LOVELOCK’S HOPE

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXX, Issue 20165, 20 July 1935, Page 16

LOVELOCK’S HOPE

WORKING INTO FORM On the morning of his departure for the 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 New Zealand’s Prime Minister. “On their behalf and my own I 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, W.Yie City, on May 25, pride of place was by common consent given to Lovelock, who achieved a really great mile in 4min. 13 4.ssec. As on the previous week, he stayed with the rest of the runners until the half-dis-tance, and then off he went with characteristic effortless smooth action, intent on doing the best he knew over the last two laps. He covered the first half-mile in 2min. 7sec., and the last half-mile in 1-5 of a second less. Mr G. M. Butler, the old Blue, took his time over the last four furlongs as follows: 32.7, 31.1, 31.6, 31.0, the first and third being more against the wind. By his superb running he assisted the Achilles Club to regain the Kinnaird Trophy. Behind him were: A. V.

Reeve (Polytechnic H.), 2; D. W. Price (Milocarian A.C.), 3; E. L. Agate (Surrey A.C.), 4; G. H. Vines (London A.C.), 5; A. Atkinson (Birchfield H.), 6. 45yds.; 55yds. The London “Times's” appreciation of the New Zealander reads:—“The perfection of Lovelock’s technique is obvious even to the uninitiated. A follower of Rugby football would see in him a slimmer edition of C. N. Lowe, so perfectly poised that no shove could throw him off his balance, let alone out of stride, so much the master -of his own stride that speed could be thought of in terms of an oily fluid, to be turned off or on, gently or fast, according to will. On Saturday (May 25) after the usual jbckeyings 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 an effortless stride soon beat them.

Reeve had the ability and the heart to go after him when Lovelock moved into the lead about half-way, 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 unpaced or pressed, on a windy afternoon. In the circumstances, to have beaten the record time for the meeting by ssec. was a great achievement and promised well for the greater endeavour to come.”