Walker splashes to win

Press, 11 March 1988, Page 38

Walker splashes to win

From ROD DEW, ■in Hamilton A j purposeful John Walker (Auckland) took his first step towards regaining the New Zealand 800 m {Championship with an impressive winning run of Imin 53.5 s in his heat on the opening day of the! national track and field ! championships at Porriti Stadium, Hamilton, yesterday. Walker, who has already! qualified for the Seoul j Olympic Games in the 1500 m, kept back in the field as it splashed around the rain-drenched track! He was severely checked along the back straight when he sought to improve his position on the last lap, and was finally (forced to run wide around the bend. Even so, he always looked in command

The outcome of the semi-finals today and the final! tomorrow afternoon, however, remain far from a.foregone conclusion. (The late entry of the Los ! Angeles Olympic 1500 m finalist, Peter OiDonoghue (Auckland), was i accepted by the managers’ meeting and he is likely to be a real threat to the 36-year-old Walker. O’Donoghue cruised' to a comfortable secqnd in the third heat yesterday behind a visitor from West Germany, Jussi Udelhoven, who might welj prove thp dark horse of 'the contest. Udelhoven’s time was a modest

Imin 53.52 s in the dreadful conditions, but he can obviously run much faster. He was third in. the 1985 European junior championships over this distance, and is hoping to run close to his best of Imin 47s in the final. Behind him, O'Donoghue, who is planning an Olympic, qualifying attempt over 1500 m after the championships, ran Imin 53.655. The fastest heat winner was the defending 800 m champion, Colin McDonald (Canterbury), in Imin 52.895. He had to run wide in the finishing straight to get to the front, but left no doubts that he will put up a stern fight in the defence of his title. “It wasn’t too bad,” he said of the rain, the aftermath of Cyclone Bola. But he was not entirely happy with his run. “Once again I ran a tactically poor race. I had to run four wide to get a run at the' finish. Still; I felt comfortable.” Michael Hindmarsh (Auckland) was second, to McDonald in Imin 52.935, and Michael Craig (Wellington) third in Imin 53.06 s — all faster than either of the other two heats. i Two withdrawals from the 300 m steeplechase yesterday assured that the champion Canterbury athlete, Peter Renner, will'be able to defend the title’ he has won five times in (the

last six years. Renner elected to fly north from Christchurch today, in the hope /that no heats would be required for the Sunday final. The inclusion of four Finnish cross-country runners in the field seemed to indicate that heats would be needed, and hurried applications were made to enter him in the 5000 m and 10,000 m. These were rejected, but after the two withdrawals from the steeplechase the heats programmed for yesterday were cancelled. Canterbury's first medal of the championships came in the junior men’s javelin. Ashrat El-Hinsh-eri claimed second place with a fine throw in the conditions, of 49.68 m. Simon Bryan (Auckland) was the winner with 56.58 m. Another silver medal came Canterbury’s way in the junior men’s 3000 m walk when Shane Brown strode to second place in an excellent 14min 1.095. The winner was Sean Sullivan (Auckland) whose success signalled a triumphant return after breaking his left leg in a friendly rugby match last winter. He recorded 13min 35.145. Canterbury, however, had to wait until the last event of the day to claim its first gold medal. Melissa Shipley broke the drought with a splendid win in the junior women’s 3000 m walk in 16min

16.595. Canterbury took the bronze medal as well when Karryn Brown finished third in 17min 8.845. New Zealand’s Olympic decathlon hope, Simon Poelman (Auckland), began his quest for five individual titles (and one relay) with a slashing victory in the first heat of the 110 m hurdles in 15.525. But it was Paul Loyd (Wellington) who recorded the fastest time, in the second heat, of 15.435. Canterbury’s leading all-rounder, Terry Lomax, featured in a dead heat for second with Stefan Hauf (Auckland). Both recorded 15.765. Results of finals:— Men Junior javelin.»-S. Bryan (Auck.), 56.58 m, 1; A. ElHinsheri (Cant.), 49.68 m, 2; P. Jeffery (Well.), 46-76, 3. Junior pole vault.—M. Pointon (Wai.), 3.65 m, 1; A. Pellowe (Wai.) and C. Boddie (Wai.), 3.35 m, 2 (equal). Junior long jump.—W. Hinchcliffe (Auck.), 7.34 m, 1; J. Warner (Wai.), 6.93 m, 2; S. I Raynes (South), 6.89 m, 3. ( Junior 3000 m walk.—S. Sullivan (Auck.), 13:35.14, 1; ! S. Brown (Cant.), 14:1.09, 2; . R. Miller (Otago), 14:28.77, 3. Women Junior discus.—N. Orr (Auck.), 37.94 m, 1; E. Norris (Auck.), 37.42 m, 2; G. Isaacs ■ (Well.), 34.98 m, 3. Junior 3000 m walk.—M. Shipley (Cant.), 16:16.59, 1; K. Harrop (Taran.), 16:46.95, 2; K. Brown (Cant.), 17:8.84, 3.