in the javelin, the reigning New Zealand champion, Kaye Nordstrom (Papa-panui-Toc H). The deciding distance came in the fourth round when Osmers achieved 43.22 m. She was unable to improve further in the remaining two rounds but this was sufficient to give her victory. Nordstrom, clearly tired after returning from a tour of New Caledonia only the previous day,

opened with a throw of 42.86 m. This was a solid start, but proved to be the best she could manage on the day. For Nordstrom, the contest was probably something of an anti-climax after her efforts in inter-

national competitions in New Caledonia. There, she came up against five throwers, all capable of throwing more than 50m, and for a start was a little overawed by the standard.

However, she made progress and last Wednesday at a meeting in Noumea broke her own New Zealand junior record with an excellent throw of 46.88 m. "She learned from seeing the other throwers in action,” her coach, Mr Mene Mene, said.

Nordstrom was a member of a party of promising young New Zealand throwers which took part in meetings and coaching clinics in New Caledonia.

Outstanding among the under-age grades was Thomas Patton (New Brighton) who won the boys’ under-16 triple jump with a Canterbury record distance of 12.78 m and was just four centimetres away from the Canterbury high jump record in the grade with a winning leap of 1.85 m. He was an automatic choice as the "Junior Athlete of the Week.”

In the triple jump, Patton broke the old record of 12.34 m for the first time in the third round with a distance of 12.78 m. He finished with another fine leap of 12.73 m, also well in excess of the listed record. Patton was not without strong competition. Andrew Topp (St Bede’s College) achieved 12.70 m for second, a performance also better than the old record. The New Zealand champion, Evan Peterson (Technical), comfortably won the senior triple jump with a best distance of 14.31 m. Stephen McKee (Papanui-Toc H) was the runner-up with 13.21 m from the outstanding veteran, Ken Simpson (Papanui-Toc H). Simpson, who still holds the Canterbury record, jumped 12.89 m. Peterson, who has set the pace in the short sprints this season, tasted defeat at the hands of Craig Galilee (Old Boys) in the senior 100 m sprint Galilee recorded 11.235. Peterson was second in 11.42 s and Jeff Barnfield (Papanui-Toc H) third.

Galilee later completed the senior sprint double with victory in the 400 m in 50.365.

Peterson was also second in the 110 m hurdles. Chris Middleton (Papanui-Toc H) was the winner in 16.295.

Bev Peterson (Technical) proved too fast for her rivals in the first section of the women’s 100 m, flashing across the finish in 12.145. Lynette Stock (Technical), the Edinburgh Commonwealth Games 100 m hurdles representative, ran second in 12.54 s and Briar Woods (University) was third in 12.875.

Some of the outstanding sprinting of the day came in the junior men’s grade. Scott Bowden (New Brighton), who represented New Zealand at the world junior championships in Athens earlier this year, won the junior 60m in a smart 7.16 s and later won the junior 200 m in an excellent 21.795. Two other highly promising sprinters, Hayo van Gestal (Avon) and Dougal Cockram (St Andrew’s College), filled the minor placings in 22.64 s and 23.145, respectively. The reigning Canterbury 1500 m champion, Philip Clode (University), stepped out over this distance for the first time this season and led all the way for a worthy win in 3min 48.165. An unexpected rival was the Commonwealth Games steeplechaser, Michael Gilchrist (Technical), who ran his own race and closed up well towards the finish for another good early-season time of 3min 49.425. Gilchrist, a former Canterbury champion over 1500 m, had hoped to run over 3000 m

on Saturday but when he discovered there was no race of this distance included in the programme he switched to the shorter event.

“It was just a training run,” Gilchrist’s coach, Mr Valdemars Briedis, explained afterwards. “Michael ran 90 miles in training on the road last week. He will not be racing seriously until after Christmas.”

This could not, however, detract from a fine run by Clode, who has his sights set on running a 1500 m in less than 3min 40s this summer. “This was an excellent first run over 1500 m,” Clode’s coach, Mr Bob Grieve, said. "He hasn't done any speed work yet, and this was much faster than he was running at this stage last season."

The New Zealand crosscountry representative, Sue Bruce (New Brighton), had no strong opposition and had to set her own pace for the entire distance in the women’s 1500 m. She won by the length of the straight in 4min 31.14 s — some 13s outside her listed Canterbury record.

Elizabeth Ryan (Technical), another member of the New Zealand team which has just returned from New Caledonia, held off a strong challenge from Jan Maxwell (Technical) in the women’s shot.

Ryan recorded a personal best of 13.75 m.

Maxwell, making a strong comeback after a year off with injury, filled second slot with 13.62 m. A third Technical representative, Tania Lutton, was third with 12.49 m. Chris Barrett (Papanui-Toc H), comfortably- won the swenior men’s discus with a throw of 46.62 m. Mene, a long-standing rival, was second with 43.62 m but there was considerable interest in the performance of an 18-year-old thrower from South Canterbuiy, Martin King. He filled third place after a promising throw of 41.12 m. The final day of the club championships will be held next Saturday.