LOVELOCK REMINISCES

Evening Star, Issue 23681, 14 September 1940, Page 5 (Supplement)

LOVELOCK REMINISCES

MEMORIES OF OLYMPIC VICTORY GREAT FIELD OF MIDDLE DISTANCE STARS In 1936 at Berlin Jack Lovelock won the Olympic 1,500 metres in record time —figures which still stand. It was a glorious victory in one of the greatest races of all time. Now, four years later, he feels the urge to reminisce. “It is the privilege,” he says, ** to the aged and infirm 'to recollect their past, and this privilege I must now claim.

“ There have been many and varied stories told of that race, as well as of its antecedents,” the New Zealander says. “ Perhaps my story may be a biased one. It will be unaltered by the passage of time, because as I write this I have in front of me my training and racing diary, with .voluminous notes. “ These notes include every item of training, weight before and after performances, distances run, trials timed, competitors assessed, auxiliary training methods used, such as swimming, weekend amusements, general health. “All the hundred and one things whose detail enables the polished athlete to keep a check on his own and hia opponents’ performances. Still more, my judgment and views of the moment were committed to paper, and now lie in front of me.” BEST EVER. After describing the heats, Lovelock says of the final of the 1,500 metres: “ The field was probably the greatest that has ever been assembled for any middle-distance race, as the 12 starters included Beccali, the 1932 Olympic champion and record holder, Cunningham, American holder of the world’s mile record, Comes, Beccalli’s runnerup in 1932, San Romani, and Venzke, the American conqueror of Bill Bonthron, holder of the world’s 1,500 metres record, Eric Ny, who had been fifth in Los Angeles, in addition to most of the leading champions of the European countries, of whom previously the Finns had been most prominent. MATTHEWS AND BOOT HELPED. Referring to his training, Lovelock remarks: “Four weeks were spent in training and competing in various parts of England, always in company with, and greatly assisted by, the greatest of athletes, Jerry Comes, a man as magnificent in personality and performance as ever graced an English cinder track. Also helping me Were those great but less mature New Zealanders, Cecil Matthews and Pat Boot, both of whom were later to win Empire titles.in Australia.” In Berlin, “ training for the first four days was hard, deadly hard. We mixed with the others on the track, discussed everything from politics and art to training and racing tactics, with Americans, Swedes, and all our other friends in all parts of the world. “On two or three evenings of the week we went for steady cross-country walks, and early bed finished a day devoted wholly to the polishing of absolute athletic perfection.” “ My diary tells me that I drew eleventh in this field of 12. The start was on a bend, and the starting line was so drawn that those of us on the outside must have had several yards extra to run in the first straight. “ I have vague memories of everybody being very jumpy and nervous at the start. I was holding a tight grip on myself; when others were rushing around, I was doing _my best to sit quietly by the track side. HUNG BACK. “ At the start we moved away fast, and I decided it was useless to try to race to the first comer, and hung back slightly and moved in the middle of tha field as they swung out and round. “ This in any other race might have been risky tactics, but in competition of this standard there is never any chance of being badly closed in. Sooner or later the field is bound to swing out. “ The pace was steady, hut not excessive, my first lap being 61J. In tha third lap Cunningham got ahead, and I moved up behind him, debating how long I should stay there, for, although the pace was steady, it was far from ex-' citing, and at one time I felt we were going too slowly. ** At the bell Ny came up, but Cunningham again took the lead. Round the bend I had debated whether in this seemingly slow procession I should already . light out for home, but 1 decided that discretion was the better part of valour. ‘ “ I had decided in my own mind that I must break from the field at soma unexpected point, preferably at the bell or at the 300 metres mark, “ Just before the back straight I hold back, and catching the others unawares, 1 slipped by them before they could change gear and get really under way. RACE WON. “ At that point the race was won. That sudden break had settled the issue completely. Had that effort been left until the others were expecting a move, such a break would have been impossible. We would have struggled round, the last bend together and fought it out at the front straight. “ As it was, with a gap once made one had to do little more than to coast in, relaxing slightly on the last bend, deliberately tantalising the opposition and allowing them to draw nearer with a slight increase of pace in the front straight with the object of finally breaking the opponents’ will and shake otf any further attack. " In my diary I remark casually, ‘ It was the most beautifully-execu-ted race of my career—that race for all practical and tactical purposes was won over 300 metres from home.’ ’t