HIGH HONOURS

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 10, 13 January 1932, Page 4

HIGH HONOURS

N.Z; ATHLETES

IN WORLD'S BEST CLASS

PAST OLYMPIC GAMES

!j> It is doubtful whether-iNewZealand-ifers realise the full merit of pefform- ; g'nces of representatives: "from -■ the §imir4on. at.^>ast j.plyjnpie.Ganj.es. True, ly ' one ; title has been -won ftFew jSealjind, and, that . by Ted J^organV'the well-known boxer, but there have been several outstanding achievements by K'eiv Zealand competifiors that placed them in the first flight "$£ world athletes. \ ."' f'-'When, after hurried preparations, SSTew Zealand's team of two athletes, oiie swimmer, and an oarsman, ;left for the seventh Olympiad at in $>20, there"were": few : who,expected the warn to perjftrnj^a.s..brilliantly'as'i't did. The' trip Hdme-was-greatly prolonged, iund the team'-6.; chances of were further reduced Vby its arrival in jtntwerp nine days before the opening $t the Gamesy, jjLnd yet,each member ipi. the team',ina'de'an excellent showing, particularly "the/hurdler, H. E. Wilson, And the sprinter,. G.. Davidson, both of •jfhom reached the firtaK -- - ; ■'■ 0 WpSON'S HURDLING. fiHn . tK§ 110 meters hui^les^ jrils content'right thrpugh l':to ;the final, jk&rely tipijiialify^qr the:Vne^tf;stage. $» finiapa .seconiyii *his^heatS>f the fflrjst ro; Bttii/taitt'n!^taKaiiV'C6rbacchini,: in 3[S; 3-ssec, and in the first semi-final; he yfjw thiiefc tc(:-th'e> A-mericans, BaWonVand Smith, in 15sec, .which equalled, the th^^y^p^'^re^wa^iH^lfe-firia'l'" Wilson ■was up against Earl Thomson, regard-edTasrllrergreatest-iiurd'rei: of "airtime, .jiut at the finish, although Thomson pstablished'a new Olympic record of 14 ■. 4-ssec, Wilson was fourth, only two [yards away. . ' ' ' ; j Davidson also made a most "imprest ;-^iv'e showing. In his heat of the first ;.?ouhd of the hundred meters Davidson .ywas second to the South Africany #;'.]£:. but in the vsesond. i JTonnd was defeated by the great-Aineri- :• jean sprinter Charles Paddock arid an .•^lgerian, Ali Khan, and thus dropped ; put o£the contest , It'was noteworthy, ;;howe^er,-fifci,'t fiavidsoji'wi&^only. a^'yard :|wa^2gpn£^dap^k .^vgnisE^ : ■..,. £; BRnJtIANT SPRniiING. V ; fi In jthe .200, meters>-vhAying benefited "huudrc^'Sneters} f PaviiisJm^owi&Sclearly.- with- '■'brilliant SJerformanees that had he been in prosper condition ho possibly would have .fjWon the final. Davidson easily won his pheat in A ih© first round-in ES-S-Ssec^and ■:5n the^s.econd.rQjind nosed Paddock out -.of first:plac6' iirthe ttifrd" heat iii 22 ?4-ssec;'-: He'fihished'third'to: Murchison r-(U.S.Ai)_.and : .Edward in-.the "jfirst semi-ffnai,"defea,ting Morris Kirk;iey (tnS.A;)y- wti6!;three' years later ;-toured-^New ..Zealand. Gwith-1 two 'other Americans,-Xrogness---and'. .Merchant. I tlia'flrsit. parti of '#4 final Davidi lion cfappeii-cin'"remarkable pace and ;'looked:iail;;iWEr!.ha:.wiiiHei',.:but over"the ; last fifty;' att'sixtjr-.yards-.laek. of condi;tion told" it;s> .tale. Hei w unable to '.fflaintairi1 his advantage and' finished fifth, but iio more than three yards >ehind the winner, A. Woodring :,<U.S.A.). ' :•; Davidson's^calibnj was recognised by ■the Ameri^|ss;|;wheii stated that with ; proper prepat|tibji- on th'e^inder -.tracks ; ;in Americaj. fhp -New Zealand er;iwouia :ibe a prospective world's.«hampi6n% ;;■" POEE^T'B ACHIfiVEMEiWV,; / :. ' DavidsonH)and i iWilso'n^are -brit^two

New Zealand athletes who have competed with distinction.at the Olympic Games:-' -'A- -E.'''Porritt,':w-h6'--feft'New Zealand as a Rhodes scholar, is another New Zealander who gjained fame. Before he.left'for England'Porritt was regarded" as rib more than an average sprinter,, but at .the Olympic. Games in Paris Jn-1924 he finished third in the final of the* 100, meters^ to H. M. Abrahams (Great Britain) and Jackson Scholz (U.S.A.), beating in the process three^crack American sprinters, Bowman, .Paddock,- and- Murchison, all of whoin-"wero ' niorb experienced than Porritt.; The New Zealander's performance was.'a remarkable achievement. Jn the_ space of a few months a good average ' sprinterV lia^.' developed into on&-of the.world ?s best.-V '--■ •' ; : - iEAM-IOR^EXT GAMES. .< The performances of Davidson, Wilson, and Porritt go to show that, given-the opportunity, New Zealand athleteSjl.whose times on grass tracks perhaps appear poor in comparison with those of athletes overseas, are capable of bigrthings. There are in New Zea-land-'tcpdayT-: not only athletes but competitors in" other branches of sport well wor.thjjzcf selection for. the next Olympio -Games:in Los -Angeles in July and August,Tand?who knows.?b'ut that some of theni*m'ay not higher honours than even Davidson, Wilson, and Porritt. A^ unique opportunity is presented, bj? t|e;;Games being held in Lps Angeles for this Dominion'not only to be represented by a strong team, but for''her?-.f9presentatives ,to:feel more at home in the sunny Californian climate and to perform with- distinction. '■