International Cross-Country

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28260, 24 April 1957, Page 15

International Cross-Country

[Specially written for “The Press”) LONDON.

England’s defeat in the international cross-country championships was a “bitter-sweet” one. It was not expected that four of the first five runners home would be English, but neither was it expected that the sixth British runner to cross the line would be placed thirty-fourth. The race was in many ways a moral victory for the English, even if the team’s points aggregate only gave it third place to Belgium and France. It was certainly a fine win for Sando after his success in the-British national championships, and sterling displays by Heatley (second), Norris third), and Chorlton (fifth). Ibbotson and Driver decided England’s defeat. - The day before the race, after a bad journey from Belgium, Ibbotson was suffering from a feverish chill which developed into tensilitis, and he had to drop out He was replaced by Humphreys, who could run only into thirty-ninth place. On this season’s form Ibbotson would undoubtedly have been among the first 12 home, and this would have given England victory. Driver was the greatest disappointment. He was the last of the British team to finish and ran into sixtieth place. He is a notoriously inconsistent runner, and although he has held the English six-mile championship and has been a regular member of British teams for four years, last season he achieved nothing of note. This season he has been running very well and finished second in the national cross-coun-try championships, and it appeared as if he was in form. His final position last week shows just how wrong this presumption was.