RECORD-BREAKING MILE

Evening Star, Issue 22890, 23 February 1938, Page 6

RECORD-BREAKING MILE

LOVELOCK'S FIGURES GO PERFORMANCES BY PLACED HEN PULLAR VERY DISAPPOINTING ("Written for the ‘Evening Star’- by L E.C.I.] SYDNEY, February 15. With three men in the final-of the mile run at the Empire Games at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday afternoon, New Zealand’s hopes ran high, and, though Pat Boot was, unable to account for the double by adding this title to the half-mile he already had won in record time, ho established fresh, figures for the British Empire Games in filling third" place in 4min 12 3-10 sec, which was five-tenths of a second faster than the time put up by New ,Zealander Jack Lovelock at the Games in London in 1934. " , . _ _ , The winner was J. W. Alford, of Wales, in 4min 11 6-10 sec, and 4yds behind him in second place was Gerald Backhouse, of Australia, whose time was 4min 12sec. Boot was third 2yds away. It is difficult in a race run at such ,a" fast clijp to say what might have happened: under certain circumstances, but, in my opinion, : Boot relied too much on his amazing' finishing powers Andi let the.leaders, open'up top big a gap, and then, fdnhd it just a little beyond, him to head them off. As it was he very nearly succeeded, and in defeat he put up a remarkable performance. This, combined with his splendid halfmile run, stamps him as one of the greatest middle-distance runners in the .world to-day. Over the half-mile it is doubtful if there is anyone to heat Boot, and with a little better judgment, he would take a power of heating in the mile. ■ ' • * ; The suggestion has been made that Boot and Matthews should be sent to England for the A.A.A. championships in July, and, with the idea of giving them as much first-class competition as possible — having in mind the Olympic Games of 1940—the proposal is one that should be given consideration. Reverting "to the mile on Saturday, Backhouse made the early running, but Graham was ahead at the half-mile mark, left behind in 2min 4sec, the first lap being timed at 58 2-ssec. Alford occupied a fairly handy position, and when the last lap was entered upon the Welshman was in the van. Backhouse was not done with ; but he could not respond to the sprint unlposed by Alford 150yds from home, and the Welshman won in convincing style by 4yds. He ran a well-judged race, and never, allowed the leaders to get beyond reach. When Boot began to move up the hopes of the New Zealand supporters rose, but he could make no impression on Alford in the closing stages. W. A. O. Pullar, holder of the New Zealand mile title, ran disappointingly. He was working to a definite schedule, and found the first half-mile too fast for him. This threw him out, hut at no stage did he run at all freely, and he showed form well below his best, finishing in sixth place, about 60yds behind the winner. In heat and final Pullar ran as though he required a good deal more racing than he had had. Pullar is not the type to he affected by one failure, and. he will come again. It is unlikely that he will he seen in action at the Otago championships, as he has been offered a position in Wellington which it is thought he will accept. Theo Allen was not long with the leaders, and he retired at the end of three laps.