Top track trials expected

Press, 2 November 1989, Page 39

Top track trials expected

PA Wellington Organisers are expecting top performances from the first Commonwealth Games pre-trial track and field meeting in Wellington on Saturday. Four meetings have been planned in Wellington, Hamilton (November 8), Auckland and Christchurch (November 11) before the main athletics trial in Auckland on November 24 to 26. The Wellington organiser, / Raema Collins, said the pressure would be on athletes to perform. “Everybody’s going to have to put their head on the block,” she said. “They have to frqnt up and show the selectors what they are doing.” John Cornaga, chairman of the 1990 track and field organising committee, has said it could be dangerous for athletes to rely solely on the Auckland trials. “It might be a lousy weekend — athletes are going to need some back-up performance,” he said. However, some of New Zealand’s top games contenders have opted to stay at

home. The middie-distance runner, Alan Bunce, will continue his low-key games buildup in Auckland, his coach Arch Jelley said yesterday. Bunce has yet to run over his distance —1500 m — but has shown useful early season form, including an Bmin 12s personal best over 3000 m in the Auckland wind and rain. “Alan might have one 1500 m before the end of November, but he’s training for the Commonwealth Games rather than the trial,” Jelley said. “He’s twice as strong as he was before.” The javelin hope, Gavin Lovegrove, has taken a similar approach. The Aucklandbased thrower was forced to return home early from a European trip three months ago with back problems, and has been quietly battling his way back to fitness. The two stress fractures in his lower vertebrae took almost two months to heal. Lovegrove said he had had only one “very average” throw since, but was optimistic of completing his return

to form in time for the trials. Lovegrove’s New Zealand season was also cut short by a broken collarbone soon after he set a new national record of 80.70 m late last year. The calibre of entries so far for the Wellington meeting, especially in the sprints and jumps, has pleased organisers. The men's 100 m should boast one of the strongest New Zealand fields yet, especially if the national champion, Murray Gutry (Waikato) lines up. Auckland teenager Cameron Taylor, Canterbury’s Scott Bowden, national 200 m champion Dale McClunie (Waikato), the Auckland duo of Mark Woods and Jonathon Moyle and Waikato’s Hugh Percy have all indicated they will be running. The women will be headed by Canterbury’s speedster, Bev Peterson, and include Hawke’s Bay hurdler Helen Pirovano, the national 400 m champion Andrea Wade (Auckland) and Waikato’s Morag McMillan. The long jumper and sprinter, Jayne Moffit is also a possible

starter. The men's high jump in Wellington on Saturday has attracted a strong field, headed by national champion Roger Te Puni (Wellington), and including Auckland's Kirk McNeely, Otago jumper Jeff Brown and the Canterbury duo of Keith Olds and Steve Rollings. In the women’s high jump, national champion Trudy Woodhead (Otago) will have to find form to down the challenge of team-mate Tania Murray and Aucklander Rona-Lee McCullough. Wellington’s 400 m trio of Anthony Green, Craig Purdy and Andrew Collins come up against some tough competition in Duane Hart (Waikato) and Paul Cuff (Auckland) inthe men’s one-lapper. New Zealand 400 m recordholder Kim Robertson, in the final stages of a return to racing, is a possible starter in the women’s event, where she will meet national champion Andrea Wade, Nelson teenager Toni Hodgkinson and 400 m hurdler Anna Shattky (Auckland).