1983 Cork City Sports Preview by Brendan Mooney
Cork City Sports 1983 - Maree May Not Make Cork Mile
This article, by Brendan Mooney, appeared in the Cork Examiner on Tuesday July 5th 1983
Irish Examiner,Tuesday July 6th 1983, Page 15
Sydney Maree, who went to within 2.11 secs, of the world record when he won the event last year, could be a doubtful starter for the Harp Lager mile, the feature event at Cork City Sports tomorrow night week
Pretoria-born Maree, second fastest man in the world over the distance last year, has injured a hamstring and has declined an invitation to run against Seb Coe, the world record holder, Ireland’s Eamonn Coghlan and the fastest American, Steve Scott, in the Robinson’s Ready Drink Mile at the AAA championships at Crystal Palace on July 23.
He committed himself to Cork City Sports a long time ago and up to last night the organisers had no information that would indicate he will not be present. Obviously they will be checking it out today
The City Sports organisers had brought off an enviable coup by bringing Maree and Steve Scott, the fastest man in the world last year, together for the event. Scott is a definite starter and has decided not to compete in the mile at the Donore Harriers meet on Monday night to conserve his energies for the world record bid in Cork
Today they will announce their decision on whether or not they will include John Walker, fourth last year, in the field. The 1976 Olympic 1,500 metre champion and former world mile record holder, contacted them over the weekend from Oslo seeking a place in the field but they could not give him any definite word
There are a couple of places open but obviously they will want to keep those in hand until nearer the meet. Jack Buckner’s coach, on seeing the quality of the field, has pulled the Loughborough man out while it is now virtually certain neither Steve Cram nor Graham Williamson, second and third last year, will be available. But it is still a field of rare quality. Apart from Scott, Ireland’s Ray Flynn will be in action and John Robson of Scotland also takes his chance. David Taylor has indicated he will be chasing 3 mins. 52 secs, at least, on the track where he first broke four minutes
It was announced yesterday that the newly crowned NCAA champion, Frank O’Mara (Limerick) will join the line-up. With Corkman, Marcus O’Sullivan, he brings the Irish representation to four
O’Mara, on scholarship at the University of Arkansas won the NCAA title in 3:40.51 in humid conditions in Houston, Texas, and he was named the outstanding athlete of the meet at the Penn Relays where his anchor leg duel with Villanova’s Marcus O’Sullivan in the medley relay was one of the highlights of the meet. This award puts him in alongside Noel Carroll, Frank Murphy, Eamonn Coghlan and Ron Delany. His best time for the mile is 3:58.13, run in Cork two years ago and he has a best of 3:39.50 for 1,500 metres
British international Tim Hutchings has been included in the field for the CMP 5,000 metres. He had a personal best of 13:25.08 for the distance last year, putting him 17th in the world and he finished sixth behind Thomas Wessinghage in the European championships
Wessinghage will compete in this event and will be joined by Nat Muir, second to Mike McLeod last yea,r and in 1980 and winner in 1981. Limerick man Robert Costelloe has also been added to the list that includes two other English internationals Kevin Forster and Dave Lewis. Both of those are running exceptionally well. Forster has been selected to compete in this week’s World Student Games but will be back home on Thursday.
Domingo Tibaduiza, the Pan American champion from Colombia is amongst their entries, as is the Welsh Champion David James. The 1981 winner Paula Fudge (England) will be in the 3,000 metres. The 1978 Commonwealth Games chammpion, she set a UK record, 11:48.7 in the event. She will be joined by Chris Henning, Jane Furness, Kim Lock and Ireland's Monica Joyce who lowered the Irish record to 8:53.4 In the corresponding event last year. This time she wants lo beat 8 mins. 50 secs
Derek O’Connor, who broke Fanahan McSweeney’s record with a 20.00 run at the national junior championships at Santry on Sunday, will be in the line-up for the 200 metres, along with Darence Worrell (Trinidad) who ran 21.8 at Banteer on Sunday week
John Treacy may not compete in either the Donore meet on Monday or Cork City Sports on Wednesday. He was ill last week with a throat infection and missed out on some training but he run a good 12 miles on Sunday and, as a result, may decide to run in the 10,000 metres in Oslo at the weekend
Eamonn Coghlan, who runs in the mile at Belfield, and the 3,000 metres at Crystal Palace the following Friday night, will be in the line-up for the mile at Oslo us will Ray Flynn
When Coe, Coghlan and Scott meet in the mile at Crystal Palace on July 23, it will be the first clash between the three since 1979 when Coe set a world record in the Golden Mile in Oslo. The race will not start until 10.15 p.m. to allow for live television coverange to the U.S., Japan and Europe
Related Article
Irish Runner Report - Cork City Sports - July 1983
