Canadian hurdler is keen

Press, 20 December 1986, Page 80

Canadian hurdler is keen

By

ROD DEW

The bronze medallist in the 400 m hurdles at the Edinburgh Commonwealth Games, John Graham, of Canada, arrived in Christchurch last evening looking forward to • his clash with the New Zealand. champion, Wayne Paul, of Canterbury, in the Technical twilight track and field meeting at Queen Elizabeth II Park today. “I am in the middle of the indoor season so my form should not be too bad," he said. “I have been doing plenty of work.”

Graham, aged 21, from Calgary, admitted he was “really disappointed” with his performance at the Commonwealth Games. A foot injury suffered in an East German meeting a fortnight before had badly affected his performance.

In subsequent meetings he beat both the men who finished ahead of him at the Games, Philip Beattie (Northern Ireland) and Max Robertson (England). Graham is not taking his encounter lightly with Paul this evening, although he was a comfortable winner when they last met in a heat at the Commonwealth Games. Paul was fourth, missing a place id the final.

“It was so windy and it was raining,” Graham said. “The results of that race were not a true indication of anybody’s worth.”

Graham has a personal best for 400 m hurdles of 49.635, and he is planning to lower this to 48s before the end of the next northern season.

His main target next year is the world championship meeting in Rome in August.