AMATEUR ATHLETICS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 75, 21 December 1907, Page 9

AMATEUR ATHLETICS.

■, (By ?>lei:cuhy.) COMING EVENTS. To-day—Wellington Centre Carnival. Feb.-. 1— Now Zealand "Championships v. at JJasin llosertre: - Feb. .8. —Jiutt" Valley A.A.C. Meeting. '-' \ ■Feb.' 29, anil 'March - 2.—Australasian Championship. (H'obart). . A big programme, good, entries, and what tho circus poster's -call ~_"A galaxy... of -stfir perfowners'^.—tlio only tiling wanted to,complete- the; list- of attractions is a lino after-, noon, and tho success of the meeting on tho Ua'siii lleservo this afternoon should bo assured. ' Tho. Centre has : arranged for a: picnic afternoon tea oir tho''slope by tho grafid; stand. This,- if .tli.e weather is suit-" able, is a. good plan as it permits ono to rc.fresh oneself,' and at tho' sariie' time keep an eye on"tho : sports,' tho. 'other eyo being generally busy iiv seeing thaFtho-übiq'uito.us. lly "does not. meet with an untimely., end.:in thrt cream jug. ' . ; ■ Tiie chict;..attraction,of ■ coursOj, ; wilKho. Harry. ; Kerr, -.who is in good "fix," and lias an eyo on tho existing.'figures for. tho: two walking events. To give him every opportunity of. .-establishing -now ,-timcSj •..•tho Cpuncil has had tho track properly surveyed and appointee} tho necessary number "of judges, and generally Complied- with tho record conditions as laid, down by tho Now Zeajand Amat-eur Athletic Association. ; K6r_r is conceding long "starts, 270 yards'in tho : milo and GSO yards in the 3 miles, but if what report says about his. form is correct, life should just about get home, though to do so ho will requiro to'malco the paco solid-from tho word.. "Go."- ... Tho; handicappdrs in .their wisdom havo reduced tho limits in tho shorter distances, ami I'' expect to seo tlio back markers qualify for tho finals in'• both-'-sprint but tho. ultiraato winners, seem very well hidden. Howover, -I append tips-'for tho' .various, .events.:-— ...v.:.. . ilOOyds. Maiden.—Strickland or Fama;' - - 100 yds. Open.—Dawson, Golds," Henderson. . 220 yds. (handicap).—Bridge, Dawson,-. Cunninghame. ■ ' v -. : . r ... .440 yds. (handicap). —' Turton, Patrick, Thompson. - BSoyds: 7 '(handicap).—Burnett, Patrick; W. Gosling. ...- ■ , : Ono. Mije.—Murray, W. Gosling, M'Kenzie. Three Miles.—Press, Wilt-on,' Lambert. One Milo: Walk.—Kerr, Cashman. ■ ' Threo Miles Walk.—Kerr,- Tracy. Post bo accepted for the field events .and.tho relay race. The team, entered by tho W.A.A.C. for tho last event appeared such a. "cinch", that tho committed fit tlio last moment very rightly turned it into a handicap,...and I hear, that four teams-aro- likely- to turn out, representing .-tho' W.A.A.C., tho C.Y.M. A.A.C.,- and two' : toai}« .fr.om tho'.E.N. A.A.C.' .1 was. sorry to hear. .. that. Fisher.strained a musclo in.liis instopJasLweeklsalbaHly. that; ho'had to lay up for two or. three days.' V This is rv.ery hard luck, as his run off tho .-mark with Henderson to-day would havo been well" worth' seeing. As 'it is," it' is probablo 'that ho will bo unablo'to start at all.'

Yaulter" in tho "Weekly Press" thus comments on the lack of public interest in tho recent'sports run by the Pioneor Club at Lancaster Park. Tho remark . about tho lack- of advertising contains a moral that has a local application. If the attcndanco: at tho Pioneer Club's Sports at lahcastor Park' on' Saturday may be taken--.as ..in ..any dcgreo a criterion of public interest'.in tho spoi't, tlienj amateur atTfletics aro indeed in a bad way hi. Christchurch. Howover, I am not -disposed to think- that matters aro as bad as they would appear to ho on tho surface. In tho first place, tho date, was unsuitable, with such a, strong counter attraction-.' as tho crickot match at Hagley 1 Park-, and in tlio second place, -very littlo.publicity had been given. ito tho meeting,' so that it was not surprising .that tho attendance wasscanty, being confined to tho immediate friends ,of those taking part." Under tho circumstances it was .only to bo that 'il'hcro woirfcl bo; a' lack..of l: ji]\thu'siasni;', and "though there' "were' somo interesting finishes, .tliero was 110 risk .of one boing deafened by tho cheering of the spectators. The privilego of managing tho Wellington Provincial Championships is going a-begging. Tho, Nelson Club applied for, and wero granted, permission. to includo theni in Its summer meeting programme, but as tho date, February 1, fixed, clashes', with '-tho' New Zealand Championships this, fell through. the AVanganui or tho Wairarapa Clubs (if tho. latter is/still extant) seem to yearn for. tho honour, and now the Hutt Viil-ley'Club-is to bo asked' to' run off the events at its-meeting on February.B; ' Tlio suburban club"'would bo well advised, in accepting the olfer as the 'events would prove a decided attraction to any sports programme. - ,

American files to hand ' this mail contain, several items of interest about Shrubb and Day. Tlio former is up . against a very tough proposition—his legs have - given out, audit is said that "his running diys are over. Ho appears to have collapsed■ at tho very height ;of his form : in ! 'a match .-with - J .D. Marsh, an Indian runner-'of note iji'Winnipeg. Shrubb was conceding a two-minutp handicap, and had caught his man at seven mileS| wlien ho was ; forced, to loavo tho track. , il(edica! examination resulted in the verdict . given above. " Up to dato of his retirement'Shrubb had- pouched 3000 dollars asytho result of his Ainoricaiu.tour, 1 arid was -then under contract to run:. a.-'lO-milo. race against a team of four crack-American distance man to', run'2}"-miles;'-Sljo'iild tho ■'■report of tlie breakdown bo cor- - the curtain .has been- rung down on tho'.'lasV ap'pearanco. of the': finest: distanco runner. tile world.has.ever soon. .Lay lias also .mot with bad luck—though of "a" different nature.. Tho stake-holder -,in : his match with Walker for tho 100 yards professional championship of tho United States, which was won by Day, was foun>l missing when settling day 'cama round. According to tlio Gbldnold - (Nevada) "Tribune" llufo-Naylor, Day's manager,. -, has sworn out" a" warrant for tlio. arrest'of John -Fiesliman for tho conversion of 1929 dollars, stako money and " bets on tho Day-Walker, match,::but:..rio- news. .has., .boon-..received*.: of tho lovanter's wboreabouts." :_: v.; :. ;It \s this:sort of thing, that reconciles .&aa to: boing-.;an aniatcur. .