EMPIRE GAMES

Press, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 26026, 1 February 1950, Page 6

EMPIRE GAMES

ATHLETICS ON FIRST DAY GOOD HALF MILE CONTEST EXPECTED From Our Own Reporter & AUCKLAND, Jyuary 31. With the arrival of 25 swimmers and water polo players from Australia to-morrow, and a further batch of 23 who will reach Auckland on Thursday. all the Empire Games teams will be complete.

Most of the competitors have strived in almost top condition and •only need steady work to fit them for the first events on Saturday.

The weather has been dry and sultry. and has favoured training.

The official opening of the games will take place on Saturday when the teams of the competing countries will march past under their flags before the Governor-General <Sir Bernard Ereyberg). who will take the saiute. I'he parade will be led by Australia, which was the host at the last Empire Games held in Sydney in 1938. The teams will then wheel into the centre of the track where the captain of the New Zealand team will mount the rostrum and on behalf of all contestants take the oath of amateurism: “In the true spirit of sportsmanship and for the honour of the Empire and the glory of sport.”

The programme will be opened at 3.10 pjn. with heats of the 100 yards, the Empire Games record for which is held by C. B. Holmes (England), who won in 9.7 sec in Sydney in iboB. Australia appears to hold a very strong hand in the race and will be represented by D. Johnson, W. De Grouchy, A. R. Gordon and J. Treloar, all capable of doing 9.8 or better. Preloar is the best known of the four, and after showing brilliant form in Australia and on his New Zealand tour three years ago. he finished fourth in the semifinals at the Olympic Games behind M. E. Patton, who later won the 200 metres, L. La Beach, who finished third, and E. McD. Bailey. Treloar will possibly be the most favoured runner, and in his heat he will meet the strongest opposition from N. D. Stacey (England).

New Zealand will be represented by A. A.! P. Eustace. P. Henderson, A. K. Beardsley, and C. Parker, the best of whom may be Parker and Eustace.

The high jump, which will follow the 100 yards, will be contested by a field of 18, and in this event the favourite choice will probably be A. Paterson (Scotland), who has cleared oft 7|in. J. A. Winter (Australia) won the Olympic title when he reached 6ft 6in, and A. N. Jackes (Canadak who finished sixth at the Olympic Games, and J. H. Borland (New Zealand) have each done better than 6ft Jin. Besides Borland, New Zealand will depend upon D Rhodes, R. Woolley, and R. McKenzie. South Africa wills have C. L. de Jongh and England R. C. i Pavitt.

The Empire Games record is 6ft s|in set by E. T. Thacker in Sydney in 1938.

Women’s Evept The third event will be the 100 : yards for women, for which Australia may provide the two favourites in the young Miss Marjory Jackson and Miss Shirley Strickland who was third at the Olympic Games. This race will be too walk-over, for included in the field is Miss Pat Jones (Canada), who finished second to the world’s champion. Mrs Fanny Blankers-Koen, at the Olympic Games,

New Zealand will depend upon the national champion, Miss D. Parker, M’ss S. Hardman, and Miss C. Malone.

In the first heat of the 440 yards hurdles D. White (Ceylon), who was runner-up to the world’s record holder, R. B. Cochran (United States), at the Olympic Games, njay find most onposition provided by J. G. Hart (Scotland), while in the second heat J. M. Holland will carry the confidence of the New Zealand judges. H. Whittle (England), who was beaten in the semi-finals of the Olympic Games, should win the third heat. The six miles race will be won by J. T. Holden (England) if all reports are true, but New Zealand will produce two great distance men in N. Taylor and W. H. Nelson, either of whom may extend the English champion. Two heats in the 880 yards will be decided, and the final may produce one of the best races of the meeting. In the first heat D. M. Harris, who in 1947 ran the world’s fastest half-mile and strained a tendon when he looked a likely winner of the 800 metres at the Olympic Games is reported to be back to his best and must be given a great chance. New Zealand has a good second string in N. T. Wilson. C. W. Parnell (Canada), C. T. White (England), and de Saram (Ceylon) may provide • surprise. J. W. M. Hutchins (Canada) and S. D. Boysen ("South Africa) are others who will run a fast half-mile.