WORLD'S CHAMPIONSHIP.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17431, 17 April 1922, Page 11

WORLD'S CHAMPIONSHIP.

TO-MORROW'S BIG SCULLING RACE. HADFIELD AND PADDON VERY PIT. I 'vSfJJCI.U, 10 ''TUE I'RESS.") "WAXGAXUI, April 15. Tijona who vijitad the scullit.g championsliip course tins afternoon had a good opportunity of judging the relative prowess of Hadfield and. Paddon, who meet in earnest on Tuesday afternoon. Training operations were -understood to have practically finished, but both men evidently wanted to make sure this afternoon that they are in the desired form. Paddon, Casey, and Larson were the firat to make a etart, and aided by a strong current, as the result of the rain of the last few daya, they came down at a, great pace, Paddon and Casey rowing abreast in the middle of the river, and liarsen spinning along in good style, close to the willows. Paddon wa« doing about 34 to the minute over the greater part of the journey, and then quickened in the last quarter of a mile, finishing with half a dozen sprinting strokes. He gave ■i good, powerful, exhibition, though ho splashed considerably. His bsat. however, ran well, the challenger evidently keeping the weight on in a very even manner. There is no doubt that the big Australian will put up a good race on Tuesday, the only question being whether lie has the stamina to see him over the journey. Those who have seen Paddon on race days in Australia and England know that he is & (very powerful sculler, and they expect him to givo Badfield the race of his life, Badfield and Sharpe came down the river about ten minutes after the Australians. The pair were a. real picture. Their sculling was as "oleau as a whistle," und there was no doubt about the pace they were getting out of their boats. A mi!e from tho winning post they were doing 20, and tho last halfmile was covered at about 30. Hadfield was clearly very -fit' to-day, and. hia party ar» confident that ho will go to the post equally fit. So there it rests. Tuesday will disclose the better man. * The weather in the last day or two h«s been causing tho Sculling Committee some concern. Heavy rain has caused a fresh in the river, but if there is no further fall the river should bo back to normal on Tuesday. The course ia a beautiful sight just now. The willows, which line the banks, are turning to gold colour, while the Lombardy poplars, which stand in long lines oh the farm lands adjacent to the finishing post, are also speaking eloquently of winter's approach. • A very large number of visitors are coming to town tor the race. Mrs Paddon arrived from Sydney on Wednesday, and Mrs Hadfield from Auckland on Friday. The ladies met at Pflddon's camp, and had a, very pleasant afternoon. A very pleasing feature of this big contest is tho friendliness of the parties. Tho New Zealandere are not forgetting that the challengers are strangers in a strange country, and the visitors have publicly omressed their appreciation of the hospitable treatment extended to them.