LOVELOCK’S “BIASSED STORY” OF OLYMPIC TRIUMPH

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24413, 26 September 1940, Page 4

LOVELOCK’S “BIASSED STORY” OF OLYMPIC TRIUMPH

()n the fourth anniversary of winning the 1500 Metres at the Olympic Gaines, Jack Lovelock, writing in the Sporting Life, declared: “ I cannot resist the urge to ‘ reminisce,’ ” adding: “ It is the privilege 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,” Lovelock wrote. “ 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.

Referring to his training, Lovelcok said: “Four weeks were spent in training and competing in various parts of England, always in company with, and greatly assisted by, that 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 Matthew l and Pa‘ 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 training 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. After describing the heats, Lovelock said of the final of the 1500 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, Beccali’s runnerup in 1932; San Romani and Benzki, the American conqueror of Bill Bonthron, holder of the world’s 1500 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. “ Vague Memories ” “At the start we moved away fast, and I decided it was useless to try to race at the first corner, and hung back slightly and moved in the middle ot the 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, but not excessive. my first lap being GIJ-sec. In the third lan Cunningham got ahead, and I moved un behind him, debating how long I should stay there for. although the pace was steady, it was far from exciting and at one time 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 alreadv light out fer home, but decided that discretion was the better part of valour. I had decided in my own mind that I must break from the field at some unexpected point, preferably at the beP or at the 300 metres mark “ Just before the back straight 1 held back, and. catching the others unawares. I slmned them b-fore thev could change gear and get really under way. At that tvdnt 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 Ihe 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 (o draw ner with a slight increase of pace in th front straight with the object finally of breaking the opponents’ will and shake off any further attack. “In my diary I remark casually: It was the most beautifully-executed race of my career —that race for all practical and tactical purposes was won over 300 metres from home.’ ”