Athletics: Willis eyes Olympics after that perfect run

Nick Willis crosses the line for gold. Picture / Mark Mitchell

Nick Willis' stunning 1500m victory ended a 44-year drought for New Zealand.

It was the first in the mile or its metric equivalent since Peter Snell led John Davies home in their one-two finish in Perth in 1962.

That followed New Zealand's only other success in the glamour middle-distance race, scored by Jack Lovelock at the second Games in London in 1934.

With Lovelock and Snell then going on, two years later, to win Olympic gold over 1500m, the pressure will now mount on Willis to join them.

On what he showed in running such a controlled race in winning in Melbourne, he must rate a decent chance of joining Lovelock, Snell and John Walker - who twice claimed Commonwealth Games 1500m silver - in that exalted company.

Forget that Australian hope Craig Mottram was tripped and fell 700m from the finish. Nothing would have stopped Willis.

Happy to settle within sight of the lead from the start, Willis was handy as teammate Adrian Blincoe led through 400m in a sedate 59.89s. Blincoe surrendered the lead to England's Nick McCormick, with Willis shadowing him.

Behind them it was all over for Mottram. Clipped by England's Andrew Baddeley, who said "someone ran across my legs", Mottram crashed. By the time he regained his feet and mounted a fruitless chase, the field had set sail.

Willis, stealing a glance at the big screen, knew what had happened. The pace went on. At the bell he had surged to the lead, the field at his mercy.

He was chased briefly but in vain by Kenyan Ismael Kombich, and later Canadian Nathan Brannen and Australian Mark Fountain.

With consummate ease and with arms raised, Willis crossed the line, grabbing the chance to watch it all in glorious colour on the huge screen.

Fifteen metres from the line Paul Hamblyn threatened to grab a second medal for New Zealand but faded to fourth. "I thought I had silver. I gave it everything," said Hamblyn. "It got tight in the home straight but I held on."

Mottram, gracious but obviously hurting after a second disappointment before an adoring home crowd, said the race had produced a "great result", dismissing his fall as "that's sport".

"I was hit from behind. I don't know who it was but I'm going to find out. I came here tonight to try and win the race. They [Willis and the other New Zealand runners] probably did not know I fell."

Wrong.

They knew and Willis, who was wearing No 1 after drawing the inside starting position, was confident a long way out he was in control.

"I was able to run at about 95 per cent for a long time and still control things," said Willis.

"If I had gone up to 97 per cent I would not have gone any faster. I was never flat out."

Of Mottram's fall, Willis said his inexperience at running the distance was probably a contributing factor.

Even if his 3m 38.49s was a long way from Filbert Bayi's then world record-breaking 3m 32.16s run in 1974 in beating Walker, Willis ran as close as he could to the perfect race.

Brannen was a well-beaten second ahead of Fountain.

"I'm starting to feel 100 per cent after all the [health] problems I have had in the past couple of weeks," said Willis, who did Bible studies twice a day in the Games village.

"I felt pretty rusty last night [Friday] in the heats but was fine tonight."

He suggested the final field in Melbourne was not as strong as he had faced in the Athens Olympics semifinal but he was not allowing that to take anything from his victory.

But he was in no real mood to reflect. "Beijing is about 18 months away," he said.

"I can't wait to get back training."

And to strive to join New Zealand's very best at what continues, along with the 100m, to be the domain of the Olympic elite.