ATHLETICS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 592, 21 August 1909, Page 12

ATHLETICS.

(By JiKPCOBt'i

).■; Undoubtedly,' the .in Brisbane evening 'must, have been/Mr. C. E. Bridge, manager .of the New..Zealand ■atfratetii •'athMi ;; fe'Mni ii in4: the- performances ! o f ! the inemliefs 91' that team"pii;the openingday were of'suoh a character as tp , give justifieaßon .'for'ai'feeling of pride in any man,On ,the, day of tto 6"very .member of, had ..his name recorded on , 'the''list" of-Australasian champions'. True,' M'Kay divided tho honour with L. "R: Walk«r, of Victoria, ip the Pole Vault, but a'dead heat can be credited, as a victory. The'victory of II'KaT, though not altogether. eipected,"'lJs, 'not""eb"mucK' a "snrprise .Aβ, the i h.o|ght pf ■ thp■'■> jump -.wliioh eecursd ' premier. , hbnflirs. ■:;*« over' .here, wh le prepared to. ! admit' jhal M'Kay;ivas : capable,of l(lft. ,6in, were . hardly.' songnipe enpnph . to_ expect thatanything - under 10ft. f\r\. tepeolaUy.ias Fravy-f ley','and' Walter; wre repfivted to b^ in:good form), ■ wiiuld . be .class'enough',to. lyin.. / All three (M'Kay, Walkflr, and l?rawley),> who 'fought- put kucf'.a stirring contest.,at Jlobark jumped , inches below their, best. Ppr "reasons' for .Walker's : and Prawley , ? failures, we mußt wnjt'until the ,; ina}J.;l)ri.ng6 -tondpptly the, of the chammonships is not bo.'great- in the eyes of in : Brisbane, as it is to us-. Everyone, of, us the world through different ey«s, and not one of:usg'eta. Terepective;- . ; >. ' - 'Glancing tHropgh the^cable, f a pang of disappointment on reading the first ; line: "Wbodger. second; in. the heat: of, 220 yardsi" . But the'next line, which conveyed Ihe. result of , the Ether Bar-ker-T?vvj« V wonderful reviver. The:; Petone irrcyhound 'has done everything ■.■that everyone fi'e;r"wan,tcd h.im to do, To defeat .Barker in the 100 yards-.-would be an achievement worthy of note, bittto cpntiuer, one oNils pet 'distances is something Woodger can rhoiiestly bs proud :of. ■ True, the Wsea) is (with the times! recorded by.Go A.; Moir at Auckland in 1901. and bv W Vi f!arbvright .Ohristchurqh in 1896),. thfi ploweston re(:ord_fpr .the•raco.'an'J, further, ?i'?, kn P w : n thaJ,«arker wasinby no means forin. Nererthtfess,' Woodger's perforniapM; is. a fine one. He, tos.cap Vnestly claim that ho ws .set. Sins', foot'■■ on , - the . track ■ under groat- dinad- ■ vantages'.'' Training fqr sprint running erounds >yUoh w« have been accustomed to this winter is littlo-mpro than. a ■ faree.j mid the only-'f&t-wrk which, \V9oAm fflW.BPt before the.ineeting was in Austra.l a, Woopgor is the first New gander: \q -vfin the 220 .yards phanipioneliip,,of'Australasia and, )f. he,suc, ceeils' to;day. he will; be ,tkVfirst, fro.m. tho dominion..'to be "returned 100 yards Australasian fulfilled lqcal \ pradibtions. by Winning ;the three riiiles ,/iom «<-.So«tn African champion, J. J. Hnrloy and n, Wim tersi'bflthof South \Valcs., aiid both excellent 'walkers. '- The' cable gives him credit /for a very easy win, and .his walking-must have iconic -as.' a revelation:-.;to • Mr. Cooinbes, who was certain Harvey, would almpst-NPOfeat S toe■ !iails r withi dejight .aiiy iwin'by■ a ,NeW Zoaiiimler, hut it must bo ■•confefj&pd- l P. win ■ ini 1 the Mβ yards .hurdle? 