TRACK AND FIELD

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 37, 12 February 1926, Page 7

TRACK AND FIELD

AMERICAN ATHLETES

PREVIOUS VISITS RECALLED

MANY NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS.

(By "Cadueeus.")

Twenty-one years have elapsed since the first visit of an American athlete to New Zealand at the invitation of the N.Z.A.A.A. Early in. 1905 the greatest sprinter and the greatest distance runner in the world —Arthur F. Duffey, of Georgetown University, America, and Alfred Bhrubb, the English .champion—came out to Australia and New Zealand. Duffey was then just past his best, and in the preceding July had suffered defeat in the English 100 yds championship. But he was still a great runner, and the holder of the world's record for the 100 yds., 9 3-ssec. AN EARLY INCIDENT. Dnffey, along with Shrubb and the Australian cracks, Widmer and Wheatley, made his appearance at the Athletic Park on 25th March, 1905, and it was a notable appearance from, more aspects than one. Duffey waa renowned as a miracle of quickness out of the holes; the question was always keenly debated as to whether or not he had the, knack of just sufficiently anticipating the gun to give a starter no real cause to bring him back. The answer probably was that he had been accustomed to a system of starting in which the "set" and the "gun" came almost simultaneously. Be that as it may, he struck a "Tartar" in the veteran starter, Mr. George Watson, whose long, lingering "set" was drawn out longer than usual'that day. He had determined that Duffey woold not beat him. Three times Duffey broke in the 75yds handicap, and, as was his custom, ran easily through the full distance. After the third break Mr. Watson ordered him off. A. hurried meeting of officials, and Duffey was put back into the race. Mr. Watson refused to start him. Another official took the gun. Duffey beat him by any- , thing up to three yards, and won in 7 l-ssec—a world's record, which was never claimed. Duffey ran third in the hundred the same afternoon to T. E. T. Seddon (now MJV for Westtand), who had a start of 7yds, in 9 4-s*ec DTJFFET v. GOODBEHEBE. Most interest, however, centred in the 50yd? invitation handicap, which was put on the programme to bring together Daffey and one of the greatest boy runr.ers in the wprld—the late Brian Goodbehere, of Wellington College. Fifteen months before, Goodbehere, at the Wellington College sports, had, among, other performances, run, as a boy of fifteen, 100 yds in 10 3-6 see and 120 yds hnrdles (3ft) in 16 1-Ssee. In intereollege events no other boy could get within 10yds of him at the hundred. Earlier in the afternoon of the Shrubb-Duffey meeting he had run 100 yards ,in 10 l-ssee, and: 120 yds in 12 l-ssee (he had turned seventeen a fortnight earlier). In the invitation race Duffey was on scratch, Widmer, George Smith, and T. Stubbj had lyd, and Goodbehere had 2}yds. With the exception of Goodbehere, all the competitors broke once. At the gun, Duffey was out with his usual rapidity, and caught Goodbehere' at. 40yds, but the boy hung on and won by inches amidst great enthusiasm in 5 l-ssee. ■

Duffey was a great sprinting specialist. Only once' in his long career did he run as far as 220 yds. In general he never ran more Khan 120v<ls. In height he stood only sft 7in, and generally was chubby in build, and yet when running' at top he had a 9ft stride. His was by far the most highly cultivated action of any sprinter ever seen here. He seemed to bound rather than run, and all his training was directed to cultivating this bound. The nearest approach to his action we have since seen here was that of George Davidson, who was altogether different in build. ■ THE 1913-14 TBAM. '' The next appearance of American runners was in the 1913-14 season, when G. L. Parker (100 yds, 220 yds, 440 yds), J. A. Power (860 yds, one mile), B. B. Templeton (bardies, high jump, broad' jump, pole vault, javelin throw), and E. R. Caughey (hammer, shot, discus, and javelin) came, out under the managership of Major E. Peixotto. It was a young team, Power being the only member to have ran in open championship* before leaving America. They landed im Wellington, and made a preliminary appearance at Waikanae on 11th December, 1913, where Caughey broke the Hew Zealand record for the shot, Parker showed himself to be a fine sprinter, Templeton a most accomplished all-round athlete, and Power a sick man. The last-named fell exhausted on the track in a mil* race, run in very slow time. And yet just before leaving he had won a mile in San Francisco in 4min 23see! TIDE OF MXSFOBTDXE. After the picnic outing at Waikaaae, the team went South, and then returned for a two-day meeting at the Athletic Park on 26th and 27th December. Parker was in great form, winning on the first day a hundred yards, against the wind in 10 l-ssee' and a 220 yd» in 21aec There was great excitement over this latter event, until a careful measurement disclosed that hk lane was Byds 2in short of the furlong —a mistake* made by the surveyor who laid oat the track. On the second day Parker won a 120 yds handicap in the record time of 11 *-6see (with a favouring wind), but, to add to the general woe over Power, be broke down just before breaking the tape, actually limping over the line. Hia breakdown was dne to over-racing on the Southern tour. At first it was feared he was finished for the tear, but he was soon fit to ran again: Oanghey won the shot pott each day with putta of 44ft 3in and 43ft lin. Templeton, also unwell, hurdled fairry and jumped fairly but Power was easily beaten in a mile won by 8. Hall (nowadays a prominent member of the centre) from 85yds in 4min 41 2-siec Altogether prospect* looked black, and much sympathy was felt both for the N.Z.A.AJL and the Americans. The troubles from which Templeton and Parker were suffering were due to overwork, and Power's inability to strike form waa recognised as a matter of difficulty in ' acclimatised. Still, he was cheerful, and expressed the hope that while in New Zealand he would equal his best time, for a mile (4min 18 2-ssee), and perhaps excel it. We smiled, bat events upheld his optimism. MARTTTO MPBOVEMENT. | Brighter times were in store. A few days later (on New TeaHs Day, 1914 V at Macterton, Power electrified everyone by mrsbig a britßaat half-mile k lmin 58 l-feee, equalling tfce then New Zealand record, and Templeton cleared sft lljin in the high jup and lift 2 2-16' mln the pole vanH. then the Americans went on to Aaekland, and over to the Australasian championships at Melbourne, Parker winning the hundred, furlong, and quarter, Power the mile, Templeton the pole Taa.lt (estabof U£t iißj^ aad Ckaxhey the At 4 P»*t» ' ' .'•,." I; L Thexvwtßaga teWMßßgtoit taHsar

