ATHLETICS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 496, 1 May 1909, Page 9

ATHLETICS.

(Br Merodm.). ■ Two members of tho crstwhilo Council oi tho N.Z.A.A.A. (now in a stato of dissolution in Christchurch) liavo held offico from tho time of tho inception of tho ooUncil—a period of twenty-ono years. At tho last meeting a voto of appreciation of tho services, of tho old-timers was recorded on the minutes. •-At last week's meeting of the Canterbury Centre it was decided that application foi tho recognition as a New Zealand record oi Dr. Guy Haskins's time of 2min. 24 l-ssec for 1000 yards, made at the Canterbury Collego sports, should bo forwarded to the New Zealand Council with a recommendatior that tho record should bo passed. The applicatio 1 stated that the/ actual distance rur was 1002$ yards. ■ W. F- Trembath is not making the stir ir professional running that his recent "amateui form indicated, and it is a moot questior now as to whether tho Southlander is not beginning •to realise that he has throwr away the substanc© for the shadow. Hii recent quarter-milo match with D, Sanson of Hastings, recently run. at Invercargiil foi a stako of £25 a-side, was rather a "frost. 1 tho eat© only amounting to £13 odd. The match was the outcome of a previous meet uig between the men in March last, wlier Trembath. ex-amateur Australasian anc Now Zealand champion, defeated" Sanson who is alleged, to hold a New;. Zealand professional record over tho distance. On tin occasion under review,, tho ex-amateur mad< the running for the first 200 yards in the teeth of a hard breeze. On. rounding the turn Sanson mado a fast run with the wind, and dashed into tho lead, finally win ning by about three yards in S3 4-ssec, de spite a strenuous challengo in th© straighl from Trembath. The time seems slow, bul tho.track was not as good as it should have been, and the wind would have slowed ui the men considerably. A southern exchange says: "The winner ran a well-judged race and clearly outgeneralled his" man .while Trembath was palpably nervous at tho starl and appeared to run himself out during the early, part of the journey." In his comments on the late Now'Zealahe championships meetiug in .Dunedin, '"Prodi gal," .of •tbo Sydney' "Referee," makes tin following point :-r—'.'l notice from the ' pro gramme of the iS.Z.A.A.A. championship! that in tho hamirieJr throwing event a 9ft circle was used instead of- a 7ft. circle. I is an excusable mistake, as the change fron 9Ft. to 7ft. is probably not very wel known." Now that the alteration has Ijeei pointed out, it behoves clubs who i'ntene placing this event on thoir programmes te sea that the regulations ar© adhered to il future.' ' In the same notes, "Prodigal" is seen tical, as .usual, about New Zealand timing He' says: • "I'ho report before me says tha! Woodger beat R; Opio by 18in. in. the 100 yds., the timo being 10 l-ssec. This mai be tip-top champion) form—or it may not.' One would have thought that tho consistence of Woodger's -performances during the sea" son would have' convinced even' "Prodigal,' but apparently he retains all his old doubti as to the efficiency of Now Zealand watchei rror their holders. . ! . • ' The following, from the "London Sports man;'. will bo. of interest to . all who have been watching the' career, of Beg. Walker tho great Durban "sprinter, and winner o. tho Olymptic 100 metres —and what athlete has not?: "R, E. Walker, the South Africar eprinter, interviewed by Ileuter's representa tivo, stated that lie would sail for Englane on; April 29. Ho will meet Kerr, the Can adian champion, in the English champion ships at Stamford Bridgo on July 3, anc ivill then-proceed to America and Canada where ho will meet Hector and many othei American 1 sprinters. Ho will race Kerr agair iti: Canada. Walker is confident that he wil boat all his opponents, declaring that he has improved his time since tho Olympii bames. . After leaving Canada ho will vfsii Australia, and will possibly settle in Eng. laud. _ Ha is determined to remain an ama tour. . \ ••, , , _ Particulars of -tho match between A. R, I ostle, the Australian, and .B. R. Day the Insh champion,, over 220 yards, foT the world s; championship aro now to/ hand. H will bo remembered that jt was dabled t-hal 1 ostle won tho contest m '23 scconds. Ascording to tho Johannesburg "Sundaj linics, , tho event attracted great attention, run in tho preseiioc of many thousands of; excited. spectators. This paper's account is appended :-"With tho report ol the pistol the well-known sweep of. tho Australian s arms and the greyhound spring senl him almost into-th© air, well in advance* ol r i, n n ii I" 111 ® COU P'° of yards liko t il.ish, I ostlo skimmed along, and, apparently realising his advantage slowly, drew to the mside.of tho track, at th© samo time increasing his lead with a-wonderful burst alone the almost straight southern side. - The shart tho east pulled him up a little, anc the five yards lead which ho had securec was ; reduced' to' two as th© Irishman . speci straight north' side. However,'the Austraban again gathered his tremendous fa roe and finished, anndst a'pealing thunder ol applause,, winner by three* and a half yards, liio time, 23sec.j ivas wonderful considering the nature of tho bourse. Day's final effort was magnificent, but' Postl© "was 'all out 1 right to tho finish. Determined to regain the coveted sash the Australian had given even ounce .that was in hira to tho- race, and al tho conclusion, completely oollapsod. He wa* it MIC© attended by.his trainer and friends and,_ after a rest, was led in a state of colapse ,to 'tho dressing-room." On© finds it tiara to understand, however, why on© run over, 220(yards should have' reduced an athletej of Postle's physique and calibre to "a spate of collapse." .In the- iast 'iissuo of the ■ "Referees" tc tiand, Prodigal", devotes some space to' the suggestion passed at tho recent conference >f centres at.Dunedin, that the coming 'Australasian championships be held after the Now Year, instead of in August, as now proposed. In summing up his romarks on tho subject ho';says: "Where there's a will there's; a way. Aid>it must be remembered that such authorities as Messrs. J. H. Pollock and A. Marryatt (Wellington), "and Messrs. It. G. Anderson and Hamaiin [Otogo) maintain ; that August suits • New Zealand just as well. asNovemher." Exactly. All the gentlemen named .by Mr. Coombes lid maintain that August suits as well oi is badly^as'November, but thai is not'the point. .Tho point' is that' neither of theso nonths suits at all; The. Australian States recognised this when:the date- of the last Australasian meeting in Hobart was changed From November ..to the New Year, on New Zealand's request, and the' same conditions hold good, this and every other season. It cannot he denied by anyone familiar with Jur climatic conditions that a New Zealand team oannot get : the training during the ivrater mejnths to Enable it to do th© Dominion and itself justico at any meeting held earlier than December at the earliest.