ATHLETICS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 215, 7 September 1912, Page 16

ATHLETICS.

■English '"Truth sums up the. Olympic position in the following paragraph : — "On the whole England has not come out so badly as was expected. She has shown that she. has good stuff and plenty of it, and that it is largely running to waste. She is also, in common with many other -nations, handicapped by her notions of fair play. She does not turn an individual race into a team event by using Tier slower men to hinder foreign runners from winning while her own fast man sprints home. Consequently, she has to bring to its highest pitch •the actual running. An admrraWe opportunity for ma-king a choice now offers itself. It she wants to be a, sporting coiruntry she must pay for it. If •she does not want it. she can go on a.* ehe is doing now, gently slipping dow:i the Olympic 'barometer."

Commenting on the liiOO Metres Race at the Olympic (James, in which (I. N. Hill, of Sew Zealand, competed and failed, and in which (i. N. S. .larkson, the young Oxford nrilcr. defeated all the American cra<"ks, "Strephon" writes: — "Arnold Jackson, of Oxford, ran in glorious style. -He and P. .T. j'aker were onr representatives, and in the early stages the old !MaJvern boy seemed set a 'tremendous task. He lay behind among the nick, and lie did not set about iiis .running until the hist GOO yards, when he took 4uk position among the leaders. liiviat, Jones, and Sheppard were sl.ill to 'be ibeiifceii at the bell, but on the far side, the Jong strides of the young Englishman told. Kiviat, Jones, and Jackson raped round -the last bend, ibut in Hie straight Jackson ran like .a hero; he strode up to the leaders, and beat them for «lieer pace, winning by a yard from Kiviat in 3.56 4-5, slower trme than Kiviat's American and ■world's record of 3.55 4-», but a grand performance." "'The race of a lifetime" is the graphic way in which "Strephon" wires of the •final of the 800 Metres, -won by the achoolboy., Meredith, from tho (recognised champions of the world at the Olympic Games. But here is the eiory: "There were bail (Sbeppard. Braun, lEdmnndson, (Davenport, Brock, 'Putnam, Meredith, and Osldw«ll, some of the greatest pimners the world has known. The duel .was expected to bo between Sheppard and Braim; it was Jiot, however. SijppiiJd 6ft the pace from Meredith, lEd-miindeon, 'Brtum, Brock, •Davenport, Putnam, and CaMwell, and this was the order at the--end of 400 -metres.

,At 500 metres again on the. far side, ißraun seemed pocketed, with Sheppaxd ahead, Edroundeon on the right, and .Meredith slightly ahead on the left. Three ihtrodred yards from home the 'Bwwrian got poet Ednrundeon. tout he could make no impression on 'Sheppard, and Meredith .had the pole to the left. Into the straight- came Sheppard. Brauh. tried 'hard, and once got second, but he could not get up. The raw once seemed ihe (Trish-iAmerican's, bait in. the last 60 yards Meredith crammed on saiL He tore past Sheppard, and in the end won a newr-to-ibe-forgotten race by a yard, Sheppard -was second. Darvianport third, ißraun fourth, CaJdwell fiffch, and Brock sixth. The time wae 1.52 —an Olnnpic re/.ird which snpereedes She.ppard'a old 1.52 3-5. The half-mile time (6.6 yards further) -was 1.524, so that Emilio 'Lnnghi'is 1-52 4-5 has goES by the board at last. Sheppard also beat both records, but he had to be content -with -minor hoatnxf"