'championship has uot much, merit; in it. 1 Over here ICeddell was out s>i a place in- tho met 4iO yards hurdle p.hampiona.hjptf' 50 - lund liehind H. St, A. Murray, ,5. Hamilton, aid G.'V S, MlKpnae. ,M'Ken«o was subseqiiently beaten in Welluigton by. A. : Boyle m tho kO yards 'Varsity hurdles ohampipnsliip, feo that it would appear we hare four men at home papabK Pf boating; Um iv, l this/ event. Add to-'these the names of of Victoria, and-Colin P. Stewart,-.of tow South. Whlcv and tho highest plpcq 4veqacH...Mn occnpv v "amongst .Australian ■<■■■ ounrtqr-milo hurdlers is seventh; , ,He must be smiljiig quietly when ht thinks of his .first Australnsinn eliampionfhip. :•'■•'■..' ';•''.'■■ : ■■/■ .-., i -iii ; ; 1 The broqd jump is sti)l unfin}Shod,;tho\ißll •it is nlßHsing. to loft fii the fiial tri6. Ue r c, «t any ratp,, Iwflde |, oAii lay ! just "plAim to Winsr a chainpipu, anil. ■If the pist records' of .'this event, (the . bes( winning effort being that of P. J. Ertriish.nt Brisbane,-in 6\W-)< *>r? anJ th i"R f o .■go-'by, ; -.hjß clinnoe must po cowidprod-a c.ooij Dickson's win in tlio thro? mjicsj was cousidertd ftp absolute a certainty that y interest fett in'this was the'time ho was likely to cover the distant in. His performnnce 15 min. tlje (jxcpptiDji of. W r F; bimp- : souls rocord effort of llimii:«seo.' at , Auckland in 1901—the best time recorded in this championpoor time for Dlcksoii, and points to hie iiot being at all pressed, , Probivlily: h« wns taking, no':risks, .with his injurqd^pg,■ '■-. Jt is hlonsing to note , tho .victory of Unit .sterling nmnor and princ* pfgMd_6portomch ( d. A.- \Vhpatlfy, in. the tel}' yards flat. SmM Hnijcins's defectipn, this race as bting-'nafe in/the, keeping of - ( Whentloy, but, nine the l»s", heprty him,Of. that f»m»us euertet-Duffey, Shrnbb....Wid. mor,. and Whe»t!ey-rwho "picn cod'A Hirourt New ZpaUnd, five seasons ego, WW*H ft y''H'.fj'O oiilj iDnp whp went :»7f-w patryins wny ;U,m good opwipn pi fPditEmpn pre, and. no vin by (inyoue-New Zeiilnnder or ftl|pnvisp-at -flit mPetinß is more popular looa)ly than' t(i(vt p( the lengthy VlctbHan. -. ■/'■-. ■■■;■;•- To-day, , Kew Zealand will bo leoresentcd; Iβ

the following championships s-100 yards But, 120 yards bnrdlen, I mjje w" l *. "OM jump, and In nil these nur. representatives haw. ex ocllcnt chnnoee. On the ninwng in'.the UO ■ ynrda hurdles,-Keddoll'ehonld be a certainty, for tho 120 yiinlfl event, particularly as In can (at this distance) lay claim'to'-being : a ' ' ' champion. Tho broad jump,'loo. appears/Well,\:f within liifl grasp. Wobdfter's chancee in the j :■ ■ 100 yartln arc all the brighter after hie fine : running in the 220 yards event, and Bnrker'a '■'■ rather .poor (Ijfrplay. ,■ t, R. ''. 'Morgan j|. .- nproined . hie ankle recently'■.'in\ Mel- '■' ••■ bourne,■ rind is probably not competing i)t rill, •>' ■ no thht Woo(lp;or'e irrcnioat opposition will prob- ; ' ably come I'lotn Kills—a runner considered to : :' bo jtißt as good ae Morgan at this distance,. If ICcir ie.to.be benfnn it -will havo to bfl . in Hie ntllo walk, and M'Coombee, , while al< lowiii? him ft victory in the three mile,event, utalwl last week' that • he ■ Was confident that ' JTarloy would lower Wβ colourein the mile. , Well, tfl-nipht traeball nil be, lrjso'pn that " I score, but. In the meantime, Iverr meat remain my choice. . ' ■■■ ■ '"., .