ATHLETICS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2109, 28 March 1914, Page 12

ATHLETICS.

[Bt "M*ucufii."3

DOES HANDICAPPINC HURT?

To-day.-—Victoria Cclicgo Championships, Kelbttfne I'arl;. Easter, Monday.—University .Championships. Champions Wade to Toa the Mark. Sonic thing in the nature of a sensation Was created in athletic circles in the Uwiied States recently. The flutter arose froni a race at New York between the two Olympic representatives, Hans Kohlem&iiien, the l 1 inn, and Abel Kiviat, tho American milcr. It was scheduled as a joint-attack on the World's two*mik; record. _ The event naturally created great interest, ami, owing to the calibre of the two runners, it was expected that tfc figures woulu be given ft severe shake./ even if they were not put out of the hook altogether. lvohlemainen represented Finland at the last Olympic Games, and gained a triplo victory, annexing tho 5000 and 10,000-metJe flat events, and the cress country. Kiviat ran second to tho Englishman, A. S. N. Jackson* in the 1500 metres at the same big meeting. So it will be understood that* the meetin,g of the two in « match race was a big thingThe result, however, fell very far short of expectations, as far as tho record woftt, although the race was cJose enough. It resulted ia a. dead-heat, , notwithstanding which the time takon

was, nearly a minute short of a record. The result was that tho Amateur L'mon stepped in, and suspended the runners on n charge of not trying, awt t.!ie two clianijiious were "carpeted" before a commission of inquiry, The attempt to disciplino theift, liowv over, was not successful. Bath men brought forward pleas of physical v.nfitaess, ansl eventually were exonerated. The convtaisskm then shifted the blame on to the body controlling tho sports meeting, wliicli was a military affair, and issued tho following statement; — "The committee has decided that owing to the evidence presented by tii» principals, referee> judges, and others present at this meeting, the suspension of Iviviat and Kolijeliiaineft be lifted, In the op;nion of tho registration committee, the i games committee of the Fourth : Company, Thirteenth Regiment, ! knowing of the physical condition of the men, is entirely at fault in not declaring tho race off or notify- ' ing the members of the registration' committee who were present of tho conditions as tlioy existed." This points a good moral. It shows that if star turns in tho shape of record-breaking attempts are hung .up as a lure to. tlie public in America, the pdwers that be are en the alert to see Hi ah "the goods are delivered." That is as. it should be for, in protecting the public, the Amateur Union is protecting the interests of the spo.rt, which is what it is there for.

Mr, Pafxotto's Handicap Theory, It will be remembered that, before leaving for home, Mr. E. M. Pcixotto end Ins team were emphatic iji their indictment of the. -system of handicapping which -is so prominent a part of Australasian athletic sport. They made no secret of their surprise at the prevalence of handicapping at our meetings, and expressed the opinion that their own system of conducting all events oft level terms was one el tho causes of the undoubted pro-eminenco of the American athiete. It is l-aUier curious in the face <?f this to lead in a reccnt letter from the late Mir. W. to the "lleferoo 1 ' tho following accounts of various sports meetings held in the Stales this year, lie writes: —

"The newly-organised Irish-American At i-loiic Association of Boston had its initial Sne'et, in Meehftwes 1 Pavilion, Boston, oil t'no night of January 31. The meet, was nut remarkable for fast performances. Osuar lledlund, of tl.lo Boston A.A., was placed -eti scratc.ll' i;n tiic mile, but even at that lie won by eight, yards from Blackmail, who started from the s&yds. mark* Th# time, was 4mm 30 4-ss.ee. There wore nine starters in the three, miles handicap, which was wnn by Harry J. Smith) of New York, flic lane scratch mail. Fred- L. Cock, who came second, started from the I'lSyii. mark. The tiaio was 15 mln. 19 -1-asec. "The Coast Artillery Corps had its annua! games in Boston on January 23, the meet being notable principally for the fact that Hedlund and fialpin competed. It is sakl that lledlund would havo won the. mile handicau if it had ' not been that he was knocked cut of' , his stride wing to the way the crowd encroached oa the turns in the track. Ha hisct taken the lead iii the eighth lap' when the interference caused. him _to stuiiihle-. Before 110 could pull himself together he, was passed ijy several i'llnners, but even at that he finished second. The winner, Robert Green, of Hie 8.A.A., started from the 20yds. mark, and the time made was -Imin. 48 3 asec.

