PAST OLYMPICS

Dominion, Volume 25, Issue 222, 15 June 1932, Page 11

PAST OLYMPICS

New Zealand’s Teams RECORD OF 24 YEARS Notable Performances Since the Olympic Games were revived in modern times, New Zealand has been represented at all the festivals except the first three, held at Athens, Paris, and St. Louis, in, 1896. 1900, and 1904, respectively. A ' record of the various teams sent overseas since Kerr and Murray attended the Games at London in 1908 has been prepared by Mr. H. Amos, of Wellington, chairman of the New Zealand Olympic and British Empire Games Association, who spoke on the subject yesterday at the official farewell luncheon to this year’s team. Kerr, of Wellington, was second in the second heat of the 10-mile walk at London in 1908, but was unable to start in the final owing to injured feet. H St. A. Murray, the Christchurch hurdler, did not distinguish himself. At Stockholm. in 1912, New Zealand was represented by G. N. Hill, the Auckland runner. and M. E. Champion, the Auckland swimmer. On that occasion and subsequently until New Zealand was recognised as a separate nation by the International Olympic Association in 1924, New Zealand and Australia competed together as Australasian athletes. Champion was a member of the Australasian team which won the 800 metre relay, breaking the world record. While In England, Champion won also the English long-distance championship and the King’s Cup for lifesaving. Of the four athletes who represented New Zealand at Antwerp in 1920, G. Davidson, the Auckland runner, was first in the second heat of the 200 metres, third in the semi-final, and fifth in the final; H. E. Wilson, the Wellington hurdler, was fourth in the final of the 110 hurdles; and Miss V. Waldron, the Auckland swimmer, was fifth in the 100 metres final and second in the second heat of the 300 metres. She also swam third in the English long-distance championship. 11. D’Arcy Hadfield, the Auckland oarsman, was the other member of the team. At Paris in 1924, Dr. A. E. Porritt, of Wanganui, was second in a semi-final of the 100 metres sprint and was third in the final. The Auckland boxer, G. Purdie, was unsuccessful at the Games, but won the lightweight championship at the Tailteann Games in Dublin. Miss Gwltha Shand, the Canterbury swimmer, did well in the preliminaries of the 100 metres and 100 metres free style events, but started in neither of the finals. At the Games in Dublin she won both the 200 metres and 400 metres free style races. Large Team for Amsterdam. New Zealand had its biggest team of all at the Games at Amsterdam in 1928. The athletes were S. A. Lay, the Hawera javelin thrower, AV. J. Kalaugher, the hurdler and Now’ Zealand Rhodes Scholar, and Miss N. Wilson, the Gisborne runner. Lay won the championship at the English A.A.A. championships at Stamford Bridge, breaking the existing English record, and Miss Wilson ran second in her heat of the 100 metres, third In the semi-final, and won the international scratch 100 at Stamford Bridge. The boxers were E. Morgan, welterweight, and A. J. Cleverley, cruiserweight, both of Wellington. Morgan won the welterweight championship of the world. At the Tailteann Games, Lay was second in the javelin throw and Cleverley reached the lightweight final. The 1928 team had four swimmers; D. P. Lindsay and L. Moorhouse, of Christchurch, Miss E. Stockley, of Auckland, and Miss K. Millar, of Dunedin. Miss Stockley qualified for the final in the 100 metres backstroke, but was unplaced. She and Miss Millar swam second in their heats in the 100 metres free style, but neither qualified for the semi-finals. At Dublin, Miss Millar won the 400 metre free style championship, and was third in the 200 metres free style. Miss Stockley was second in the 100 metres free style championship. DEBT TO AMERICA Visiting Athletes’ Tours SOME MEMORABLE RACES At a time when New Zealand is sending the pick of its athletes to the Olympic Games, which are being held this year in Los Angeles, it is appropriate to recall the visits which have been paid to the Dominion in past years by leading American athletes. New Zealand is heavily indebted to the United States athletes who have made trips to this country, not only on account of their splendid performances, bitt because in all cases they have gone out of their way to teach Dominion athletes the latest developments in track and field training and competition. The first of the Americans to visit New Zealand was the champion sprinter, Artlinr_Duffy, who came to this country in 1905. when he was associated with Slinibb, the famous English distance runner, whose performances were comparable with those of Paavo Nurmi. In 1913-14.' Parker, the sprinter. Caughey, the field champion. Power, the middledistance runner, and Templeton, the hurdler and jumper, paid a visit to the Dominion with their manager. Mr. Peixotto.

One of the most memorable visits of all was that paid in 1923 by Kirksey, the sprinter, Merchant, the field-events man, and Krogness. the hurdler and jumper. Krogness is a sou of Mr. C. G. Krogness, the linson officer for this year’s New Zealand team nt Los Angeles. In order Io meet Kirksey, “Slip” Carr, the Australian sprint champion, came over from Australia. and the pair were responsible for the most thrilling finish ever seen in the 100 yards iu Wellington.

In 1926, Lloyd Haim, the half-mile and mile runner, who had an historic contest with Randolph Rose, and Jackson Scholz, the first-class sprinter, toured New Zealand. Three years later Leo Lermond. the half-mile and mile runner, who will be a competitor at the Los Angeles games, was in this country at the same time as the renowned German halfmiler. Dr. Otto Feltzer. George Golding, crack New South Wales quarter-miler, came over to New Zealand nt the same ti me.

The lour last year of George Simpson, famous sprinter, Rufus Kiser, half-mile ami mile runner, and Harlow Rothert, brilliant- all-round athlete, is still fresh in the memory of those who were present, at either of the two special meetings al Athletic Park, Wellington. The wonderful Australian sprinter. James Carlton, came over for two special contests with the speedy Ohioan, ami succeeded in defeating him in both events.