ATHLETICS Three Leading Women Will Lose Titles

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29744, 10 February 1962, Page 15

ATHLETICS Three Leading Women Will Lose Titles

Three New Zealand representative women athletes wai not retain their Canterbury titles when the first day of the provincial championships is held today. This fs the price they have to pay for being good enough to be chosen to compete against New South Wales in the first day of the Trans-Tasman Cup competition at Dunedin. Thus will end an outstanding record established by Misa M. a m. Chamberlain, who has won five individual titles in five successive years, while in addition she has also been a member of the Technical quartet, winner of the relay in most of these years.

The clash of fixtures will end also a run of title winning for Mrs V. I. Young, who has dominated the shot and discus events since 1955. while Miss L. E. Anderson, who last year won the 80 metre hurdles, long jump and high jump, has been a senior title holder since 1959. Next week these three and another Canterbury athlete. Miss L. Curtis, will miss the second day of the championships while representing New Zealand in the final day of the international match at Auckland. In the absence of these competitors the prospects for some of the titles remain fairly open but in several cases recent form has already indicated other likely winners. Among these are Misses K. McKenzie (sprints), D. Lagrosse (440 yards and 880 yards), and Miss L. Duncan (shot and discus). While Miss Curtis will be absent on the second day she is fortunate that her special event, the high jump, will be decided this week. In the men's events, a probable winner of the senior 220 yards and 440 yards titles, L. Jones, will be competing for his Melbourne club in the final of the Victorian interclub championships. The winner of the half-mile title for several years. G. F. Hack, has not been a competitor this season.

At first glance, the absence of these athletes might detract from the appeal of the championships, but this will be partly off-set by the interest taken in the emergence of new champions. The circumstances will give some promising athletes their first opportunity of gaining provincial titles

With the exception of a few events, entries are good, with the biggest field being entered in the mile for which 32 starters are listed. The heats of this event will be run off in the morning with the final in the afternoon. In the junior mile 21 starters are listed.

The first senior championship to be decided will be the six mile race in the morning. Earlier this year, R. J. Stevens missed the Canterbury record for the distance by a few tenths of a second

and if favoured by good conditions it is possible the quality of the competition will result in another time close to the record of 29min 36.8 sec made by J. K. Macdonald last season. A new event on the programme is a 1500 metre steeplechase for juniors but as standard conditions for the number, height, and positioning of the jumps has not yet been received by the Canterbury centre. New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association, the race has not yet been approved for record purposes.

In the shorter events the best entry is in the 440 yards senior for which there are 19 competitors, while only one short of this number is the 100 yards junior. In addition to the six miles, four other finals, mainly in the under age groups, will be decided in the morning. During the afternoon programme, starting at 2 p.m., 40 events will be held—34 of them finals. The day will conclude with the senior and junior inter-club four by 110 yards relays, for which five and six teams are entered.