ATHLETIC SPORTS GAMES AND PLAYERS

Press, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 26319, 13 January 1951, Page 4

ATHLETIC SPORTS GAMES AND PLAYERS

(By

MILES)

Centennlal Stars to Race Olympic, British Empire, and Canterbury Centersnlal stars will clash in the Women’s Commonwealth jubilee athleiic meeting at the Sydney Sports Ground today. Australia wUI be represented in the 100 yards by Shirley Strickland and Marjorie Jackson. They will compete against Doris Parker, the New Zealaad 100 and 220 yards champion, and Shirley Hardman, New Zealand’s finalist in lhe British Empire Games. Over the 80 met es hurdles, Shirley St ricklan d will meet the New Zealand champion, Jean Schoch, and Ann Stalder, the South Sydney g rl. Yvette Williams, the British Empire bread jump champion, will clash with the Australian Olympic representative, Judy Canty. . Swimming Personalities

The Olympic Games breaststroke swi timer, Nancy Lyons, has "given up ma.or competitive swimming. She has had 10 years of first-class competition and feels that she has had enough. Miss Lyons. 2min 57.75ec, was runner-up to Miss B. Van Vliet, 2min 57.25ec, in the 200 met es breaststroke at the London Olymnic Games. . . „ The 15-year-old Western Austral! in, Margaret Pascall, who competed at :he Centennial Games, is probably the best girl backstroke swimmer Australia lias produced, according to a writer in she “Sydney Morning Herald.” On December 5, she beat the Australian champion snd record-holder, Judy Joy Davies, over 110 yards, in Imin 21.6 sec. The South Australian middle-distance swlmer, Denise Norton, will not do iny serious racing this season. Now 17 years old. she intends to concentrate on the 100 metres distance with a view to selection for the 1952 Helsinki Olympic Games. During an exhibition of diving at :he Sydnev Olympic pool, Loretta Davis was injured. She was attempting a swallow dive when she turned completely and crashed into the water on her back. She was unconscious when rescued by members of the diving troupe The Dutch swimmer, Irma Schumacl er, failed in her attempt to break the word’s 100 yards record at the North Sydney Olympic pool last Tuesday night. Her time, 59.65ec, was I.2sec better than t iat made by Marjorie McQuade, Victorian nnd Empire Games champion. It also broke the Dutch record of 60.2 sec held by Minnie Termeulen. Miss Schumacher intends to make another attempt on the word’s record of 582 sec held by G. Anderton (Denmark). _ . . In a match race at North Sydney ast Tuesday, Geertje Gaillard beat Judy Toy Davies for the fifth time over 100 yards backstroke. Miss Gaillard did Imin 18:iec, and Miss Davies Imin 18.4 sec. Marjorie Jackson On her return to Sydney, Marjorie Jackson, who wore a heavy bandage on her left ankle, said the injury she had received when she displaced a ligament at the Canterbury Centennial Games, had given her no further trouble. She discounted rumours that she would not run again this season, although a cabled n essago received from Sydney this week said she would be off the running track for six weeks. Miss Jackson said the Canterbury Centennial Games were splendidly conducted and the tracks in excellent order. She said the New Zealand broad jump and discus champion, Yvette Williams, was a future world champion and the most improved athlete in New Zealand. Test Match Receipts Gate receipts for the first two lest matches between Australia and England slumped by nearly £15,000 compared with takings for the same tests in the 194<i-47 series. The two tests in this series t>ok only seven days to decide—five days ess than the scheduled 12. Thjs has meant a heavy loss in admission money. The comparisons are:— * Crowd Rece pts I « Melbourne, 1950 .. 191,197 22,162 Brisbane. 1946-47 .. 77,344 14,515 Brisbane. 1950 .. 32,600 6,252 Melbourne, 1946-47 .. 343,675 30.824 The M.C.C., which takes half the outer price of 3s 6d for each paying spectator, is already down at least £hooo compared with the first two tests of the 1946-47 tour. In the first test at Brisbane in 1946 the M.C.C. collected £5500 as its share, but this time it will be lucky to clear £2OOO. In 1946-47 the second tesi in Melbourne lasted the full six days. This time it was over with two days to spire. Jack Dempsey Jack Dempsey, a former world boxing champion, is still 'news in American sport. The old “Manassa Mauler” was referee in a wrestling bout in which one of the contestants was Prmo Camera, also a former world boxing champion. Camera’s opponent was Don Eagle. Dempsey warned Camera for allegedly illegal tactics, but the Italian defied Dempsey, who quickly shot out a right to Camera's face and a left to the body. ■ Before Dempsey had time to throw another punch, Eagle leaped on Camera and threw him to the canvas. Eagle won the bout, nils was not the first occasion that Dempsey had been the central figure In such an incident. A few years ago “Caveman” Billy Edwards, who entertained wrestling crowds with his tantrums in pre- aar days, tangled with Dempsey and (ore the former champion's shirt. Dempsey wasted no time in words, but threw a punch at Edwards which settled the dispute. Jack Winter Retires

