ATHLETICS.

Auckland Star, Volume 55, Issue 22, 26 January 1924, Page 21

ATHLETICS.

According to information in Paris America may not defend in the Paris (james the rowing laurels she gained at Antwerp in 1020, unless the French Olympic Committee heeds a protest entered by the United States urging a change iii the dates fixed. According to the Olympic programme rowing is scheduled for July 10 to July 14. but inasmuch as such"fixtures as the YaleHarvard race and the Poughkeepsic Regatta do not take place until the latter part of June, it would be impossible for the crews to cross in time for an international test. The French Olympic Committee has announced that 27 nations have already entered teams i ill the Games, showing that a greater interest than ever is being taken in this |important international gathering. Germany and Soviet Russia arc not yet 'admitted. Austria was invited, but was i obliged to decline, on account of the cost. Hungary, Bulgaria, and Turkey will compete. The prospects of Now Zealand being represented ill the athletic section at the Olympic games are not particularly bright, according to a Southern writer. He says:—"At the last Olympic Games at Stockholm, New Zealand was represented ill the athletic field by G. Davidson (Auckland) and H. E. Wilson (Wellington). Both men did well, though the shortness of the time at their disposal greatly militated against their chances of success. Davidson finished I iii front of Paddock, in his heat of the I 200 metres race. The New Zealander, I however, strained one of. his legs and did not do so well subsequently- Wilson got into the final of the. IU) metres hurdles race. At the present time there is no athlete in New Zealand, with the possible exception of P. Monro, who is class enough to compete at Paris. Munro can put the shot 40ft, but this would not be good enough to win, as the Americans and Fins put it in the vicinity of 50ft at Stockholm. Davidson. Tracy, Morgan, and Lewis are all good sprinters, but as none of them call do lOsec, they would have poor prospects of success at tho Games. There is no outstanding half-miler in the Dominion at present. On his form of two years ago C. 11. Taylor would be considered. Wilson has not regained his form since coming out of his retirement, and as tbe opposition in the. hurdles is likely to be as strong as ever he is out of the question- Rose, of Wellington, put up two good runs at Mastcrton recently, doing 4m 2fls for the mile and 9in 38s* for the two miles. These are very good performances, but unless he were able to knock some seconds off each performance he would not be in the hunt at the Games- Summing up, New Zealand's prospects of being represented in athletics at, Paris do not appear rosy at the moment."