OLYMPIC GAMES

Waipukurau Press, Volume XXVIII, Issue 130, 27 May 1932, Page 8

OLYMPIC GAMES

BILLY SAVIDAN’S TRIAL FOR N.Z. HONOURS Billy Savidan. underwent his Olympic trial on the Avondale racecourse, Auckland, recently, and ran a solo over 10,000 metres. The track was . heavy, but with a good surface, and Savidan was timed to do 31min 47 1-5 sec. The course was certainly as far removed from an Olympic track as it could have been if <1 deliberate attempt had been made to make the trial a farce, but the Auckland Centro had no option. The track at the Domain was cut about and unfit for trial purposes. Savidan ran 10,000 metres on his own in 31.47 1-5, and .this has assured him of definite nomination and, doubtless, selection. Whether he would have returned the time on a 440 yds track is another matter, but for comparative purposes, it was a valuable aid. At the last Olympic Games Nurmi won the 10,000 metres in 30min 18 4-5 see. The first Englishman to finish was Muggridge, fifth, who was timed to do Simin 31 3-5 sec.—Probably the fastest time ever recorded by a Britisher in an Olympic event, and only Usee, worse than Kolehma.incn’s winning time at Stockholm in .1912, and 12sec. faster than Nurmi’s winning time at Antwerp in 1920. Savidan’s time compares favourably with the above performances, and it is now apparent that Savidan will bo in a position to reproduce the form that won him the six-milc Empire title at Hamilton, Canada, in SOmin 49 .1 -5 sec.