Jack Winter. Olympic, British Empire, and Australian high-jumper, has retired from competition to devote his atten.ion to his banking career. At the age of 25 Winter says he has not the time for serious training, although he may be abl<t to do some coaching. Winter's success at the Olympic Games, with a jump of 6ft Gin, was one of the big surprises at Wembley. In 1949 he won his third Australian title with a jump of 6ft 4in, and cleared 6ft 6in at Auckland. South Canterbury Disappointed

Centennial year will long be remembered in Tlmaru as a year of disappointment. A proposed two-day programm : of athletics with world-class performers lasted about two hours at the Calet onian Ground because of inclement weather. The proposed centennial contest at Century Baths was abandoned, and last Saturday a number of New Zealand and Australian boxers journeyed to Tinaru for the centennial boxing event in the Theatre Royal, but this, too, had to be abandoned, as only three matches Were offered. When arrangements were made with the Centennial Committee in-Chi Istchurch, the Timaru Boxing Association was promised 10 bouts between Australian and New Zealand boxers. Preparatons were made, a bus load of boxers arrived at Timaru on schedule, but only three bouts could be arranged because of injuries to a few boxers and other detections, The Timaru Association was made aware of this at 5,30 p.m. on Saturday, two and a half hours before the programme was timed to start. As three bouts were not enough to justify the admission charge the tournament had tc be abandoned. Everything possible was done by the association to stop people from coming from a distance, but a few made long trips to be keenly disappointed when they arrived. The rent of the Theatre Royal for a Saturday night is" more than £5O, the advertising and other incidentals nr ore than £lO, and there is the charge for the hire of the bus for »the day. This expense will be met by the Centennial Committee, Christchurch. Philippines Golfer

Larry Montes, a brilliant Philippines golf professional, who created a favourable Impression with his stylish 1 lay and cheerful personality when he competed in the 1949 McWllliam’s Wines £2500 tournament, has advised the sponsors of the event of his intern ion to compete in the 1951 tournament, which will begin at the Kensington course on March 8. Celastino Tugot has alos been invited, but has not yet replied to the sponsor's invitation. The British match-play champion, Dai Rees, and Max Faulkner, will also compete. Rees will leave England on January 22 on a two weeks’ tour of Kenya. He will then join Faulkner at Cairo and the two British professionals will travel by air to Australia, arriving about February 22. A Colourful Sprinter

"Lloyd La Beach (Panama), the fellow with the lovely legs, loud track suit, and a head for business, will give the sporting side of the Commonwealth J ibilee Celebrations a big kick along when he arrives next week,” says the Melbourne "Sporting Globe." “La Beach has been one of the world’s best sprit ters in the last three or four years, and currently has two world records (awaiting official ratifictaion) to his credit. These are for 100 and 200 metres. He was third in the Olympic 100 metres to Harrison Dillard and Barney Ewell, and also was placed in the 200 metres. La Beach has not the spontaneous wit of Ewell, but this is more than offset by his striking appearance. He favours bright royal >'ue track suit, with red stripes down the trouser legs. For those to whom running style means little, and they are mtnv. the sight of this gaily-attired six-footer doing his fancy preliminaries in his ’soot suit' is better entertainment than the actual racing. Barney Ewen's world jrofessional 220 yards record of 20.755ec is one within the compass of La Beach’s flying feet. Then there is that apparent'y unbreakable 12sec 130 yards, which has s:ood to the late Jack Donaldson’s credit since 1911. It is not flattering La Beach too much to suggest that given good conditions. he will clock some startling figures. His dollar-consciousness will ensure that he will waste no time making everv oost a winner. In .style, La Beach confcrms to the American trick pattern of erect carriage, almost imperceptible body lean high knee-lift, and lightning start."

