MESSAGE TO LOVELOCK

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22141, 21 June 1935, Page 14

MESSAGE TO LOVELOCK

DOMINION PRIME MINISTER

good wishes tendered GREAT EFFORT IN ENGLAND [FROM OUR OWN correspondent] LONDON. June 1 On the morning of his departure for tlio United States, for the Princeton athletic meeting, J. E. Lovelock received a farewell message from Mr. G. W. Forbes, wishing him luck. "New Zealanders will be awaiting the result of your match with the keenest interest," telegraphed the Prime Minister. "On their behalf and my own J extend very good wishes for success. Kia Ora."

Immediately before joining the Aquitania the Rhodes scholar said: "I have accepted this invitation at the express wish of the Americans. I have no other plans apart from this race. While I am not at the moment feeling absolutely at the top of my form, I hope that on the day of the race I shall be as fit as the other fellows." Of the runners at the Kinnaird Cup meeting, White City, London, on May 20, pride of place was by common consent given to Lovelock, who achieved a really great mile in 4m 13 4-os. As in the previous week, he stayed with the rest of the runners until the halfdistance, and then off he went with characteristic effortlessly smooth action, intent on doing the best he knew over the last two laps. He covered the first half mile in 2m 7s, and the last halfmile in otic-fifth of a second less. Mr. G. M. Butler, the Old Blue, took his time over the last four furlongs as follows:—32.7s, 31.15, 31.65, 31.05, the first and third being more against the wind.

The Times' appreciation of the New Zealander reads:—The perfection of Lovelock's technique is obvious even to the uninitiated. A follower of Rugby

football would t«e in him a slimmer edition of C. >•'. Lowe, so perfectly poised' that no Eihove could throw him off his balance, let alone out of a stride, so much the master of his own stride that speed could be thought of in terms of an oily fluid, to b© turned off or on, gently or fast, according to will. On Saturday, after the usual jockevings for position among a field of 20, a few gallants did their best to extract the best from a man who once had beaten a world record, but au effortless stride soon beat them. .Reeve had thci ability and the heart to go after him when Lovelock moved into the lead about halfway, but the longer the race went the more hopeless looked the hopes, if, indeed, they were hopes, of a pursuer. Lovelock's clearly was a carefully judged effort, a nice test of himself, more or less un paced or pressed, on a windy afternoon. In the circumstances, to have beaten the record time for the meeting by os was a great achievement and promised well for the greater endeavour to come.