ATHLETICS.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 19852, 13 February 1930, Page 8

ATHLETICS.

—-♦ THE LERMOND MEETING

ENGLISH PARK, SATURDAY. Tbe great American runner, Leo l.ermond, national champion over the half mile and mile, will be seen in action at the English Park Stadium on Saturday evening next in his lirst run on Dominion tracks. Lermond is reputed to be the finest miler produced in America, and is unquestionably in a class by himself at the present moment. J lis victories over Nurmi, Loukola, and Larva bring liim into the forefront of the world's great runners. In Australia recently he returned 4min Ulisoc for the mile, and should be rapidly coming to his best. Ho will bo opposed on Saturday night by two of tho best milers in the country, J. \V. Savidan, of Auckland, tho Dominion distance champion, and J. G. Barnes, tho local inile star. The latter ran a brilliant mile at English Park a few weeks ago in 4min :!ssec, while Savidan is running very nicely, and has a recent performance of 4min 1!G 3-ssec to his credit. It will be seen that three great runners with almost eveu performances will meet in what should be a wonderful struggle. Only second in importance to this race is the meeting of J. A. Golding, of New South Wales, whoso meteoric career has been an outstanding event in Australian athletics. His time of 48 3-lOscc for the quarter displaces Nigel Barker's long-standing figures of 48£ see. Golding will be opposed by J. T. Fleming, ot' Wellington, the famous quar-ter-mile champion of New Zealand, who has run that distance in SOsec. On Saturday last at the Basin Reserve, Wellington. Fleming, with a handicap of five yards, defeated the Australian in 50 l-ssec, so their meeting should provide an exceptionally brilliant rare. Our own half-milers are returning brilliant times at tho present moment. Nicoll showed by his brilliant performance against Peltzer that he is in splendid form. Other middle distance men who will be in the limelight are Harley, Suckling, Bain, and Cook. There will be plenty of excitement in tho short distance races, in which the backmarkers will be Lcadbetter, former Dominion champion, Cordery and Jenkins, of Wellington, also previous holdors of the lOOvds title. The ladies' race for the Eugene Spitz Cup will sco a classical field engaged, and the time recorded should bo very fast. In the cycling section tho public will be entertained by some of tho fastest sprinters over seen in amateur ranks. Grose, O'Brien, and Campbell are in top form, and brilliant racing will be witnessed. Tho track at English Park is one of the fastest in the country. and tho mile test between Lermond, Savidan, and Barnes should produce an epic struggle, reminiscent, of the famous race between I-iloyd Hahn and Randolph Rose some years ago.