ATHLETICS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 57, Issue 25, 9 November 1936, Page 2

ATHLETICS.

AN EXHIBITION RUN. LOVELOCK’S STYLE IMPRESSES. fPer Press Association.) WELLINGTON, November 8. Dr. J. E. Lovelock had his first run on New Zealand soil since lie left for Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar at a welcome sports meeting held by the Wellington Amateur Athletic Circle at the Basin Reserve yesterday. Lovelock was accompanied over four laps by local athletes, and a crowd of nearly 3000 were able to admire bis perfect style. Lovelock’s companions on the exhibition run were A. R. Wilson, E. Taylor, J.. Riddington and W. Ogg. Lovelock ran the first lap in slacks at a jog pace, the second in a sweater, and the third stripped to running kit. The most noticeable feature of bis style was bis arm action. His arms wore not allowed to hang loose, hut were held level from the elbow and close to the body. Another feature of bis style was his cross body action, the trunk swinging with each leg motion. The springiness of Lovelock’s step made his running seem effortless, but his stride was not as long as had been expected. No attempt was made to produce speed, although passing the stand Lovelock stiffened the pace in each lap. After his exhibition, Lovelock spoke to the crowd through a loud-speaker. His appearance, he said, had been primarily for the benefit of athletes, and secondly for the public. Athletes had to come first, much as he would like the public to take precedence. He dealt with the importance of the country maintaining a high standard of amateur sport, and appealed to the public to support their sports meetings, and in that way give encouragement to club members. There should not he over-lauding of a champion at the expense of club members. He thought there were vast potentialities in athletics in New Zealand. It was in the interests of the whole of the people that they should take part in good honest sport as much as possible. “DISAPPOINTED” GIRLS SMILING HAVE WON SPORTS FAME. Hero are the stories of two English girl athletes who were disappointed—■ but are now smiling again. Fifteen-year-old Betty Locke,. who is in school at Wimbledon, was thrilled at the prospect of being chosen to represent her country at this year’s Olympic Games in Germany. But her parents decided that she was too young. Then Betty broke her own British record in the W.A.A.A. 60 metres racein 7 3-ssecs in beautiful style. She now expects to take part in the Olympic Games in four years’ time when they are staged in Japan. “I have plenty of time,” she said. “I should have liked to have joined this years’s team, but in four years’ time 1 hope to be a better athlete than now.”

And Betty, by the way, does not neglect her school books. Another disappointed girl was Barbara Burke, whose hopes of being chosen for South Africa’s Olympic team were dashed when it was stated that South Africa would not compete in the women’s events.

She persuaded her father to bring her to England for the British W.A.A.A. championships. That journey of thousands of miles was well justified. Barbara won the coveted Lord Hawke Cup, blue riband of women’s sport, for the best performance of the year. No wonder! She triumphed in the 100 metres and 200 metres track events and the 80 metres hurdles. Some critics were of the opinion that the hurdles events was won by Miss Violet Webb, of Polytechnic. But the judges were unanimous that Barbara won it by 4in. Here is another girl athlete who thanks her father for her fame. Eighteen-year-old Slielagh Browning won the Thames five-mile swimming championship for the third time in succession. She was born at Newport (Mon); her father taught her to swim as soon as she could walk—in a canal; for the last six years she has practised over two miles —whatever the weather. Now she uses the Australian crawl

to perfection, and in the worst storm in which the championship has ever been held she beat her own previous best time by nearly lmin. The guide boats were nearly swamped —one actually foundered, the occupants being transferred to a launch in the nick of time—but Shelagh thoroughly enjoyed the buffeting and finished up with a burst of speed. “I felt absolutely fresh,” she said, “and would not have minded another mile or two.”