FAMOUS AMERICAN ATHLETES

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21293, 12 October 1934, Page 16

FAMOUS AMERICAN ATHLETES

PARTY MAY COME TO NEW ZEALAND It is possible that a team including some famous American athletes as well as a strong British combination -will visit New Zealand in the new season. At the annual meeting of the Canterbury Amateur Athletic Association last evening the president, Mr J. K. Moloney, reported that the negotions for overseas visitors to the Southern Hemisphere would be placed on a definite footing about November 1, when Mr H. R. Weir, secretary of the Amateur Athletic Union of Australia, will have final advice from the Amateur Athletic Union of America. It was definite that an English athletic party would be present at the Centenary games, and the presence of an American team depended on the men available. Several American parties were at present touring on the Continent, and the authorities were not certain whether they would be able to assemble a team of sufficient strength as an attraction. The Australians had asked for Metcalf, and, failing him, either Anderson (California) or Owens (Ohio), both of whom had done 9 2-ssec for 100 yards. Luvalle and Draper (220 in 20 4-ssec) were names under consideration. Glen Hardin, world's record holder of the quarter-mile hurdles in 51 4-ssec; Ben Eastman, world's record holder in lmin 49 4-ssec for the halfmile; and Glen Cunningham, who displaced Lovelock's mile record with a performance of 4min 6 7-10 sec, are three great figures who were being invited. An effort was being made to get Walter Marty, high jump champion of the world at 6ft 9&in. The polo vaulters under consideration were Deakin, Graber, and Miller, the latter being Olympic champion. Should these men come to Australia they would in all probability come on to New Zealand.

TIME ALLOWED N.Z. TEAMS OVERSEAS

CANTERBURY CENTRE ENTERS A PROTEST Some outspoken criticism of the authorities in allowing the New Zealand Empire Games team only three weeks in which to train after arrival in London was heard at the annual meeting of the Canterbury Amateur Athletic Centre. The meeting decided to enter a protest and to recommend that in future New Zealand teams going long distances overseas be allowed at least six weeks for training in the country they were visiting. Mr J. A. Gasson, captain of the Canterbury Amateur Athletic Club, said that his club had decided to enter a protest. The Empire Games team had not been given a chance in the world of showing anything like top form. He moved, and Mr W. C. Flewellyn seconded, that the centre forward a protest to the New Zealand Council. Dr. A. L. Haslam supported the motion.. He said that the whole team had been mismanaged in the matter of the time it had been given to train in London. i The president, Mr J. K. Moloney, said, in answer to a question, that teams coming to New Zealand were almost always given much longer time to train in this country. The Australian athletes were in London for the Empire Games a fortnight before the New Zealanders yet they were not able to get into condition. Mr Moloney declared that it would be useless to send New Zealanders to Berlin for the Olympic Games in 1936 unless they were given six weeks or two months to train there. Mr Flewellyn said that only one track athlete from the Southern Hemisphere, H. Yates, the Australian sprinter, had gained a place at the gapes. He had finished fourth in the 220 yards. This he considered significant. The motion was withdrawn, and another, moved by Mr Flewellyn, was carried, recommending also that at least six weeks be allowed.