ATHLETES ARRIVE

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 5, 7 January 1930, Page 11

ATHLETES ARRIVE

PROFESSIONAL RUNNERS

Two noted professional runners, Lynch Cooper and J. D. Fitt, arrived from Australia to-day by the Ulimaroa. They are to compete at Christchurch next Saturday. Cooper is tho holder of the world's professional sprint championship, and Fitt, known as the "Flying Fireman," is an outstanding performer over middle distances, and is credited with having broken tho world's grass track record for the half-mile by running the distance in lmin 55sec. The visiting runners will be competing against IX' M'Lennan and G. Getson, two of New Zealand's best professional runners, in ' special match races at Ch'ristcburch. .■■.-..•

Commenting on a recent performance by Fitt in a half-mile handicap, ou.the Melbourne Exhibition Ovalj a writer in the Melbourne '^Sporting Globe says that-it stamps him as probably the greatest middld-distance- runner Australia has produced and'one."of the world's, best half-milers at present; '

..■■. .''Wheu the -full merit of Fitt's performanec is considered," continues this writer,: "his feat is all the •■ more remarkable. On a rough track-—ifi:places nothing better than a padodck—he-had to run round a field of nearly a do^eii runners in his rheat, yet-ho won, eas-. ing up, in lmin 56sec. It was in the. final, however,.'that Fitt created asensation. From the crack of the pistol ho set a hot pace, and was soon up with the leaders. Cheered on by tho big crowd of onlookers, Fitt began to strive for the front in the last. 100 yards. He set after J. H. Jackson (56 yards), a,nd after one of the most magnificent, races I have ever witnessed over this distance, got the verdict by. inches in lmin 55sec. He had put up the greatest run of his. career.and;on a-shocking track had-equalled; his world's grass track record; nlado.; on the. Motordrome in .February.".-. ~