■ , ■ ■ '■• ;.. ~ Of the other ovents—those fa which tfa'e'Ttominion is not represented—the mile, at hnj rate, may bo looked upon as a cettainty fot Whofitley. ; A' week, ago it looked any, <>AA\ at all on Bark.or'ewinning . (lio 4jfl yards;' but, as he'showed.by Wβ rnnnine, on Wcdne»: day, that he is in by no means hie best form, , it is quite possible that Ellis'and ;Wheatlei . ■■ (if hie ran in the milo does not take too much ' out of him) may extend him to the utmost ■•■; Wheatley Iβ capable of slEeo.,and-Ellis beat Davis for the 440 yards , Vietorian champion- . : ship recently. ■ However, the: 440 yards i> Barker's beet distance. His wonderfnl.run of ; .■. 48Sse«. four years.ago in Bydney is etill froah r.. in the memory, and he'ehonld win^' ; , ■■•■ The high inmp should be 4 etirrifle dnel between the -elect qf Queensland and Ntw Ponth Wales. To haiat-d a gueee, Maher or Trawler .-.•', may supply the winner. Both field event* seem : at the mercy of Now South Wales.. ■'■' .: : /liter the hard racing of th« two preasdipg weeks the harriers'nm last Saturday (beta by ;, invitaMon). from the residence of Mr. W,; H. . Bennett was doubly welcome. The dirta-noe - ... ; oovererf was comparatively short, yet tho courao v'sa a (Jiffipuit- one, and, , for. the" first time foi , ■ la number of vfceks, mud was not the prevalt ; < I ing element. : ' r ;- ,; . ; * . ; .. : ; ; : * Thp rooster of rtmneva »W up to the, eea< 4 oon's average, which, by the way, is not up to'.-. ■ ; • tbo standard of last year,: After traces of tM • •.- run , had been removed, an adjournment wai made to the'capadons dinfngroom, where a ..•;:'-..'. bountifnr ißUpply of good fare was fonnd m ; have been'provided.bv Mrs. Bennett.""■■;.•' • Full juetfoeaJiving been rendered to tlue,.th« . . : , ! way was clear for a progTamnie:of musical items, 'to , which • the principal; pontnbntori were;the'Missee Bennett'v :'<.-5\"', ,... '■ v. :■ \.. A yqte of th.anksto the host and. hpstee ma . ; carried, and was followel with tjftrce oncerß by the pack; Thjs. is the sticoessive year in • whiph "and Mrs.. Bennett have entertained ■ niembere in this manner, and their hospitality is greatly appreciated by the harnere. It vrae mcntionedduVing the afternoon that Bennett intends (providing basiness will permit), to travel to Timaru 'with tho team, whica is competing in the cross-country ..champion. • 0 the douncil of the'NewZiaWn* Amateur Athletic an invitation run to the barriere from his readence^t, the foot . 'of' Slount Street;'...,'.,'' : ;,'.. jt_ ■ • Th« longest dWance club race yet br ; ; ; the Wellington Baniers will lie held next week over a. tensile course, at; Xower HuttA ■*•'.,.- StLrtnnbinsoiihM donated for fte ; "race, entries for:^hich : course will include"; two; laps of the Hutt Part Bacecoqrse, besidea.a big utretch of ■,- ■„■ the dtrectign,of the .\Valnui hills ; .;■ ; ., ; ;- -•. ■,