ATHLETICS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXV, Issue 199, 20 August 1904, Page 12

ATHLETICS.

A wa iking performance well worth recording in these notes was recently done by the amateur champion, Mr G. E. Lamer. of the Brighton Harriers. Starting from scratch in a three mile handicap. Lamer cut down his field in fine style, covering the first mile in 6m 40 2-ss. two miles in 13m 40s, and three miles in 20m 345, which is just 40s better than W. J. Sturgess' record of 21m 14s, made at Manchester in July, 1897, though not quite so good as Raby's professional record of 20m 21's, made at Lillie Bridge in August, 1883. After a vast amount of newspaper "booming" Georges Hackenschmidt, the Russian Graeco-Roman champion, and the American wrestler, Jenkins, who is certainly more at home in the catch-as-catch can style than in the method patronised by Madralli's conqueror, met in the Royal Albert Hall, London, in July, to decide their match for £250 aside nnd a purse said to be worth £2000. The conditions of the match were the best of three falls in the Graeco-Roman style. When the men got to grips, the superior strength of the Russian was soon apparent. Twice he nearly brought off that soul shaking throw, the "flying mare," and then, fixing a vice-like body grip on Jenkins, swung him to the mat with a thud. Hackenschmidt's triumph was one of sheer brute strength, for only a man with the neck muscles of a Hercules could have broken some of the neck holds Jenkins put on him, and only an abnormally strong man could have picked up the American and swung him to the floor with the force the Rus sian banged down the hapless American. These falls alone were enough to knock the life out of an ordinary mortal, and one is not surprised to hear that after the contest Jenkins nearly fainted; indeed, the surprise is that he was alive enough to faint. It is claimed for S. Roberts, who won the five mile handicap of East Ballarat in 29m 2Ss (actual time), that he is the smallest harrier in Victoria. He is probably also the youngest, as he is only 15 years of age. The outstanding features of *he English Amateur Athletic Championship? Meeting, early in July, were the defeat of the American crack sprinter, A. F. DufTey, by J. W. Morton, of the South London Harriers, in the hundred yards, and the splendid performances of that wonderful distance runner, Alfred Shrhubb, who once again ran off with The mile and the four miles champion ships. Duffey, who had won the four preceding sprint championships, had been defeated once or twice during the weeks preceding the championship, but no one expected to see him beaten on the day. He won his heat easily in 10 seconds, but in the final, after leading from pistol crack to the 90 yards' mark" was collared by Morton, who just man aged to breast the tape a couple of inches in advance of the American, who in turn beat C. H. Jupp, of the L.A.C., a foot for second honours. Morton's time was returned at 10 seconds "dead," but several watches made him beat level time by a fifth of a second. In the mile championship Shrubb had in opposition the Scotchman J. McGough, the 1902 champion J. Binks, Butterfield. of Darlington, and five other well-known runners. The champion led after 150 yards, covered the quarter in 58 4-ssec, the half in 2m 7s, and threequarters in 3m 9 2-ss, but half-way round the last lap was headed by Butterfield, and no sooner had he put "paid" to that runner's account than he found

himself vigorously challenged by McGough, who pressed the crack so hard that the South Londoner had to strain every nerve to win by a couple of yards in the very respectable time of 4m 225. Butterfield being 20 yards away third.« So hardly had Shrubb been pressed in| the last furlong that on passing the post he fell down exhausted. Yet, an hour later, he turned out "fresh as a daisy" for the four miles, in which he was again opposed by Butterfield, with J. Smith, of Salford. and three lesser lights to make up the field. In spite of his severe mile effort not one of the opposing quartette could extend Shrubb, who led from start to finish, and won in a trot by 250 yards from Smith, and nearly twice as far from Butterfield, in the fine time of 20m 50 4-ss. His intermediate mile times were 4m 335, 9m 38 l-sa, and I—a 43 3-ss.