LOVELOCK’S MILE

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 286, 29 August 1933, Page 11

LOVELOCK’S MILE

Athlete’s Feat Gives Cause for Speculation COMMENT IN AMERICA “Track history was made at Princeton when Jack Lovelock ran the classic’ mile distance, 1760 yards or 5280 feet, in four minutes seven ami six-tenths seconds,” writes Paul Galileo in the New York “Daily News, in commenting upon the New■ Zealander » amazing performance on July 15 last. “It was the greatest mile ever run and clocked In the history of the world, the writer proceeds. ‘ But will it be the final mile? The greatest ever/ The answer lies in the most fascinating study in athletics—the limits of human capabilities, and what are they? In other words, what is the ceilingWhere must flesh and blood and spnut cry quits and enough? And what will the final unbreakable records be. Former Wonder Men. “The old mile record stood for two vears It was made in France in 1931 by a Frenchman, Jules Ladoumegue. lie ran the distance in 4 :09.2. This made Ladoumegue the superwonder man, because when he broke it he smashed the six-year-old record of the wonder man of the track, Paavo Nurmi, who ran the mile on August 23, 1923, In 4:10.4 and was hailed as the greatest runner the world had everknown. Wliat this makes Lovelock is a study in superlatives you can figure out for yourself. But the thing that intrigues me is how. soon will someone come along and make Lovelock just a back number who once held the world record? “And now four eight has been cracked for the mile. Lovelock himself thinks he can better the time. , I doubt whether lie can. Such superb efforts as the Englishman’s at Princeton last Saturday, such a miraculous coincidence of good health, conditions, track and pace are rarely duplicated by the same man. Lovelock is a hero to-day. But Is there some kid running about the streets in knickers, some youngster out on a farm, some foreigner just being born —is there someone on earth to-day created to break that record? And by how much? And who? And where? A mile in 4:7.6? Last Saturday? That’s ancient history in sport to-day. Who will break it?” Greatest Mile Ever, “Many track fans were rubbing their eyes to-day to make sure they weren’t dreaming about that 4:07.6 mile which Jack Lovelock ran at. Princeton on Saturday,” writes Bernard Kremenko. “But, folks, had you been at Palmer Stadium and seen the New Zealander step away from Bonthron you never would have doubted that history was in the making, you never for a minute would have thought you were dreaming. i , - "For, right before your eyes, you would have seen tlie greatest mile ever. The 5000 fortunates in the stands sensed it right- from the start. Even the surrounding atmosphere, the nearby trees, the quieting breeze, the stillness that is part and parcel of Old Nassau, all intimated that an epic was in the making. “Never before had two humans whirled around a cinder track, or any other track for that matter* at such a dizzy pace. ■ It seemed impossible that Princeton’s Bonthron and Oxford’s Lovelock could continue their gait. But if anybody had expected the athletes to slacken their stride they were doomed to disappointment. “The fact remains that best fractional times were turned in for the final quarter-mile which Lovelock covered in 0 :58.9 and Bonthron in 0:00.1. Thus, no matter how fast they had been travelling previously, both boys still had plenty in reserve. An Ideal Champion. "Lovelock is everything you'd expect of a track champion; tl\it is, everything but size. He's a comparatively little fellow, weighing in the neighbourhood of 135 pouiids. But his stride Is a thing of beauty. His judgment in running is perfection itself. He is level headed, and allows nothing in the race to excite or unbalance him. And .his finishing kick,is one, owned only by immortals.” BonthrOn will attest to the latter. “Lovelock never seems to tire or become breathless. After Saturday’s race, the Oxford medical'■student seemed fresher and less fatigued than his beaten foe. But Bonthron, with unusual recuperativq powers, was able to return in little more than an hour and win a 1:53 half-mile.”