AUSTRALASIAN ATHLETIC CHAMPIONSHIP.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 9303, 2 January 1896, Page 3

AUSTRALASIAN ATHLETIC CHAMPIONSHIP.

[Br Vaulter.} 7 To-day will ccc the opening of the most important amateur athletic gathering ever hold in this colony, * and. Lancaster Park should be the scene of aorno interesting contests. An agreement waa entered into between the New South Wales, Victorian, and New Zealand Associations whereby ft series of three, athletic meetings, to be known as the Australasian Amateur Athletic Championship Meetings, should bo hold under the auspices of the * Associations. Queensland has since come into the agree* ment. The first meeting took place in Melbourne in 1893, on which,'ocoa* Bion New f Zealand sent a small band of representatives over, one of whom—D. .Matson—registered a world's record in the 440 yds Hurdle Championship. It is the second of the series that will be commenced at Lancaster Park to-day. . In 1897 the championships will be decided for the third time in Sydney. The Melbourne gathering was a great success. There is no reason why the one to be hold to-day and on Saturday should nob be as great a suoaess.. -. .Au contraire, it should be a greater, for we have in our midst to-day a congregation of athletes who include the pick of New Zealand and New. South Wales, while thoßs from Melbourne are nob . very far short, of the strength of the Victorian Association's representatives. Queensland has sent one athlete across, and, judging by the way he won thelOOyds, 220 yds and 440 yds amateur events ab Rangiora yesterday, he is no mean runner. All that is required now to ensure a brilliant gathering is fine weather, this seemß ensured for at leas', to-day, not* withstanding Capt. Edwin's prophecy of a gale. Readers have been kept posted np from day to day in the doings of the visitors, and ib yiay be said thab the New Soutl* Wales team (with the exception of Biggs, who has a bad foot and I am afraid cannot start) have been kept steadily ab work by their manager, Mr E. S. Marks, who is Secretary of the. New/.South Wales A. A. A., and well and popularly known to New Zealanders, while Mr Wettenhall has. had the .Victorian, men regularly practice. Hunter, of Nelson, I understand, returned on Saturday evening, which robs-the pole vaulting of'considerable interest, while Kingsley, having a bad heel, will nob compete in the . high jump, bub content himself wibh the pole competition. I have been unable to' discover .whether Hempton, the well known sprinter, will be down tor tbe meeting. So far I have not heard of his arrival. Should he be present he will take a lob of beating in the .100 yards flat. Nob taking him into account, however, my selections for.,to-day's events, in the order of decision, are:— 7 High Jump—Dnyle (Victoria) 1, Bailey (N.Z.) 2, Brown (N.Z.) 3. ' Three Mile Walk-Creamer (N.Z,) 1, Goodwin (N.S.W.) 2, Barrett (Victoria) 3. 100.Yards Flat—Cartwrigbt (N.S.W-) h Campbell (Queensland) 2, Reeves (N.Z) t, 120 Yards Hurdles—W. H. Martin (N.Z.) 1, J. Moir (N.Z.) 2, T. Roberts (N.Z.) 3. One Mile Flab-Corner (N. 8. W.) 1; W. F. Bennett (N.Z.) 2, Clark (N.Z.) 3. Tin-owing Hammer — Martin (N.Z.) 1, Brown (N.Z.) 2, Louisson (N.Z.) 3. Pole Jump—Kingsley (N.Z.) 1, Doyle (Victoria) 2, Townley (Vict6ria) 3. 440 Yards Flat—Low (N.Z.) 1, Cartwright (N.S.W.) 2, Campbell (Queens, land) 3. ," Velox" suggests the . following as winners of the bicycle events?— Half-mile—Kerr (Sydney) 1, Simpson (P.8.C.) 2, Jones (P. 3.0.) 3. Five Mile—Kerr, Jones, Bhoriand (P.8.C.).. Ten Mile—Kerr, Jones, Waller (P.B.C). The colony whose representatives gain the mosb firsts carries the title of Champion Australasian Colony nntil the next meetinjEDead heats are to be run off.