ATHLETES AT HOME.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1194, 1 August 1911, Page 7

ATHLETES AT HOME.

OPIF.'S FINE SPRINTING. The English correspondent of the Sydney "lMeree" refers'fo the performances of the Austr.ila.Man .athletes nt tlleOrewo snortg meeting prior to the. Festival of Lmnire sport.s. Tho Crewe jrround (fays the <vrit«r) is well appointed, the shurl sprint racfts lioiu? run on grass, and the longer events on a, first-class rinder traek. Xew Zealand champion Ronald Opie, who**- lc was about richt asain af!er a week's al> sence from the track, turned out for his heat of the handicap. He. msetlier with the Knplish crack, V. IT. A. D'Arcy. was on virtual scratch, viz., llyl- Each ran second in his heat. bearen inches, in 12 l-,*>se<?. F. P. Brown (Vic), Slyds.. was unplaced in aunther heat. Then came the hn.lf-mile handicap, and in this G. A. Wheatloy (Vic.) started in his heat from the actual srrote.h mark. The. Australasian "half" and mile chumpion finished fourth, nmnijig the full distance in imin. flat, lieing right on lop of the placed men. In the second heat J. M. Lynch (New South Wales). 42yds!, was a starter, but he stopped in" the straight, the pace beins too fast for him. Eonaid Opie had tae choice of run-

nin-: in thn WOyds. and nnflyrj.-. scratch races, nnrl elrctrd In pn for the IDflydx li.y for Iho harder r.icp tn win. In hi? heal he line! | n meet Victor J) 'A rev, nnrl nlfo W. Murphy, Ihe Irish Jflllyds. anil : .. champion. The ChriVu-hurch boy (ml poinK like » flartlwl rtair. anil bra I D'Arry hy inf-hrn in 10 l-.Y-eo. In Hip MTfliid lisa I \\". Alliin Slowarl. of J.a(rohf, North Tasmania, von in a canter in 10 l!-.Voi\ Stewart, who is a r-ludcnt at (hn London II has been attached tn (ho Aii.-tralaf.ian ti-am. lie is a very quick bojrinr.pr. but. fails al the worsted mil. M) far. In the final Stewarf was leading liy a yard aI. -ill yard?, but. Opie went at him namely, ami, fairly divine aI. tin- tape, won by i-ome four or h'vfl inches in ID 1-."is'jc. D'Arry was about a. font away third. It was a. fine run by Opie.' all thin;;=. considered. The Now Zenlnndcr thus annexed a Kl-Riiinea gold stopwatch at the first lime of asking in England. Hid ho liu-ned out for Iho 300, v(!«. event ho would assuredly have captured another 111-guinea trophy, but, fearing his leg might ro again, he looked on.

After the sports the Australasian and other visiting contingents were entertained at supper by Hr. C. J. Bowen Cookr, president of the club. Later on Mr. Hon. Secretary Abraham acted fho host at a. social function at his house, and a most pleasant evening was spent. By the way, ilr. Abraham recalled the fact'that amongst the many famous teams to visit Cvcwo in the past was that in 1592, led by Air. L. A. Cuff, and which included ,T. H. Hempton, D. and P. Wood, Harold Batger, and other crack New Zealanders of a past era. On the Sunday Mr. Abraham and members of the committee took the Australasian visitors for a 20 miles' drive, amongst other places visited being Nantwich, with, its famous old church. Subsequently the visitors were entertained at a champagne lnnch, and then escorted to the railway station. The. visit to Crowe will long linger in the memories of the Australasia contingent.