ATHLETICS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 225, 23 September 1936, Page 4

ATHLETICS

AT WHITE CITY

RECORD BREAKERS.

LOVELOCK'S GREAT RECEPTION

(From Otago Daily Tinies Corres-

(By

Air Mail.)

LONDON, Aug. 19. With a galaxy of stars on the programme and the first really brilliant summer’s day since June, it was no wonder that all roads led to the White City on August 15. An attendance of 90,000 was as many as the ground could hold, and it is unlikely that it will ever witness scenes of greater enthusiasm. The match between the United States and British Empire was a foregone conclusion as far as the result went, for the six field events out of the 14 on the programme could be safely written off. But the crowd had assembled to see the man who had won fame at Berlin, and it was a proud day lor New Zealanders in London to realise that one of the greatest magnets was J. E. Lovelock, whose phenomenal performance in the mile at Berlin, was the greatest British performance in the track events at the Games. Of the Americans, the triple-title winner, Jesse Owens, was the centre of attraction, and although he made only a brief appearance in competition he was generous in exhibition jumps and running. Owens is a pleasant personality, cheerful and modest though not averse from a little showmanship in gymnastic preparation for the track. To see him testing his limbs and then to see him flash through the 100 yards was a truly memorable sight. Owens is believed to contemplate becoming a professional. He is certainly the most wonderful athlete of his generation, and it is difficult to believe that his feat of winning three Olympic titles in such competition as that of 1936 will ever be surpassed. Lovelock's Clever Planning. Lovelock received a great ovation when he went for a trial run with V. P. Boot, but it was nothing to the cheering which greeted him as he ran away with the three miles race. P. D. Ward did his best to pace Lovelock, and for a time they took it in turns to lead the field. But Ward could not stand the pace, and ultimately it was J. A. Burns, another British runner, who went into second position. With nobody to chase him i'l the last lap, Lovelock finished in 14min. 14.85ec., s.6sec. outside the British record of L. A. Lehtinen (Finland), made in 1933. Lovelock beat Hie second man, Burns, by 12sec., but the first American, Zamperini, by 22.45ec. This may be the great New Zealander's last appearance in a big event, and it was a wonderful finale His career has been remarkable fol the influence of clever planning—ol knowing what could be done and ab tempting just that much and n< more. To plan a whole season ahead to time preparation so that the pea# of fitness might be reached in th< week it was most needed—these arg the achievements of a man wholly exceptional, a runner to win tribute from the great Nurmi as the finest o£ all time at 1500 metres. There is no need to say what Lovelock's athletic career has meant t« New Zealand. He has achieved a fame comparable to that of Wilding in lawn tennis, and made the name of his country known wherever running is a national sport. It is not too much to say that Lovelock has pointed the way to future New Zealand greatness on the track. There are young men in the Olympic team of to-day who could probably be moulded into future Lovelocks, given the intensive training facilities of Oxford and Cambridge. But they would find their greatest inspiration—if they were wise—not so much in methods of physical training, but in the mental attitude to the job in hand maintained by Loveloclt throughout his career. In the two miles relay (4 x 800yds), V. P. Boot ran quite a good race, but he is a young runner who will improve vastly with just such experience as he has been getting in th< past month. There were fireworks galore in thg field events, with British records going by the board, and when thg three hours were over and the spectators wended their way out through the crowd, some of them had a final cheerful sight of Jesse Owens scribbling his name on hundreds of programmes pushed up to him through a window at the back of the stand.