Downey upstages young thrower

Press, 9 March 1987, Page 38

Downey upstages young thrower

PA Wellington The world junior javelin record holder, Gavin Lovegrove, threw a New Zealand record of 79.60 m at the national centennial track and field championships here yesterday, but wound up having to share centre stage with another record breaker, the veteran sprinter, Shane Downey, of Auckland. Lovegrove (Waikato), aged 19, pulled out his long throw in the final round, sending his spear beyond the pace-setting 78.72 m of the Commonwealth Games silver medallist, Mike Hill, to plunge into the turf two centimetres beyond his personal best, the world junior record. It seemed nothing could upstage Lovegrove but Downey managed it. A lean, long-striding

30-year-old, Downey had never held a national record until yesterday. He changed all that in 10.535. When the men’s field went to the start of the 100 m, Downey was expected to do no better than place behind Dale McClunie (Waikato) who had run the second fastest 200 m by a New Zealander earlier in the meeting. But Downey never looked, like losing. He began best and strode clear of Murray Gutry (Waikato) and the champion decathlete, Simon Poelman (Auckland). McClunie unwound late to nab Poelman and record a personal best 10.645. Poelman lowered his best to 10.71 s for third and Murray Gutry, who had started the race as New Zealand record-

holder, could do no better than fourth.

Downey said he had considered retiring two seasons ago when he failed to place in the 100 m final, then again when he ran poorly in Europe last year. A free trip to New Caledonia to race at the meeting where Lovegrove threw his world junior record last October kept him going, the more so when he beat an international field there over 200 m.

Although Downey has struggled to hold McClunie this season, he had believed things were about to change. “I knew I would win it, I just had the feeling," he said.

“I am so glad I didn’t retire. It is just that feeling — there is no-one in front and you are float-

ing through. I might stay on for another season now.”

Lovegrove also came to Wellington expecting a big performance. “I had about four throws in training beyond 79m last Tuesday, so I was looking for a good one,” he said. Lovegrove trailed Hill (England) by as much as 5m and was never in front till he found the magic touch at the last possible moment.

There was also a touch of magic to the triumph of Auckland’s Peter O’Donoghue in the men’s 1500 m.

O’Donoghue settled on the inside as the field crawled through the opening 800 m in 2min 6s. Outside him, the field packed four and five wide behind reluctant pacemaker, Alistair Leslie, of

Wellington. Somehow O’Donoghue found a way out of the tangle with 500 m to run and cruised around to hit the front 300 m from the tape. Tracking him the whole way was the 800 m runner Pat Scammell, the Australian who ran a 3min 36s 1500 m in Melbourne last Thursday. O’Donoghue ran the last 300 m in 42 seconds, looking comfortable, and Scammell was unable to make an impression. The winning time was 3:46.15 with Scammell second in 3:47.65.

The Waikato heptathlete, Terry Genge, won the national long-jump title which had so far eluded her with a leap of 5.96 m. The Commonwealth Games long jumper, Jayne Mitchell (Canterbury), was a disappointing third.