N.Z. ATHLETES

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 124, 19 February 1938, Page 14

N.Z. ATHLETES

Performances At Empire

Games LIST OF RECORDS Marked Improvement In Standard (By Spike.) The Empire Games have demonstrated the improvement modern methods have wrought in the standard of athletics. Sixteen men's athletic records were broken, six women’s records were broken and one women’s record equalled. In nearly every case the record was broken by a substantial margin. Only one women’s record remained intact, the 660 yards relay, and only three 'men’s, the pavelin, shot, and hop, step and jump. Athletics is no longer a pastime but an exact science, a matter of study of training methods and action methods, and suecess is a hard taskmaster. Technique has improved out of sight. The incentive to break a record is provided in the existing figures; but the ability to break it is another matter. Ever improving technique is the key. Hence the rise of fulltime coaches with up-to-date (theoretical knowledge as well as practical experience at their command. For the athlete the mastery of technique is a long-drawn and often disheartening process, especially in the case of the more difficult events. Coaches say that to become a first-class pole-vaulter an athlete must train winter and summer for four or five years. Here is the long list of athletic records created at the 1938 games, The previous figures are given in parentheses:— 100yds.: 9.75ec.. C. B. Holmes, England. (9.95ec., P. Williams, Canada. 1930.)

220yds.: 21.25ec., C. B. Holmes. (21.8 sec.. S. E. Englehart, England. 1930.)

440yds.: 47.95ec., W. Roberts, England. (486ec., G. L. Rampling, England. 1934.) ' BSoyds.: Imin.-Sljsec., V. P. Boot, New Zealand. (Imin. 52.45ec., T. Hampson. England. 1930.) Mile: imin. ll.Csec.. J. W. Alford, Wales. (4.12.45ec., J. E. Lovelock. New Zealand, 1934.) Three miles: 13min. 59.65ee.. C. H. Matthews, New Zealand. (14min. 27.4 sec. S. A. Tomin, England, 1934.)

Six miles: 30min. 14.55ec., C. H. 'Matthews. (30min. 49.65ee., J. W. Savidan, New Zealand, 1930.) Marathon : 2hr. 30min. 49.85ec., Coleman. South Africa. (2hr. 40min. 36sec., H. Webster, Canada. 1934.)

120yds. hurdles: 14sec., T. P. Lavery, South Africa. (14.65ec.,‘ Lord Burghley, England, 1930.) 440yds. hurdles: 52.95ec„ J. Louring, Canada. (54.45ec., Lord Burghley, 1930.)

High jump; 6ft. s}in., E. T. Thacker, South Africa. (6ft. 3in., J. H. Viljoer. South Africa. 1930. nnd Thacker, 1934.) Broad jump: 24ft. 4Jin„ H. Brown, Canada. (23ft. 71in., L. Hutton, Canada. 1930.) Pole vault: 13ft. ssin„ Du Plessis. South Africa. f!2ft. 6in., S. A'pps, Canada. 1934.)

Discus throw: 146 ft. 10 l-Bin„ ,Coy, Canada. (136 ft. 3in., S. Hart South Africa, 1934.) Hammer throw: 159 ft. 9 7-Bin., Sutherland, Canada. (15SCt. ■ SJin., M. C. Nokes. England, 1934.) 440yds. relay : 41.65ec.. Canada. (42 l-ssec., Canada, 1930; England, 1934.) Women’s Records. 100yds.: ll.lsec.. D. Norman. Australia. (11 3-ssec., E. Hiseock, England, 1934.) 220yds.: 24.55ec., D. Norman, Australia. (25sec.. E. Hiseock, England, 1934.) 80 metres hurdles: 11.75ec., R. Burke, South Africa. (ll.Ssec., M. Clark, South Africa. 1934.) Javelin: 125 ft. 7Jin.. R. Higgins, Cannada. (105 ft. 7iin., G. Lunn, England, 1934.) Broad jump: 19ft. Oiin.,'D. Norman. Australia. (17ft. lljin., P. Bartholomew. England. 1934.) 440yds. relay: 49.15ec., Australia. (49.45e<-., England. 1934.) New Zealand Standard.