Six Days* Cycling Six-day bicycle racing will return to England next spring for the first time since the war. Wembley Stadium announced that it would stage an indoor race from May 27 to June 2. The last such race held in England was at Wembley in 1939. The stadium management said the race would be run under licence from the National Cyclists’ Union, and it was hoped to attract riders from Britain, the United States, the Continent, and Australia. Uncertainty of the Game

In the present tour of Australia the English cricket team has had its full share of bad luck, and the loss of the bowlers, Bailey and Wright, in the third test, must have been a sore blow. Since the first World War there have been several test matches In which teams have been weakened by mishaps. In the Adelaide test of 1924-25, England s captain, Arthur Gilligan, broke down and could not bowl in the second innings. The other opening bowler, Maurice Tate, was hampered by a bad toe. Australia took a hiding in the ® rs t test ever played in Brisbane in 1928-29. Great all-rounder Jack Gregory injured a knee when trying to catch Larwood off his own bowling, and he took no further part in the match. Another all-rounder, Charles Kelleway, had ptomaine poisoning, and did not play after the first innings. Fast bowler Ernie McCormick took three English wickets for 26 runs in Brisbane in 1936-37, but then broke down. In the fifth test at the oval in 1938, when .Hutton made his record test score of 364, Don Bradman and Jack Finglelton were both hurt and could not bat in either innings. Veteran Retires

A. W. Roberts, who at 41 announced his retirement from big cricket after playing for Otago against Auckland in the New Year match at Eden Park, has played in 44 Plunket Shield games—a record. In 1927. at the age of 17, Roberts first played for Canterbury. He represented that province 35 times in successive years until 1944, when he went to Otago. A New Zealand representative on many occasions, he first played for the Dominion in 1929-30 in the first test against England, and in 1931-32 played in both tests against South Africa, scoring 54 in the first game. He represented New Zealand against England in the 1935-36 tests and again the following season. In the aecond match in 1935-36 he scored 75 not out and took three for 33 and three for 39. A member of the 1936-37 touring team, he played in 21 matches in Britain and two in Australia. In England he scored 510 runs at an average of 24.28 and took 62 wickets at an average cost of runs. In New Zealand his best batting performance in interprovincial cricket was 181 against Wellington, in 1931. “Alby” Roberts was a more than footballer when playing for the Albion Club. He represented Canterbury In 16 games in the 1930-34 period. Cinder Tracks for Melbourne

Victorian athletes will have their first competition on cinder tracks on January 20 The tracks have been laid down on the Olympic Park oval. Cinder approaches also will be available for field gamesjpnd for the first time amateurs will have facilities comparable with those available overseas. Standards are expected to improve “almost overnight," particularly in hurdling and sprinting. French Athletes

Arrangements have been concluded by the Australian Amateur Athletic Union for a tour of all States by a team of three outstanding French athletes, who will arrive next month. George Damitio, Andre Marie, and Michel Clare will comprise the French team. All three are highly rated in Europe and performed well in the season recently concluded. Damitio is a high jumper, Marie a hurdler, and Clare a middle distance expert. Clare, who will test Don MacMillan and others, was sixth, seven yards from the winner, in the last European championship over 800 metres, and clocked Imin 51.65ec., which is better than the Australian record. Damitio is one of the world’s foremost. high jumpers. His best leap is 6ft 7jin. Damitio also excels at broad jumping, and in the France v. Great Britain match last year, won with 24.2 ft. Clare was runner-up to Marcel Hansenne in the French 800 metres championship last year, and his best time for the distance is Imin 51.4 sec, registered last season. Walking Events

"ShoultT track walking be discontinued at the Olympic Games, European championships, and such-like international competitions?” asks Harold Abrahams in “World Sports." "I was in Brussels for the European championships. Now I am no judge of walking, and I do not know whether Britain's Hardy and Allen infringed the rules in the 10,000 metres walk, or whether the ultimate winner, Schwab, of Switzerland, walked fairly over the last two laps. But I do know that there were genuine differences of opinion among British experts, and I cannot help asking myself whether it would not be better, in the interests of international harmony, to remove from competition an event which, with all the goodwill in the world, seems destined to cause trouble." This walking problem is not a new one, for in an article written more than 60 years ago by Sir Montague Shearman, a discerning judge of athletics, appears the following “Walking races are hardly so satisfactory as they were 10 years ago, for judges are lenient and walkers aspire to fast times; consequently most of the walking, seen on the running path is of a shifty character, and, if not absolutely a run, is more like a shuffle than a fair heel-and-toe walk."