''Although seven had entered in the I ■6.ooyds. special for the _ Psaff trophy, i the pfosenee of Tom "Halpin scared them ] all out, with the exception of l'\ W. < Capper, of Harvard. As may be ex-, j pected, it wasn't much of a race. Balpiii took the lead, and Capper trailed i along five foot behind. bearing the i finish Haipih opened up a gap of 10ft.. < and won. slowing ftp, in lmin. 19 i I-sscc." Theory Exploded, From these and Other extracts it is apparent that, although htmdieappit:g is. seemingly unknown oil tiio Pacific Slope, whencc Mr. I'oixotto hails, it is quite ait established thing in the Eastera States. The point involved is (hat this fact mast discount t}i» theory that scratch racing is the one and Only • way of developing champions. Quito as many of the great American runners and feld event men Ivavo coiiio from the East, as like youttg Lcchinvar, "come out of the West." Moreover, it is significant that, in the only scratch face mentioned by Mr. Nireglvtoi.i, the presence of Champion ■ Tom Halpin ''scored them all out" but <me- other starter from an entry of seven. What Mr. Coonibos Thinks* White on this handicap question it is interesting to note that Jfr, R. Combes, ni an artielo on the lessons to ho learnt from tho American tour, gives espres.si.on to an' opinio* eft the subject. He says:— "By thft way, much, stress has been laid on what Manager Peixotto and the members of lus team haw? said against handicaps. I cannot altogether see eye to eye with our ' visitors in this respect, With regard to handicaps, 1 will admit there are faults in. the system, such, for example, as the encouragement they give to men 1 to compete in events for which they arc wholly uiisuitfid. Take 1 as ari instance. 11l haticliftaps iii and 1 around Sydney we find youths phUM-mg [ for the handicaps of slight physique, > . and with dtreotetely no capacity for the propulsion of the Weight. One sees putts of little better than 20ft. or so, and handicaps ranging up to 15ft,, or E more. The thing is really farcical,t and no Rood purpose is served—in case.? ; and at ttines almost the reverse. The abolition of handicaps would at- OiWe ! end this state of affairs. On tiro ? other hand, our handicap system Ims j not retarded the iutvaiico of Austvftlians i as sprinters. Men like the mighty ' champions we have produced in the pro-' e fessional wotM—Donaldson, as an example—arc tho product of handicaps. And if the results of_ handicaps were. ' closely examined in this Siate, 1 fancy

wo would find tho back-markers Won] Just as often as tho ©idvUft-niark or tho j long-start brigade." ! For purposss 0J Rcferenco, For tho bmicfit of those ent-bttsiasf.s. who keep note of records, tho alterations in ami additions fea Australasian figures resulting from #>© rCoeiit Ame* riean tour are appended. They si'O as fol}o«r:— 120yds.—Old' record, 12sec., by S. B. Rowley; now reaotd, 11 4-ssec., by G. L. I'arkef, Mile —'Old record, Imtfl. 22sec., by A. A. Shrubb; now record, 4nun. 18 2-5 ■ sec., by J, A. Power. Polo "Vault—Old record, lift. Uin., :by 1.,. M, M'Kay; new record, lift. 6ii.ii,, by R. 11. Teinpleton. I'urtirg < 21b. Shot—New record, 49 ft. lO'iin., by E, R. Caygltey. Putting 1-Glb. record, 44ft. 3in., by \V. J. o : HeiSl.v; now record, 44ft. 10m., by E. R. Caughey.

7%'ds. Hurdles (6 flights, 3ft. Gin.) .-*-New record, 10 3-sscc., by 8,. ft. Tempji'toii. Throwing the Javelin—New record, 136 ft., by E, It. Caughey. Three-quarter Mile -Xew record, 3 rain, 17 2-Bsec., by J, A, Power.

The Advance of tho Swedes, 1 London "Sporting Life'', publishes aft I interesting review of tho year's work ia athletics, ia tho course of Which appears the following as indicative of tho progress thai eau bo mndo in a nation's athletics as the. result' of systemised coaching. "Athlctics is bounding ahead in Sweden. Tho advance fiiaa.e. sine© 1911, when the London Athletic Club's team cleaned up their antagonists in their Swedish tour, is really remarkable. The feature of Swedish athletics to-day is that while there are men almost, if not quite, tip .to Olympic class, _ there aire also a of others improving as the months go on, aud forcing tho leaders to the limit.

''in the public schools' championships at Stockholm tho ijjgh jump was. won at Oft. Qjiu., long jump Sift, OJin., polo jump 10ft, lOin., hop, step, and jump 44fi. > 2;n., discus threw 123f't« lljin-i and javelin throw 171 ft. 7Jin., A few days Liter the schoolboy javelin champion threw 184 ft 7Ji:n. with right hand and 151 ft. I'm, with left hand, beating •i world's record-holder Eric Letuming, 'in the aggregate • throw, Tho track performances were distinctly promising -- 52 4-osec. for4QQmetre.sT.as tho best of the batch. •

''There is r.ot quite that opportunity far improving lads' performances iu. Were running that exists,- and has undoubtedly been taken advantage of by Sweden's coaches, in respect of field events. •In sending teams to cumpeto in London. in Germany, Finland, and elsewhere, Sweden ha? chdeavoffred to acquaint her athlotes with the methods and tactics of acknowledged chain-' pioiis." St, Patriot's Day Sports. The following loiter, which is self- : explanatory _ arrived during tho week, ■ and is published with regrets that the writer should hay® .inadvertently given the credit for the. enterprise displayed in working up the Ilutt meeting to the wrong people:— "Dear '.Mercury,'—l wish to draw your attention to an error in your notes ill Tun Dominion- last Saturday. It was Stated that the. sports meeting held on St. Patrick's Day, at Lower Huit, was held under the auspices of i-he . Ilutt Amateur Athletic Club. this was not the case, the meeting in question being held by tho Hibernian ' Society,—l am, etc., & J. Dingle, iion. ' secretary."