N.Z. DECATHLON TITLE

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 26984, 9 March 1953, Page 9

N.Z. DECATHLON TITLE

A. G. LAWLESS WINS (New Zealand Press Association) NAPIER, March 8. A. G. Lawless, of Otago, on Saturday retained his national decathlon title in the championship at McLean Park, Napier. A smart time in the 110 metres hurdles, the first event on Saturday’s programme, took him from third place after five events on Friday, to a narrow lead. His lead increased when he easily won the discus. He injured a shoulder muscle and withdrew from the pole vault. Four other competitors threw further in the javelin, but fastest time in the 1500 metres clinched Lawless’s claim to the title. K. Forsythe (West Coast, North Island) needed to do only a little better than. smin 49sec in the 1500 metres to reach second place in the decathlon, but he retired from the event after one lap, and dropped to third place, 87 points behind D. Dephoff, of Canterbury, who held the title from 1949 to 1951. J. Speerstra of Auckland, was fourth, six points behind Forsythe. Twenty points behind, in fifth place, was M. Steward, of Auckland. Lawless’s winning points total of 5178 exceeded his last year’s winning total by 149 points. Points were won by other competitors as follows:—Dephoff, 4625; Forsythe, 4538; Speerstra, 4532; Steward, 4512; C. Wells (West Coast, North Island), 4302; L. Lewis (HAwke’s Bay-Poverty Bay), 4230; M. J. Shirley (Wellington), 3885; K. Dunbar (West Coast, North Island), 3748. WOMEN’S 880 YARDS RECORD BROKEN (New Zealand Press Association) NEW PLYMOUTH. March 8. Miss N. Kelly, of Manaia, lowered the New Zealand women’s 880 yards record by more than 13 seconds in a special attempt at a sports meeting at Manaia on Saturday evening. Miss Kelly covered the distance in 2mln 31.6 sec. The previous record of 2min 45.4 sec was held by Miss B. Brown, of Wanganui. An application will be made for recognition of Miss Kelly’s time as a record. FAST 100 YARDS RUN IN AUSTRALIA (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) 7 a PI P- ) « . SYDNEY, March 8. The Australian sprint champion. Hector Hogan, yesterday equalled the Australian 100 yards record. He recorded 9.ssec, defeating John Treloar, W. Job, and D. W’inston—each of whom ran the distance in Grolfnd by lnches at the s y dne Y Sports Some spectators criticised the decision of the referee in approving Hogan’s timo, because there was no wind gauge on the ground. The “Sunday Herald” athletics the .J act that there was no a gai i® e x the ground may prevent the Amateur Athletic Union cf Australia recognising Hogan’s time as equalling the Australian record. record was set by the Panamanian sprmter. Lloyd La Beach In 1949. Treloar, ? I s - retiring ftom competitive athletics had his last run yesterday. He will become a coach next season;