ATHLETICS

Auckland Star, Volume XLII, Issue 299, 16 December 1911, Page 16

ATHLETICS

D. McGrath, who has been selected to ' represent Queensland at the Australasian • championship meeting, threw the lttlb hammer 135 ft from a seven-foot circle, and put the 161b shot 40ft 2m. It is some years since of such merit in these field events' have been made in New Zealand, and McGrath looks a likely -winner of feoth events. Bissett, at the Wellington Civil Service sports last week, threw the hammer 122 ft without much apparent effort- Be says he can improve very much on that distance, and is confident of giving <*e Queenslander a good "go." "The selectors of the Victorian Ama- , teur Athletic Association have, owing to ! several athletes having volunteered to I bear the whole or a great portion of their expenses, been able to choose a strong team to represent Victoria. The team will be: J. Burton, J. A Troup, A. D. Ellis (sprints), L. H. Kelly (quarter-mile, rucjning high and broad jumps) IE K. Russell (running high jump and hurdles), W. Murray (walks), W. H. Kaigin (sprint hurdles), A. Di Sdbertaon (shot and hammer), and either L. E. Walker or J. Brake (pole vault). It is still hoped in Victoria athletic circles that J. I*. Davis and G. A. Wheatley may yet be ' induced to make tile trip." j An exchange states that Ernest W. fijertberg, the trainer, who is in his native country shaping up the Swedish talent for the Fifth Olympiad at Stockholm, writes that he has strong hopes of his pupils winning the laurels. Hjcrtberg was successful as trainer for the Irish-American A.C., the New York AC, and Columbia University. When he had charge of the college boys they won pretty well everything. Hjertberg was . selected last summer by the committee formed in Sweden to arrange for the I Olympic Games of 1912, and it was a proud day for Hjertberg when he went home to undertake his patriotic task. It was like coming into his own a consummation that he had not foreseen when he came to America, because there was there a better field for his athletic instruction than in Scandinavia. The trainer writes:—"l actually think that ihe Swedes are going to win the majority of Mie events. 1 never saw any men come up so fast, and the pride and patriotism they show in their work, the care they take of themselves, and their obedience show how much in earnest thev are- The world will be surprised in 1912." A new world's record has been created for putting the 241b shot by Fat. MTJonald, the New York policeman, who has created a big name for himself in American athletics. The previous record was established by Ralph Rose in 1904, but McDonald beat Rose's figures by eight inches, under conditions which leave no doubt about the record being accepted. Matt. McGrath, of the Irish -American Athletic Club, has also made a record by throwing the sixteen-pound hammer 187 ft 4in, or exactly three feet farsheT than J. J. Flanagan threw a hammer of similar weight at Newhaven two years ago. The time put np by Donaldson when, j last September, he met and defeated ■ Charles Holway, of America, over 130 yaxda in 12s (the course was measured immediately afterwards, and was found to be a few inches over the distance), has raised a lot of unfavourable comment in England. In replying, a Sydney writer Bays: —The men wi»o held the watches wjtb men of experience, specially appointed because, on the trials ■of the two men, something very slick was expected. The men appointed were not of the "fatty fingeT" variety either. Well, as we all know, the -timekeepers, when the race was over, all thought that something had gone wrong with their watches, but when they compared the timepieces they all agreed.. The ground was at once measured, and-, found to be correct, or a few inches over, as beforementioned.

In spite of the fact that the men who timed the event- were experienced and proved watch-holders, and the distances being correct, the time is looked upon as being "faked" by authorities in other parts of the world. As a matter of fact, several watches that I personally know of other than those held by the official timekeepers, took the time as 12sea, «nd one man 'who has had a great deal of experience, and who held a "dog watch," hut was certainly outside the arena, made" the time 12 1-Mjbpc., so that, no matter what time is accepted, Donaldson' put up a remarkable run. It is a well-known fact that Holway just before the race gave an amateur of reputation 12yds and a beating in 130 yds, and yet Donaldson came along and simply walked away from Holway. One of the arguments raised against the time put up by Donaldson is that when the "Blue Streak" was in England be failed to put up any of the fast times credited to him in South Africa and Australia. - Donaldson certainly did little is England. In fact, whilst there he was badly beaten by Holway over 130 yards in poor time. But bow do the English critics account for his easy defeats of Poatle when it is remembered that the Queenslander is alleged to have run 10yds under evens at Manchester T Say what they will and put forth what arguments they might, the critics of the Old Country will only be wasting so much space, for there ean be no doubt that Donaldson ran 130 yds 4in on (September 23, 1911, in 12s dead.