GREAT FEATS

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 36, 11 August 1934, Page 11

GREAT FEATS

NEW ZEALAND ATHLETE

LOVELOCK'S BRILLIANCE

WHAT WILL HE DO NEXT?

(By "Sprinter.")

■"Ho is the most remorseless, frictiouless thing ever seen." That is the opinion, tho cables tell us, of Ralph Hewins, an Oxford Blue, regarding J. E. Lovelock, the sturdy little. New Zealand athlete who this week at the British Empire Games gave another brilliant performance over the mile. There are features about this run which make it just as gratifying as his world record performan'co in the United. States oi America last year. It v;as registered apparently under very unfavourable circumstances, but apart from that it has given a \rery definite answer to the news received last month and earlier this year that all was not well with his knee, upon which an operation had been performed. Lovelock seems to be right back to top form; indeed, it h.as beenwritten of him this week that he is unbeatable at the present time.

Since going to England Lovelock has gone from success to success on the running track. When he, was at Otago University he was regarded in Dunedin as an athlete with possibilities, but his performances in this country were hardly such as to fire the imagination to tho point of inducing a declaration that in this compact little athlete was a potential world-boater. He went to England as a. Bhodea Scholar, and before very long gained a place in the Oxford University team. From then on lie has not looked back. HIS FIRST SENSATION, ' Towards the end of May, 1.932, Lovelock created a sensation that was to bo the forerunner of others. Id that month in England/ho / ran the milo in 4min 12soc and broke the British amateur record. No other New Zcalarider, not even the redoubtable It, A. Kosp in his heyday, had returned such ii time which was but 2 4-ssee outside the then world's record held by the Frenchman Jules ladouinegue. As if to show that this sterling effort was not a "flash in the pan," to use a colloquialism, in England the following month he broke tho thirty-seven-years-old world record for three-quarters of a mile, covering the distance in'3min 2 l-ssec. Thus once again lie gavo New Zealand a place in the sun. Following these two performances he represented Now Zealand at the Olympic Games at Los Angeles, where, competing under a handicap, he did not do himself justice. ll© had no difficulty in winning his heat of tho 1500 metres in good time, bat could only finish seventh in the final, which was won in record time by the Italian Luigi Beccali. After his return to England Lovelock apparently underwent an operation for knee- trouble, but tho following year, in June, ho gavo evidence that ho was in good form again, for in that mouth at Antwerp he covered 15.00 nietros in 3min 50 4-osec, a time which then had rarely been bettered,for the distance. THE RECORD MILE. In' July, 1033, came his magnificent achievement at Princeton, New Jersey, when ho broke tho world record for the mile, reeling off the distance in 4min 7 3-ssec. This performance gained for him. an international reputation, and it'was one which was hailed in tho United-States' us tho "mile of the ages." It was the' feature race in tho track contests between tho combined forces of Oxford and Cambridge and Cornell and Princeton, and in it Lovelock scored a decisive triumph over Bill Bonthron, 'the Princeton star. . Ilis next performance of note.was his establishment of a Scottish record of 4min 13 3-ssec for tho mile at Glasgow in August, 1033. At the International University Games at Turin in tho next month he raced against the Olympic winnor, Luigi Beccali, in the 1500 metres, and was beaten by five yards in 3min 49 l-ssec, which equalled Ladoumeguo's world record. In Paris the same month, at tho Franco-, German meeting, he failed by threefifths of a second to break Ladoumegue's 1500 metres record, and attributed his non-success to haviug nobody to extend him.' BAD AND GOOD NEWS. News was. received this year that was not very encouraging. Lovelock did not sconi to be himself though it would appear from later information that there was a good explanation, not associated with any knee trouble, for his seemingly indifferent performance. Again, only last month, Mr. 11. Amos, secretary of the SNow Zealand Olympic aud British Empire Games Association, received advice from Dr. A. E. Porritt which seemed to indicate that Lovelock's knee was giving trouble. A few days later, however, tho doubt which had been raised concerning Lovelotsk's condition was removed to some extent, when it was announced that ho had won tho mile amateur championship of England in 4min 26 3-ssee. But moro reassuring was his performance against Bonthron a week later. At the Oxford and Cambridge v. Princeton and Cornell meeting in England he defeated tho American in the mile by two yards in 4min 15 2-ssec, showing, according to the cable inossago, clever judgment. Lovelock now has two wins over Bonthron, and keen intorest will be taken in'the.third meeting of the pair, which is to take placo in Paris on August 19. Hopes of Lovelock being in good condition wero raised even higher by a message received just prior to the opening of tho British Empire Games last Saturday. Lovelock was stated to be in fino fettle, and that ho was so he demonstrated in the clearest possible way by his great performance in tho mile on Tuesday on a track which, as tho cablegram stated, was slow afterheavy rain and in weather which, was cold and windy. Yet ho won in easy fashion, and moreover his timo of 4min 12 4-ssec was the fastest recorded for a mile in England sinco the professional, W. G. George, ran the distance in 4min lSJsec in ISS6. NEW ZEALAND'S BEST. Now Zealand has never had a greater runner than Lovelock, and the fact that at no other time- in athletic history have thero boon more really great milers gives added lustre to his performances. When ho broke the world record for the milo at Princeton his performance was acclaimed throughout the world, and he was hailed as a phenomenal athlete. After that race, he stated that he would improve his style if ho could find any way of doing so, and he indicated that he might make his arm action moro of the Finnish type. Whether he has done this or not is not known, but thero seems every reason to believe that he iB just as good as, if not better than, when ho caused a sensation with his brilliant achievement in America last year. Can Uo excol his American performance of 4min 7 3-ssec? Ho himself evidently is confident that ho can, and has hinted at a milo in 4inin Gsoc or faster. His race with Bonthron at tho end of next week- should present a good opportunity of a further test. Who knows what tliis "most remorseless friclioiile.ss thing" will do ne.vl ?

It. i* said that it is potwiblu I" m.ike a, razor blade that would keep )l* odj!e indefinitely without; .stropping, but, caeli Wade of this type ywhl tost. iC3.