INTER-EMPIRE CHAMPIONSHIPS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLII, Issue 184, 4 August 1911, Page 7

INTER-EMPIRE CHAMPIONSHIPS.

rOOE SPORT AT the crystal. PALACE. CANADA CLAIMS FIRST BLOOD. (From Our Special Correspondent.) LONDON, June 30. There was a good deal lacking at the Crjßtai i-aia.ee lust Saturday, when the tir.st live events of in tne much-boomed inter-fcjupire cuampionshiixi were aeelded. ihi; array of suctUuOrs was meagre, mere was little or uu eutuusiasm iimuus them, the sport was by.,no means exhilarating, anu delays were ticqueut. Altogether the meeting lell hat. The Lrack was, after 10 or 11 hours' continuous rain, somewhat heavy ami holding, but the runners in the sprinia bad naif a sale ot wind behind tuem, and we fully eipei led io see some staining pertormauees in tbe Uuudicd uud the Hurdles, but the times were very disappointing and the duishes bj' no means ciose. So strong was tbe wind that twice some of the hurdles wire blown down, and yet the lv*> Yaidti was won all out in nothing better than 10 2-ssec. Tbe Mile was a crawl, as \. ill be gleaned from the time, and cries of "Get on wi;h ill" were heard. The conditions in the championship were one to run from each country, and iu the Hundred perhaps two of the best raeu, W. A. Stewart, of Tasmania, aud V. D'Arcy, uid not slan, F. L. Lukemaa, the Canadian, stood down in favour of his countryman, F. J. Halbuaus. Auslnilasia was represented by It. <>pie, the New Zealand eprluter, and the United Kingdom relied on U. Macuullau. The lastuamed was known to be short of training, and Opie was handicapped by a weak knee. Mueinillau managed io run the n-iuutr, lialbhaus, to a foul, and that in the moderate time, with the wind, of 10 2-isec. Maeniillau was apparently oui of the race at the batr-dlstauce, but be came wi.b a great burst at the linlsu, uud beat Opie by a loug yard fur second place. Wheatley, the Australasian, was laneleti fur the Half, where be was opposed by J. M Hill, the Loudoue:. aud Block, of Canada. Brock went on with tbe lead. Hill following a yard behind, with Whealley Ibe i-ame distance away, third. Iu this order they completed the flrsi lap. Going alon-r the back sireleli Hill passed Brock and loos the urst place. Turning into the straight Wheatley dre>\ almost up to Brock, who. however forged away again, aud half-way down was v. ~i, , ,aid and a-half nf HM. v. bo, boWP\fi. away iu 'he home slrelcli and »••.: . i. ally three yaids lion VK b.'alley in l-u. :. .'.sec—very goud lime indeed, considering Hie state of the track ami the adverse wind Hie roiiners bad io laeu in ihi- buck slieicji. WheaUcy's lime was niurned at lniin. r.rt I-ssec. hi the '.".'i) Yards llallihaes and Opie were again in opposition, the held being coin pleitd by it. W. Haley, represeuting mI'niied Kingdom. Ihe race was run Id xrriuijK. round two beude. and was mightily deceptive io watch. Apparently Haley led slightly until the bend for home, where he was passed by the Canadian and the New Zealander. The latter huished weakly, and Halbuaus won by a couple of yards in 2Msec, Haley, easing up, being beaten on the tape by a foot. After passing the post Opie limped badly. For the Mile It was again a case of England, Australasia, and Canada in rivalry.

"Our Ladv of tbe Snows" was represented by J. L. Tait Australasia by Guy llasklns, and the Old ' Country by E. Owen. For three laps liaskins made play at a wretched pace. The quarter tool; lmin 12 2-,'isee.. tbe half 2min. 2bsec. the three quarters 3mln. il 1 .".sec H ask ins retained Die lead till I here was only a furlong to go. and then Tail and Owen ran up to aud passed him. tbe Canadian just beating Owen In Ihe run home by a bare yard. Jljiskins. who was dead out of condition, finished a good halfdozen yards away. The time for tbe Mile. 4min. 46sec, was wretcted indeed for an "Inter-Empire ' event. Fit and well Owen, who has done "min 10 1 osee. for three-quarters of a mile. could equal Saturday's rn'ie time in walking attire, but he ran with wretched judg ment, and at the critical moment of the race was practically shut in. Why llasklns ran instead of Wheatley Is a bit of a mystery. The New ZeaiandcT has been In trouble with his teudou or Achilles aluiosi from ihe day be began training. He went Into hospital nt Brighton and had some fluid removed, and if I am correctly infnrmedi be had not bad a run for eight or 10 days prior to Saturday's race. Even as the race was run. it was wonderful that he should be able to finish the course. I'ndoiibtedly the best race of the clay was the 120 yards Hurdles. This was reckoned bv the quidnuncs as a good thing for the Canadian. F. L. Lnkrman. to whom Were opposed the Victorian P. F. Brown and Kenneth Powell, one of the finest all round athletes Cambridge has ever turnwi out. Brown, who was very short of practice, kept up with Powell and I.nkemnn for a couple of hurdles, but dropped away at the third, hit the fourth, and rcvor properly regained his stride. Powell grndnni'v drew away from the Canadian, and landing on'ihe Oat just in front of Lokeman. ran home a g;illant winner by a yard In the v»Ty deonrt time of 16 seconds. Brown was quite eight yards away when Powell broke the tape. This left the polnls as follows, counting the wins and places -Canada, 8 points. 1; t'nited Kingdom. 0 points. 2; Australasia, 13 points, 3. 220 YARDS. F. ,T. Hnlbhnus. Canada I R. Opie. Now Zealand I Australasia) 2 E. W. Haley, Fnltec] Kingdom 3 Won by two yards. Time, 23set ONE MILE. J. L. Tait. Canada I E. Owen. T'nited Klnsdnm 2 G. Hasklns, New Zealand (Australasia).. 3 Won b.v a yard, six yards between second and third. Time, fmin. 40 1 usee. 12A YARDS HURDLES. K. Powell. United Kingdom 1 F. L. Lukeman. Canada 2 F. P. Brown. Victoria (Australasia).... 3 Won by a yard, eight yards between second and third. Time, lflsec.