pear at the Basin Eeserre on 28th February, 1914. Power won the mile easily in 4min 28 2-ssec. Caughey per- ' formed as nsnal with the shot, anj though Parker was off colour, Temple- ■ , ton was in brilliant form, winning the] 120 yds hnrdles in 16see, clearing sft lOin in the high jump, and just failing at lift Sin in pole vault. On the following Thursday at Masterton, Powe^ made his December hope a fact, winning a mile in 4min 18 2-ssec—the present Australasian record—and Parked : pat np a fresh New Zealand record byj , running the quarter in 49 l-ssec. The.' latter record also remains unbeaten. i THE MODERN ERA. 1 This team marked the beginning ofl the modern era in Dominion athletics, The men were all young. Parker was; unknown to us when he was tubstiuied at the last minute for Bosenburger^ „' who was originally selected. He landed in New Zealand a better runna! than when he left America, and thai trip so agreed with him that in the following' October he equalled B. J # : Wefer 'a long-standing record of 21 1-Jf see for the furlong. A big man ovesj 6ft and weighing 13st, he was not. 4 pretty runner, but he had and gavej. the impression of immense power, Canghey, the shot putter, was onljj eighteen years old, but a man off strength. He weighed 'over . 14st, though standing only sft 7in. He could . . for'all his weight run a very fast fifty; to seventy-five yards race. Templates was of a beautiful build and showed extreme grace in all his moveoMnta. I» : all field events he snowed a high de- . gree of skill, and in the jnmpiag event* : he displayed the very latest methods. • He and Caughey introduced the diaeas ■ and javelin into New Zealand. P»m% „.' action was laboured to an esteems, bat , it was effective when' he gtrnek form. .-.;, His courage under iTili«wlwiiii|t ditteulties made him very popular. A lot : •■' has been said at one time, and saotaer of the pampering of America* stVfftn. Hear, then, the ease of Power, He wasj -„',■: a structural ironworker in Boston. Haj :, walked to work every morning, laboured from 8 ajn. to 5 pja. He then walked from his work some tiro or three miles to the training ground of his club; did his training, and* walked - some more miles to his home in a die- : tant suburb, newer having his •vsniaaj ' meal during tin ramnag eeasoa before , 8.30 o'clock. THE 1922-23 TOTJS, '"■ The visit of Kirkeey, Krogßess, an? ~'\ Merchant in the 1923-21 nun is to* recent and the steamy of their great,', performances too fresh to warrant ex> tended reference here. Kirksey^s wo». derful recovery of his beet form caW . minating in his two great via* sgalnsf Carr in the New Zealand eaaapkmships, the great hurdling of Kngneesj . the ndraculou mastery of the hammer displayed by Merchant aad Us wonderful all-nmad ability, and the readiness of all three to impart to tDsrinaM aU they know of their varies* braaebe* of athletics, aaroed them fri«adWupa and admiration that are still ver* much alive to-day. Merchant, in partieoiar, was an encyclopaedia of atkletic accomplishment. Hammer throw, shot pat, discus and javelin throw, as* ' broad jump, he excelled in all. But the moat remarkable instance, of. am ability was given in the presence wt the writer and two or three others oatf '' afternoon .while he was training at the - Athletic Park, Krognese had bear; high jumping, aad when he went away*, leaving the bar at sft Sin, Merchant happening along cleared it A eon- ' venation was started on high-jumping styles. Merchant there aad thest ifJas* v. trated the varying styles of six praam*. , ent American jumpers, each time elee** ing the bar at the sft sia, Aad in addition he could sprint with the beet, t saw him at Masterton give W. Gaady; (a New Zealand .'■ champion quarter miler)' 3yds start in a relay lap of 110 yds and beat him by the same mar- .': gin. At the British Empire v. Fnited States meeting after the Olmpia GaiMta' of, 1920, Merchant, with the advantage of the inside running on a curved track, nearly beat George Davidson is] ' a hundred-yard stretch of a relay M' which they both started off togethez; WHAT OF SOHOLB AMD HASH? How do the Americana of past vistta* compare with Schbls and Hahn? Ths? latter is undoabtedly a bettor miler than Power. 'As to : Sehoht, rnmpuce; with Duffey, Parker, aad Eirkaey, af : we saw themf At the furlong there V' can be bat one answei Oeaots. At tmt| ■ hundred, well, given Eirkaey in hi* form on the day he beat Can in-9 44, sec on a dead track, there would be nothing much in it either way. After all, it is difficult to imagine anyone much better at 100 yds than Kidney, between whom and Paddock, when the latter: was breaking all those records, there; wa* a difference of no more that/ inches.