ATHLETIC SPORTS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1939, 23 December 1913, Page 8

ATHLETIC SPORTS.

THE AMERICAN ATHLETES BOXING DAY CAIiXn U The. team of American athletes '-who have been oil tour in the'South'.lsland-, return to Wellington this morning 'to put the final polish on their, preparation for tho hi" two-days' carnival 1 at the Athletic Park on. Boxing Day and. December 27. They will be aecompan-. ied by G. I'. Keddell, the 'Australasian champion hurdler and record-holder; whose defeats of iho redoubtable Tenjpletoii in the South Island stamp him as one of the great hurdlers of the day. On the occasions upon which they have met so far tlio race has bewi over the conventional 120 yards, but at tho Wellington meeting a touch of. variety is being provided in that a 76 yards raco over six hurdles has been included as well. This is a popular event in America, where low hurdles are used for this distance, and Templeton holds the world's record of nine seconds dead.

Additional interest is imparted to tho sprint events by the fact that on Saturday L. J. Mark, who is a certain starter, won tho 100 yards provincial championship of Auckland for the third successive year. His t-imo ivas 10 1-5 seconds, so ho may bo relied upon to extend G. Parker, the Califnruian sprinter, to the utmost. In these events Ashley' Duncan, New Zealand sprint champion, and E. Saunders, of Southland, are also competing, so exciting racing over the shorter distances should be provided.

The field events will be enlivened by the presence of W. J. M'Holtn, holder of the Australasian record for hammer throwing, who will bo opposed to R. Caughcy, whose feat of breaking tho New Zealand record in .the shot-putting event at Dunedin, on Saturday, shows that he is rapidly approaching his home form. ~ .

Touches of variety will bo provided by the exhibitions of discus and javelin throwing, which will be given by the visitors, and as tho arrangements for the meeting are now complete in every detail, it remains only for favourable weather to make the carnival a most noteworthy one in the history of New Zealand athletics. As intimated ill our advertising columns tho first event is timed for 2 o'clock sharp.