Seatter’s Games bid warms with new N.Z. walk record

Press, 3 February 1986, Page 26

Seatter’s Games bid warms with new N.Z. walk record

By

ROD DEW

A New Zealand allcomers’ record in the 5000 m walk by the Edinburgh Games contender, Graham Seatter (Old Boys), was the most memorable feature of the Canterbury inter-club track and field meeting at Queen Elizabeth II Park on Saturday. His winning time of 20min 33s chopped an impressive 3.8 s off the listed national mark, which he set almost exactly five years ago. “All my training has been directed towards the 30km for the Commonwealth Games, so it is a little bit of a bonus to get good times over short distances,” Seatter said afterwards. "It was quite hot out there, although I can’t say whether it affected my performance or not. I am very pleased.” This was Scatter's second New Zealand best time In successive weeks. The previous Saturday he completed the fastest 10,000 walk by a New Zealand athlete in 42min 34.95. Second behind Seatter on Saturday in another very good performance was Murray Day (Old Boys), who is also aiming for Commonwealth Games selection. His time of 21min 10.2 s was a personal best Both walkers will make their attempts to qualify for the Edinburgh Games in a special race over 30km on Thursday. The qualifying

time is 2hr 22min, but both have recorded times substantially faster than this, and are planning to beat the standard by at least 2min. “We are in good shape,” said Seatter, who coaches Day. “If we do very good times on Thursday, we will not compete in the national 30km championship. “Obviously, we will be in touch with the games selectors, but walking 30km is rather like running a marathon. You can’t do very many of them in a season,” he said. Seatter would like to dedi-

cate the remainder of the season to 20km walks, which he feels is essential if he is to prepare properly for the Games.

He is somewhat critical of the switch every fourth year from 20km to 30km for the New Zealand championship. “There was no New Zealand 20km champion in 1982, and there will not be one in 1986. I think that is crazy.” It would have been far better to retain the New Zealand 20km championship and hold an additional 30km trial for the Games selection, he said. Seatter believes the standard of walking in New Zealand is probably the highest It has ever been among the top walkers.

He has noted that an old rival, Mike Parker, now living in England, has recorded some very fast times. If Seatter and Day succeed in their plans on Thursday, there might be several fine prospects who will miss the Games.

“There are a couple of 1 walkers in Auckland who could beat the standard, and find there is no room for them in the Games team,” Seatter said. “It is a very interesting situation.” Seatter has the best time for 30km by a New Zealanier. His 2hr 16min 15s performance, achieved in Engand, is more than 15min ’aster than the listed New Zealand record, held by Mike Parker. Day has a best of 2hr I7min 30s, so the hurdle •epresented by the qualifying standard should not be a iifficult one to clear.

Not surprisingly, the New Zealand Permanent Building Society "Athlete of the Week” iward on Saturday went to Seatter. The junior award went to a young sprinter of musual promise, Scott Bowden (Bascik New Brighton).

He won the junior 100 m sprint in Ils in a very tight finish with Dougal Cockram (St Andrew’s College). Cockram recorded the same time.

Later, Bowden ran in the senior D section of the 200 m, winning in the fastest time of the day in 225. Evan Peterson (Technical),' who has had his season sadly disrupted by an ankle injury, won the senior 100 m in U.2s with Cockram taking second in the same time. Cockram won the senior A 200 m in 22.2 s and this time Peterson finished behind him in 22.65.

The runner-up in the New Zealand triple jump championship last year, Peterson was hoping for a serious attempt on the Games qualifying standard before now.

But his ankle is probably not strong enough for him to compete in the forthcoming Canterbury triple jump championship, although he has hopes of contesting the long jump championship in a fortnight.

His one chance of a qualifying distance might now be the New Zealand championships. Next week-end he

will restrict himself to the sprints. "The season certainly hasn’t turned out the way I had hoped,” Peterson said. Dave Burridge (University) won the 5000 m in a solid performance, although the time of 13min 49.6 s was probably slower than he would have hoped for. Michael Gilchrist (Technical), running his first 5000 m of the season, shared the lead with Burridge for the first seven laps, before easing back a little and settling for second place. He finished in 14min 4.25. Dave Drummond (Toe H) was the third finisher, in 15min 395. Another Commonwealth Games contender, the New Zealand 400 m hurdles champion, Wayne Paul (Papanui Redwood), moved closer to the qualifying time with an outstanding 51.8 s performance. He is now less than Is away from a trip to Edinburgh, and is expected to make another attempt in a special meeting at Queen Elizabeth II Park on Wednesday evening. Lyn Osmers (Technical), fresh from her Commonwealth Games qualifying performance in the heptathlon a week earlier, won the women's high jump with an excellent clearance of 1.70 m. Karen Forbes (Old Boys), was second in the event with 1.55 m, a height she shared with the first three in the under 16 contest. Kirsten Young (Technical) won this on a countback from Vici Mallison (Geraldine) and Karen Flitcroft (New Brighton).

Vicky Lewis (Old Boys) ran the women’s 100 m on her own in a smart 12.1 s and later won the 200 m in 25.7 s from Briar Woods (University) and Forbes. Anne Marie Tweedie (University) won the women’s A grade 800 m in 2min 15s. Sharon Hughes (New Brighton) filled second place In 2mln 16.35, and Caroline Barrie (New Brighton) was third. Three races were required to cater for the athletes who wanted to race over 800 m in the women’s event, but even this paled into insignificance compared with the numbers which lines up for the senior men’s event. Officials had to hold eight, races, and another for veteran runners. The A grade event was won by Vem Roberts (Toe H) in Imin 51.95. Clay Penrose (New Brighton) headed off Andrew Stark (Christchurch) by a stride for second place.