ATHLETICS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 193, 9 May 1908, Page 9

ATHLETICS.

(Br Mercubt.).--."" .... COMING EVENTS, ' July 4. —English Amateur-'Championships (London). July 13, otc.—Olympic Games (London).. July 25. —Marathon Race (Windsor Castle to London). ■ Harry Kerr, sails this afternoon,.' -per Tongariro, for tho Olympic Games.., Ho, will arrive in London on or about Juno 19, and carries with him a letter of ( introductiontothe High Commissioner from the Premier, and various credentials as to his.status, .etc., from tho N.Z.A.A.A. Tho amount subscribed to tho fund for his, expenses has more than' realised expectations, and enough' Jsinow.'.'in hand to. allow of Kerr procuring a. 'good' trainer during his preparation at Home. He, perforce, has had to leave air-arrangements as|to training, etc., until his:arrival, but at! present he has some idea of putting ,in most of his work in the country, as lie expects to -find friends somewhere in the rural districts of Kent.': This would appear |to bo a good, idea, ns tho life would bo moro in accordance with his past mode of existence, arid tho training -would be less likely to j be inter- 1 rupted by the-distractions of .the. big .city; and, at the same time, he would bo close enough to headquarters to allow of an occasional visit to familiariso himself with local conditions.' As suggested last week, Kerr has been entered for the English Champicnhips en-July 4; and this should give him an excellent idea of tho strength of his likely opponents, and also givo him a good "pointer" as tp. tho mode of progression, which constitutes fair walking under English-rules.-It is perhaps unnecessary to say that our champion walker carries with him tho best wishes of all athletic well-wishers in the Dominion, and oven if ho is not as sucocssful as his admirers wish- it is assured that ho will do his utmost to justify tlje confidence "reposed in him by. going to the post as fit and well as in him lies, and generally_ by doing all in his power to keep tho athletic famo of; New Zealand t-o tho fore. I '. St. Aubyn Murray, tho hurdler,_.\plLarriw im London three or four days prrar.'to'. Kerr," as ho left Sydney by the Orub\l?3t''Saturday week. It irtis his intentiijjicatiilio time of sailing to endeavour\t'o proctfto tho ser-. veces, as trainer, ofy Georgo Smith, our exchampion hurdler and rep.. footballer; 'If lie is successful in so doing, Smith's services will proyo invaluable, as he has been'through tho mill:-before, having,'as will be remembered, won "the 120 Yards Hurdle- Championship of England- some years during- his tour with" ■Simpson, in'.addition to which-the';ex-Aiick-la'nder's. skill over tho sticks would; make liim a splendid training pacer.. ' '• i : Referring again to Kerr, frequent inquiries j have been made as to the distances'in whicli ho;-will be engaged. Information •on this point is hard to obtain, but, I understand,, that, tho' English Championship ovonts; comprise ono walk only, which might be any distanco up to three miles, while the'. Olympic Games' contests number two, a; 3000- metre event, (a little less than two miles)j'. arid, a ten-milo race> In tho latter distance,' if' oofK rect, Kerr's stamina will stand him in good stead, but imagine tho weariness of the,the race is in progress! " It' is now. definitely decided that .New Zealand will have at least three representatives at Home. It -is good news .indeed-, to. lea'rri. that'.Guy Haskins, tho farn'ouslyrinddleidis;-, tance runner, recently wrote td::a':;frieiid /.in' -Victoria askinjr that steps should'-fid taken to enter him'through Mr. R. Coombes, presi-.d-ent rof th'o Australasian Union'., Mr. Coombes advhed Mr. J. ;E. Green; secretary ,of- 'tho. 1 -New - Zealand Amateur Athletic Association, of. tho position, and the'i'latter--there-upon entered Haskins as a Neiv'-Zealander for tho events corresponding half-milo and mile. . Thoi entries . are, of ./course, endorsed by Mr. Coombes, 'and tlioVdocuments, which require Haskins's signature,'.will await his arrival-in Louden. .'■ '■ -■ It - has been rumoured'.thatColin Gilray willing:to place 'hig^ge'^ice's l at~the disposal of N.Z.A.A.A., if required, but, so' far, nothing confirmatory bf this' has been hoard, still, as " Prodigal " observes in the:;." Referee," . with Haskins, • Kerr, and Murray, in action ;tho, Dominiou-shouldi-be. well to tho fore." ' '. , .Froni Otago exchanges I seo that .tho Dunedin; Civil Service Club is through tlie.Otago Sports Depot, one 161b.-lead-shot, and- one of the latest pattern 161b.' ball-bear-ing hammers,' and that the' Diincdin A.A.C. intends following suit. As advocated before in this, column, tho local Centre" will be remiss, in its duty, to its next season's representatives if it allows. tho close' season to pass without doing likewise. v A. G. MacLeod, the Scottish International three-quarter back, won the 1,00 .Yards Race at Cambridge .University "sports';- arid ! wascredited with having dono a vard inside' 10 2-oscc.

