NATIONAL TITLES AT HAMILTON

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27913, 9 March 1956, Page 8

NATIONAL TITLES AT HAMILTON

ATHLETICS

ALTERATION TO PROGRAMME CANTERBURY CENTRE’S DISCUSSION There had been some confused reports on the women’s javelin throw at the national junior and women’s championships at Hamilton last week, said the Canterbury team manager (Mr A. McDonald) in his report to the Canterbury Centre of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association last evening. A report in one North Island newspaper had stated that the Canterbury representative. Miss W. Garrod (South Canterbury) had been disqualified.

The facts were that in the official programme the javelin throw championship had been incorrectly shown as a qualifying round. The meeting of team managers had confirmed it as an elimination contest only. Miss Garrod, who is the New Zealand record holder for the javelin, asked Mr McDonald whether event 15 (the javelin throw) was to be a final, and he informed her of the managers’ decision. Immediately before the event Miss Garrod was informed by an official that the event would then be a final. At no time after the managers’ meeting had he been informed of the decision to make event 15 a final, said Mr McDonald.

Miss Garrod had not warmed-up suitably for a final, as she wished to qualify as easily as possible and thus save her effort for the final, as she considered it her first duty to aim at winning the title for the province. What was more important, she had not prepared herself mentally for a final. Miss Garrod’s sixth throw hit a marking peg and could not be measured, and an official ruled a free throw, with which she threw 134 ft, four feet further than the winner. The jury of appeal later disallowed the throw. Miss Garrod herself readily admitted that her sixth throw would not have been a winning one, Mr McDonald said.

In fairness to competitors at future championship meetings, Mr McDonald recommended to the centre that it forward a notice of motion on the following lines to the national association:—“That at championship meetings, before the managers’ meeting, the representative of the New Zealand council and the manager of the meeting compare the programme with the draft copy held by the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association, and after a programme has been submitted to the managers’ meeting no alterations be made without notification of team managers, at least one hour before any event in question is altered.” N.Z. CHAMPIONSHIPS CANTERBURY SELECTORS DISCUSSED Criticism of the Canterbury team chosen for the New Zealand athletic championships at Lancaster Park on March 16 and 17 is made by “Wondering” in a letter to “The Press.” Several prominent athletes have made similar comments. The correspondent says that it has been usual for a home province to enter a full team if those available are of a reasonable standard. This year the selectors have gone more for quality, but in some events it is difficult to see on what basis the ability of athletes has been assessed, he says. In the events from 880 yards to six miles many of the placed runners in the Canterbury championships have been omitted. Yet three men have been entered for the marathon, even though the second and third men are well down the list when assessed on times throughout New Zealand. It was difficult to see how the second place-getter in the Canterbury six miles had been omitted, he said. His time of 30min Msec is at present the fifth best in New Zealand this season, and one of the top four would not run this event ■at the championships. Even the time of the third man in the Canterbury six miles was considerably better than that of the runners chosen to represent Hawke’s Bay, Waikato, and Wellington. The second and third Canterbury men could provide an indispensable team to help the Canterbury champion, “Wondering” concludes. Other reliable critics have drawn attention to the fairly tight selection policy that has been adopted for the middledistance and distance races, some of which will not require heats. While the standard of performance in the sprints in Canterbury is no better than, if as good as, in the distance events, a full quota of three runners has been chosen for each of the three sprint races, and this may cause additional heats to be run.

SELECTOR WATCHING CANTERBURY GIRL

SPECIAL RACE REQUESTED FOR MISS CHAMBERLAIN One of the joint national selectors, Mr J. W. Holley, has asked the Canterbury Centre of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association to include a special 220 yards race in the programme for the national senior championships at Lancaster Park to give Miss M. Chamberlain (Technical) a chance to improve on her best time for the distance. “I feel she is a girl worthy of further opportunity,” said Mr Holley, in a letter to Mr J. C. Harbut, and he considered the national meeting a glorious opportunity. At its meeting last evening, the centre agreed to include a special short limit handicap in the events at the chamoionships on Saturday, March 17. It is likely that Mrs D. M. May will start off scratch with Miss Chamberlain.

Miss Chamberlain von her heat and was second in the final at the New Zealand championships.

FAST HALF MILE BY N. SCOTT

(New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND, March 8. N. Scott, the middle-distance star, ran the half mile in Imin 52sec at Sturges Park, Otahuhu, tonight. Scott conceded handicaps of up to 80yds in a field of 18, and finished fourth. He was closely attended at the start by G. W. Hoskings, the Olympic miler, and the Auckland champion, P. Penlington, and, with them, covered the first quarter in 57 sec. He then passed man after man in a magnificent second lap. The race was won by M. Keane, of University, who was timed at Imin 50sec off 80yds. A recortl crowd at the park included the Olympic selectors, Messrs H. L. Towers and J. W. Holley. Scott made a last-min-ute decision to run. He has been troubled with an infected toe, and only after a solid warm-up did he decide to compete in the race.

OLYMPIC HURDLER MAY LOSE SIGHT

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) MELBOURNE, March 8. The Australian Olympic hurdler, Ray Weinberg; is reported to be in danger of losing his eyesight. He has had an operation to remove a growth from behind each eye, and he will not be able to compete in the Australian national championships. Weinberg represented Australia at the 1948 and 1952 Olympic Gar-es and the 1950 British Empire Games in Auckland.