The magnificent achievements of Matthews and Boot and the minor successes of some other members of the team should not blind us to the fact that. New Zealand has a long way to go yet in athletics. With those two absent New Zealand would have played a very insignificant part indeed, and the time has come for a concentrated effort toward improvement in standard, with the employment of a first-class coach such as the one we have in the country now as the first step. The performances of Matthews and Boot need no embellishment —they speak for themselves. Matthews effectively answered those who criticised his failure to cover himself with glory at the Berlin Olympics. Nine seconds from a world record over three miles is not too much for a young man to pick up. Under expert guidance he can hope to beat yet the amazing figures put up by L. Lehtinen, Finland. in 1932 —13min. 50.6 sec. After his 14min. 7sec. run at Wellington on December 11, Matthews was described by Mr. A. Fitch as the world’s greatest distance man, an opinion which all New Zealanders hope will be borne out. In the half-mile Boot gave the lie to the oft-expressed view that he is a poor tactician. He could not have run a betterjudged race. Nor did the outcome of the mile event support that criticism, for the pace of the first lap, 58 4-5, would have upset the most brilliant runner’s calculations. The only criticism is that Boot, realising the strain of such a lap followed by fast second and third laps, might, have put forth extra effort in order to stay close to the leaders, Alford, Wales, Rankine, Canada, and Backhouse, Australia. ■ Even then there would have been no guarantee of his finishing first. For a man whose event is the half-mile to finish third to a 4min. ll.feec. miler was no mean achievement. Appreciation of Grass Track.

The competitors’ appreciation of the tracks at the Sydney Cricket Ground throws light on the respective merits of grass and cinder tracks. “The fastest tracks I have ever run on,” said the sprint champion, C. B. Holmes, of England, and C. 11. Matthews echoed the remark. "I don’t see how you could get anything faster,” said Matthews. “Do you know, my spikes were as elean as a hound’s tooth when I finished. There’s a ton of pace in that grass.’’ After his Australian record of Iniiu. 54.55ec. in <s heat, it was disappointing that Allen was only fifth in the final of the half-mile. In the mile the pace was apparently beyond him. and the same applies to Pullar, who failed to approach his 1937 championship form. The three miles is not Geddes’ race, but in the gruelling six miles he ran well up to form to finish fourth. Quinn arid Sayers in the sprints, and Anderson and Sharpley in the hurdles, were outclassed, though the latter comes home with a 220 yards hurdles Australian record of 24.75ec., made in an invitation race. In the final of the 120 yards Empire Games event, he started badly, but the strength of the opposition of Lavery. South Africa. O’Connor, Canada, .and Stenner, Australia, is shown by the winner’s world's record of 14sec. Forrest Towns, the American, was credited with 13 4-s.«ec. for this event in Stockholm in 1930. shortly after he had won the s'print hurdles at the Olympic Games, but the official record recognised is 14 1-ssee.. done by P. Beard, of America, and Ralph Moore, also of the United States. The Javelin Throw.

S. Lay, who secured a second for New Zealand in the javelin throw* i§ .capable of better than 204 ft. liin. The adoption of more modern methods would improve his work, for he has wonderful natural ability. In the discus throw Morgan’s well-known nervousness was apparently his undoing, but here again the opposition was powerful. J. G. Leckie did well to secure third place with the hammer, though his best New Zealand effort would have given him a second. Mi.ss R. Tong, with a third in the 80 metres hurdles, and Miss B. Forbes,

’third in the high jump, were the most successful of the women. Miss Tong’s performance was creditable because she was more used to the 80 and 90 yards distance than the 80 metres, and also because the winner’s time at the Games was exceptionally fast, 11.7 sec. Miss Forbes was well up to her New Zealand form, and on actual height was second equal, an inch below the winner’s Games record of sft. 3in. Mis? Strachan was outclassed in the broad jump, and with Miss Lumley had indifferent success in the sprints. Miss Norman, the Australian ‘winner of the broad jump, as well as both sprints, was only 7 1-8 inches short of a world record with her leap of 19ft. ojin.. and Miss Ruby, of England, jumped 18ft. 6fin., so that Miss Munro, of Auckland, on her best. New Zealand form, would have secured only third place.