v ' THE OLYMPIC GAMES.' The following appeal, in the form of a circular, has been going the rounds of th 6 English Press: —Sir/—During the coming. summer the representatives of; twenty-two countries will bo attending'the'Olympic-Games of' London, and a large, sum of mopey will..be ireto carry out the lengthy programme <sf tho meeting, which extends /over twelve weeks, and includes ilmost' .alf ••the ».l>etter known athletic competitions. ileneyi-will' also be required to provide gold,' silver/.and Lbronzo medals, badges,'and diplomas, aswell, as. to entertain in a. manner w ; orthy""of this 90untry all those representatives—athlo'tesi judges, and committees—v/ho/'it isi'hoped, may tako away the plcasantest recollections of their visit to England. : v 'j- : ' . In making an' appeal to' your,-roader'S/for funds for these purposes, I should'like to 'call attention to-.the .'following.points rt- •' • (1) That '-'4« r >n? 'the present.;., year'.the Olympic Games will bo held in this-country for tlio first time since their : inception in 1896, , ... ■ (2) That as they tako place: only every four years, and as several countries desire to :hold them, a very long time must elapse bofore they will again be' celebrated in < tho British Isles. ' r , , (3) That the'athletic world will expect'a high standard to be set in this country, which is the birth'-placo of so many modern -forms ■of'athletics. . (4) That the British Isles have a reputation for hospitality 'to keel) up, which cannot be better exercised than on this: occasion, when so many representatives of- different countries will bo visiting us for-the games. The idea of those games is spmothing abovo arid beyond the mere holding of a great, athletic meeting; tho underlying-fcoi)e>'is that tho..youth, and especially the athletic yolith,of the different countries, represented, by mooting each other-in friendly rivalry, get;to know each other hotter,'and appreciate, each other more. With' these ends-in-view,' I appeal with confidence to the generosity of-your readers upon this uniquo occasion.—Yours truly, ,

■ y V .. DESBOROUGH.' ■ Prqsit&nt British Olympic Association. Taplow Court, Taplow, Bucks,; /: : / March.3, 1908. Remittances will be received and acknowledged by Lloyds Bank, Limited, 222 Strand, or by Lord Desborough, Taplow Court, Taplow, Bucks. • . ' ' Next week I will'give some particulars of the enormous outlay to which the governing Board has committed itself, and which is responsible for the abovo. Tho figures are an excellent indication of tho magnitude of tho operations, and the international importance of the games. Regarding' tho great longdistance .contest, some idea of-tho interest that will bo evoked in London over'tho Maratlion Raco may be gleaned from tho fact that, although that.race'is not fixed to / tako placo until' July. 25, the leveling English sporting papers aroialready devoting..column's of'typo to reviews, forecasts, and, news concerning tho likely competitors in this - ami tho preliminary trials. Several.".'.twenty-mile races are being promoted, and; the; English Amateur Athletic Association has deci'ded to recognise as an official "trial" 1 the tiventyniilo road race promoted by the Polytechnic Harriers, and to be held over a portion of tho selected Marathon course—viz., from Eton to Sudbury—on April 25. - '