LOVELOCK'S RECORDS

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 33, 7 August 1936, Page 9

LOVELOCK'S RECORDS

NEW ZEALANDER'S BRILLIANCE

PROGRESS AT OXFORD

Though he had good performances in New Zealand before he left to take his Rhodes Scholarship at Oxford in 1931, John E. Lovelock had done nothing to suggest that he would become one of the greatest athletic figures of all time.. His sensational time in the Olympic 1500 metres is the third world record he has established. On June 11, 1932, he broke the thirty-seven-year-old record for three-quarters of a mile, racing away to win in 3min 2 l-ssec. .".-"...

Then at New York on July 15, 1933, in- the classic Mile of the Century, he defeated Cunningham, W. Bonthron, and Gene Venzke in a mile race to establish world record figures of 4min 7.6 sec. Subsequently, Cunningham reduced the figures to 4min 6.7 see. But the importance of Lovelock's win in the spectacular event could not be over-estimated, for he was. opposed to the finest milers America had turned out in a generation. On arriving in New York, he had astounded the Americans by declaring that he travelled fr6m England simply to win the event. He was not bothering about records, the breaking of which means great honour for American athletes. But his time had reduced the world's record, held by Jules Ladoumegue, of France, by 1.6 seconds.

Lovelock was educated at Timaru Boys' High School, and in his last year in 1928 "he was easily the finest athlete the school had turned out, winning the quarter, half, and mile events with a good deal of ease. His times, however, were not as brilliant as, for instance, those recorded by C. H. Matthews and V. P. Boot when at school. . The future Ehodes Scholar continued on at Otago University, where he won the Otago mile championship in 4min 30sec in the 1929-30 season.. He was fourth in the New Zealand championship mile, won by Don Evans that year, and he won the

Otago University inter-faculty mile in 4min 28.Gsec, a record.

He won the "Otago mile championship again the next season, the Otago University championship, in the slow time of 4min 53sec, and the New Zealand University title in 4min 39scc. He was third to Gordon Bayne and H.

McDonald in the New Zealand mile championship. He was, at that stage, promising; but his performances had not suggested that he would ever be anything better than a fair class miler, capable of recording possibly 4min 20sec in the heat of a strong battle.

He was fortunate, at Oxford, in having Jerry Comes to aid his career. Comes at that time was about the best middle distance runner in England, and for the first season Lovelock was at Home the Englishman was always a little better than the New Zealander. Lovelock ran second to him in the British mile championship, but deadheated with him in the Oxford-Cam-bridge meeting in the time of 4min 22.65ec. Lovelock was developng fast and the intensive competition available in England was a factor enabling him to produce finer form.

The 1932 season was a good one for him. Ending in his selection for New Zealand for the 1932-Olympic*Games at Los Angeles, its highlight was the breaking of-the British mile record of 4min 13 2-ssec by 1 2-ssec. At the Games Lovelock qualified for the final, but his form was not good arid he could do no better than sixth; Luigi Beccali winning in record time.

In 1933. of course, came the glory of , the world's record run at Princeton. . He won the English championship in ' the comparatively slow time of 4min ] 26.65 ec, and a'week later again de- , feated Bonthron in an inter-University meet in 4min 15.4 sec. In 1934 he won the British Empire Games title over: the mile without trouble, defeated Bonthron, and was in turn defeated by the American, who had established world record figures of 3min 48.8 sec for the 1500 metres. In 1935 he won another "Mile of the Century" at Princeton— this time in 4min 11.2 sec. With the rise of C. S. Wooderson this season and Lovelock's duties at St. Mary's Hospital in London, the New Zealander was unable to devote a great deal of time to preparation for races and in a number of events he was d&feated by the Englishman. Wooderson's season was so good that he appeared an Olympic possibility. Wooderson was successful in reducing Lovelock's British record from 4min 12see to 4min 10.8 sec. The New Zealander stepped out in two- and three-mile events, giving rise to the suggestion that he in-

tended to concentrate on the 5000 metres at the Games. His British twomile record amazed the critics, for it was done without preparation. Now, at 26,-Lovelock'has won his greatest distinction and has been crowned with the laurel wreath of Olympic victory. It is evident that the final weeks of concentrated preparation were all in his favour, enabling him to step into the race at the pitch of his form. Part of his success has been that his medical studies have given him an insight into co-ordination of muscles arid he was once described as a "merciless, frictionless runner." ' More particularly,

however', his success has been attained

by sheer concentration and the inculcation of a will-to-win spirit which al-

lowed him to overcome obstacles a man less confident in his own ability to succeed would have found insuperable.