GREAT ATHLETE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22564, 31 October 1936, Page 15

GREAT ATHLETE

LOVELOCK RETURNS AUCKLAND'S GREETING REMARKABLE CAREER RETIREMENT FROM TRACK The great New Zealand runner, Mr. •T. E. Lovelock, whose magnificent performance in the 1500 metres event at the Berlin Olympic Games gave the Dominion the first track championship in the history of the, Games, arrived in Auckland from the United States by the Monterey yesterday morning. It is five and a-half years since Mr. Lovelock, as the holder of a Rhodes scholarship. left from Auckland to follow his medical studies at Oxford Universitv.

As: a welcome to .dr. Lovelock, who lias achieved fame comparable to that of the late Anthony Wilding in lawn tennis, and made the name of New Zealand known where running is a national sport, flags were flown on business premises, at Albert Park and the Town Hall. A civic reception was tendered to him in the Town Hall at mid-day amid scenes of enthusiasm, and he was later the guest of honour at a sportsmen's dinner.

Mr. Lovelock's pleasant personality, ! cheerfulness and modesty, which are the three outstanding characteristics in the temperament of this born athlete, have made him the centre of popularity wherever he lias travelled or competed. His quiet and unassuming demeanour was evident during an interview at his hotel yesterday morning, when he said that it felt really good to be home in New Zealand. When asked how long he actually trained for the Olympic Games, Mr. Lovelock said that his schedule occupied but three months, which he considered the correct period for an individual starting from a normal state of good health. He remarked that in London, where everything was so much hustle and bustle, one soon got out of the best condition. "In the early stages of my preparation I varied my work a great deal," the champion said, "and ran quarter-miles, two miles and three miles, just working round about my distance all the time." Praise for Owens Mr. Lovelock regards Jesse Owens, the American negro winner of three Olympic gold medals, as a wonderful athlete. "His running is so smooth)" said Mr. Lovelock, who also expressed the opinion that V. P. Boot, the Dominion's 800 metres representative, was a fine runner, with a great deal of natural ability. "When Boot arrived in London I could give him perhaps as much as 10yds in 300 yds," the champion said, "but later on he had improved so much that there \vas little between us in training runs over this distance. "Matthews is also a splendid performer, who should go a long way. Both these young runners did well at the Games, but they had not enough time for sufficient preparation. The difficulty of scanty experience also had to be contended with. It was a very trying ordeal for Boot and Matthews to race in that stadium before over 100.ODO people." "The modern Olympic Games," continued Mr. Lovelock, "were now becoming too serious an affair and were too grandiose and complicated. There should be a wholesale simplification—a cutting down of the entire programme." He contemplated the possibility of negro competitors sweeping all before them at future Olympiads and said that undoubtedly these coloured Americans would next be running in distance events. "Physically they have everything necessary for success," he stated, "but the one thing that will them will be tactics. An instance of this was provided in the final of the 800 metres, won by Woodruff. He is an athlete capable of breaking world's record time, but his poor- tactics in the running of that race prevented liim from setting a ne_w mark." Final Race of Career The final race of Mr. Lovelock's career took place three weeks ago at Princeton University Stadium, New York, the scene of his triumph in 1933, when he lowered the world's mile record to 4m 7 3-ss. It is well known that Mr. Lovelock concentrated npon only one race each season, and this year he trained with the Olympic 1500 metres as his objective. Many sportsmen were not surprised, therefore, at the news of his defeat by A. San RWmani, a student at Kansas College. Mr. Lovelock said yesterday that he himself felt quite well for the contest and generously he added: "But Romani went too fast; he is good, and will be better. It was just that. He ran slightly faster than I did." Mr. Lovelock was met on the Monterey by Mr. C. G. Macindoe, chairman of'the Auckland Harbour Board, Mr. F. B. Dwyer. of the Internal Affairs Department, Mr._ H. McCormick, chairman of the New Zealand Olympic and British Empire Games Association, Messrs. H. L. Towers and W. Morton, of the Auckland Amateur Athletic Centre, Mr. A. T. Davies, Olympic Association, and Messrs. H. Frost and W. R. Fee, representing kindred sports.

HOLIDAY STAY TRACK APPEARANCE LIKELY FINAL WEEK IN AUCKLAND The stay in New Zealand of Mr. Lovelock will bo purely of a holiday nature. He will definitely not do any competitive running, but will probably make an appearance on the track only at the four main centres. He will meet as many schoolchildren as possible, but will be unable to visit individual schools, exrept in very special circumstances. It is suggested that educational authorities and sports bodies should combine to assemble recommended students so that Mr. Lovelock cau arldress them together. The final week in New Zealand will be spent in Auckland. During this period it is his desire that he be allowed as much time as possible for attending to private business. His itinerary was arranged last evening after consultation with the Department of Internal Affairs, a representative of which,.Mr. G. H. "Weir, will accompany him to Wellington. Details of his itinerary are as follows:—November 2, leave Auckland for Hamilton and Waitomo; November proceed to New Plymouth; November 4, New Plymouth. Stratford, Hawera and Wanganui; November 5, leave Wanganui for Palmerston North; November 6, leave Palmerston North for Wellington, via Manawatu. Mr. Lovelock will then spend four or five days in Wellington before leaving for the South Island so as to be in Dunedin by the week-end commencing November It. From Dunedin he will return to Christehurch for the following week-end. Mr. Lovelock's home town, Timaru, is included in the itinerary. The last stage provides for a tour of the east roast of the North Island, such towns as Napier, Gisborne, Opotiki, Rotorua and Thames being visited. Mr. Lovelock will arrive back in Auckland about a week prior to his departure bv the Mariposa for San Francisco on December 12.