ATHLETICS

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 48, 26 February 1927, Page 22

ATHLETICS

By * Sprinter.* OLYMPIC CLUB LAST SATURDAY'S MEETING BRADY'S NOTABLE JUMP The attendance at the Olympic Amateur Athletic Club's sports meeting at Athletic Park on Saturday afternoon should have been greater and, no doubt, the more fact of it being only a club meeting did not. strike an appealing note to quite a number. The Welling- ' ton public has been provided with some I big meetings, and this season it has beI come more or less accustomed to seeing the "star" performers in action. There have been visitors from other pajrts at a number of the meetings, and it appears now that the public, before it will attend, must, be guaranteed a novel event or two, and also that among the competitors will be included the champions. This position makes it somewhat difficult for a club which is desirous of improving its finances out of an afternoon gathering. The Olympic Club drew up aii attractive programme of events, and it is certain that many more would have attended'had they known that this club meeting would provide some of the best performances in, Wellington this season. Certainly a number of the champions were non-starters, but there were achievements during the afternoon that compensated to a large extent for their absence. Great High Jump. The meeting served to- introduce to the public a champion high-jumper in F. Brady, tho young Wellington Club member, who cleared Gft. Brady, indeed, as the result of his performances on Saturday,/is now in. the limelight in athletic circles all over the Dominion. Mainly because he is an exponent of the American "roll" type of jump, Brady has for some little time been carefully watched. Earlier in the season he was in fair form, but seemed to lose a lot of his condition just before the provincial championship. At' tho championhip meeting he was only able to get over the bar at sft Bin; and yet on Saturday ho cleared the bar comfortably at 6ft, and by so doing registered a performance which no New Zealander competing at a meeting in New Zealand has over been credited with before.. Brady received a well-de-served ovation. He made an attempt to lower tho Australasian record of 6ft 14yi, but failed. Brady is young yet, and should be able to improve on his performance of Saturday.

G. J. Sceats, the 'Varsity athlete, has always 'been recognised ■as a liighjumper of quality, but he was not in the same class as Brady on: Saturday. He cleared sft 10in, but in several attempts was unable to make a clearance at 6ft. Cycle Events Popular. There were one or two spills in the cycle, events, but. ..these, if anything tended to make the races ail'the more thrilling. It has often been stated that the track 'at Athletic, Park is" unsuitable for cycle events. One of'the bends a furlong from the finishing-post at least, seems to give riders a good deal of trouble. There have been numerous accidents... at this particular spot, and on Saturday four more riders met with mishaps'.'.'' there. ; P. N. Bobinson cannoned into the tin fence while riding in the final of the one mile A grade race, and received injuries to his left arm and hip, which fortunately dill not prove as serious as was at first thought. J. Morris, was, the Mnost successful rider at the meeting. He rode very well, and captured first place Jin both the one milo and three miles* A grade events. The handicapping of the 440 yards A grade race evoked some comment, 'lhere were five heats and tho scratch men. were called upon to give starts up to thirty and forty minutes. They had no chance whatever and were not in the picture.

E..JR.- Poulton, the youthful rider who. put up- consistently, good performances in the junior cycle events, was pruminent in the B grade, races-on Saturday. He 'won the '880 yards event in convincing style from the 'fifty-yards mark and also took the one mile' with the same start. . i The 100 Yards Handicap. C. H. Jenkins was the only scratch man in the 100 yards handicap, but was unable to show any form. He was placed third in the first heat, but made little impression on the field in the final. H. Le Grove,, a new, runner, off the Oj yds was first to the tape in the final, and Sutcliffi (Byds) was next. The judge taking second place thought differently, however, and awarded I). Barker (Gyds) second position. Barker appeared to be fourth, and certainly was not sec- , ond. < Promising New Ladies. I Although the champion relay team was away and Miss S. Swinburne was a non-starter, the ladies' events provided interesting finishes. Some 'at the newer members of the club did ■well., notably Miss N. Boss, Miss M. Edwards, and Miss C Clarke. Miss Ross was very conspicuous, and displayed good form in winning both the 100 yards handicap and the 150 yard 3 handicap. Hutt Club's Meeting. Although only recently formed, the Lower Hu'.t Amateur Athletic Club appears to be making good progress. The members of the club are very enthusiastic,' and are keen to do their best in the interests of the club. The meeting at th~ Hutt Becreation Ground on Wednesday evening proved quite successful. A^ good deal of interest is taken in the sport in the district, and with such a good attendance for the meeting there was a good opportunity* for the club to augment its funds. As it was, however, with only one man stationed at the gate with a box, the opportunity almost went begging.. C, H. Jenkins, who has been running indifferently since returning to the track from his holidays, showed an improvement. Over the last 110 yds in the 440 yds relay he displayed a fine burst of speed.

J. Fleming, the New Zealand 440 yds champion, was a competitor at the meeting. He came, up well over the last twenty yards in the second heat of the 100 yds handicap to collect third place, but he was unable to find a place in the final. Fleming did not start in the 440 yds handicap. . Although he was unfortunate in not being placed in the 100 yds handicap, J. Cunningham was prominent in two other events. He ran a good race in the 440 yds handicap from the 18yds mark, and won in 51sec. Cunningham, with a throw of 131 ft 6in, was also successful in gaining first place in the javelin event. ; ■ ■' . ■