Sportsman’s Notebook CONFUSION OVER EMPIRE PENTATHLON RECORDS

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29766, 8 March 1962, Page 3

Sportsman’s Notebook CONFUSION OVER EMPIRE PENTATHLON RECORDS

Recently it was reported from Australia that Miss H. Frith had set a new British Empire record in the pentathlon with 4431 points, bettering the previous figure by 115 points. The record claimed to have been broken by Miss Frith was also the Australian record, of 4316 points, held by Miss P. Kilborn.

There was a suggestion that Miss L. E. Anderson, who had won the Canterbury title the previous week with a New Zealand record score of 4363 points, had thus held the Eimpire record for the intervening period. There are, however, no official British Empire records. but in the pentathlon. Miss M. Bignell (Englandi has a performance that exceeds the tally of Miss Frith. In 1959, at Wolverhampton. Miss Bignell gained 4679 points for the five events. The present discussions on the Empire record for the pentathlon have served to recall that a few years ago the Canterbury centre of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association moved to have official records established', and the matter was taken up by the New Zealand association with some other Commonwealth countries. It seems the point has been lost sight of again, however, and in view of the loose talk about Empire records the time is opportune once again to press for the establishment of official standards.

For the setting-up of Empire records it was suggested to the Canterbury centre that Commonwealth countries would submit a list of their national records, at a certain date, to a central authority, possibly in England, which would approve the best performances in each event as Empire records. After the agreed date, applications would then be lodged for performances improving on the listed records. In some cases the Empire records would be world records, but in most events the Empire record would serve as an intermediate goal between national and world records. ¥ ¥ * Test Hours Cricket test matches between England and Australia in Australia next season will be over five days, each of six hours’ play. Test matches on the last M.C.C. tour of Australia were of six days, with five hours’ play a

day. Five-day tests proved extremely popular on the West Indies tour otf Australia last season. ¥ ¥ ¥

Change To League

The former world sprint swimming champion, J. Devitt, is playing in the second row of a North Sydney Rugby League side in one of the lower grades. Devitt has always been a league enthusiast. ¥ ¥ ¥ Javelin Champion

A 16-year-old schoolboy, David Wightman, of Methven, confirmed early promise of being a javelin thrower of national class when he convincingly won the junior javelin throw at the national championships in Invercargill last Saturday. A pupil of St. Andrew’s College. Wightman had previously come second in the Canterbury championship to M. Stewart, of Waimate, who turned senior before the national championships. Wightman became seriously interested in athletics at school in Methven. Although he seldom attends the weekly club meetings, he has been a member of the Ashburton Athletic Club for about two years arid competes in the inter-club events in Christchurch. He has another two years in junior ranks and should substantially improve his performances with the javelin.