I AM SURPRISED to see that certain executives in the
athletics world, not to mention some sports- writers, have been casting doubts on the validity of Ibbotson's mile record, on the grounds that he was helped by a pacemaker. Two years ago, ad- mittedly, the AAA introduced regulations to stop attempts being made on records with the aid of special pacemakers; but their object, I take it, was simply to exclude the type of record attempt indulged in by Roger Bannister, who preferred not to have the complication of opponents and to race only against the clock, with pacemakers' assistance. But last Friday the pacemaker, if he made the race faster for anybody, made it faster for everybody : Delany and Jungwirth were bene.. ficiaries just as surely as Tbbotson. Surely the only way in which a pacemaker can 'rig' a race is where he can open up so wide a gap between himself and his team mates that the opposing runners may be deluded into going after him, and running themselves out. But in Friday's race there was never more than a few yards between pace- maker, Jungwirth and Ibbotson. No; if ever I saw a genuine race, it was that White City mile.
PHAROS
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