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Davies delighted at medal award
Wednesday, August 17th, 2005
Mary Davies didn’t know whether to cry or throw up after her courageous run in the farcical 10,000m final at the World University Games.
The 22-year-old certainly wasn’t laughing after being told she would not be awarded the bronze medal as only four runners had started the final, raced in a near empty Ataturk Stadium yesterday.
Davies went to bed feeling physically unwell and emotionally distraught but woke the following morning to the news that officials had decided to ignore IAAF rules which state a minimum of six runners must race for all three medals to be awarded.
The Oklahoma State University bachelor of education student was eventually awarded her medal – New Zealand’s first on the track at a Summer Universiade – to take the Kiwi tally to a record four medals.
Davies doesn’t feel her achievement has been cheapened by the tiny field.
“It’s nice to get the bronze even though it wasn’t such a great race,” the Whangarei runner said of her 35min 58.20s effort, nearly 2-1/2 minutes slower than her personal best.
“It was definitely a nice surprise and it does feel right because anyone could have entered but they didn’t.”
As New Zealand banked Davies’ unexpected bronze yesterday, Matthew McCormick was on his way to sailing himself into contention for another medal. The Auckland University student overcame slow starts to record a pair of second placings to lie fourth overall with eight of the regatta’s 12 races to sail.
Meanwhile, the New Zealand women’s volleyballers will face Australia tomorrow with the loser finishing 21st and last and the winner set to fight on for another day. The Kiwis finished bottom of pool A when they lost their fifth straight match, 25-16, 25-11, 25-13 to Canada, yesterday.
Macky Singh’s soccer team remained on course for ninth place with US-based Wellington striker Emma Humphries on target twice in a 4-1 win over South Africa.
Fencer Laura Harvey finished 39th of the 44 starters in the women’s foil after losing her five fights while Dianne Holland and Warwick Foy were bundled out of the mixed doubles by a Hong Kong pair that included a Davis Cup player in Brian Hung.
New Zealand made three finals at Manisa Pool with Elizabeth Coster and Georgina Toomey sixth and eighth respectively in the 50m butterfly before the women’s 4×100m medley relay team finished sixth.
Rebecca Forlong qualified for the 1500m final on the track at Ataturk Stadium while Sarah Cowley finished 12th in the longjump final after a leap of 5.50m.
Source: KENT GRAY from The Dominion Post
