Amateur Athlectics LOCAL ACTIVITIES COMPETITION RULES HIGH JUMPING STYLES

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 138, 7 December 1935, Page 23

Amateur Athlectics

LOCAL ACTIVITIES

COMPETITION RULES

HIGH JUMPING STYLES

By "Sprinter."

In line with the trend of events, during recent years more particularly, the athletic season in Wellington is not yet in full swing. Both at the evening meeting at Lower Hutt and that held on the Basin Reserve on Monday the number of competitors was small, and of those who have been seen- out to date there have been few of the better-known athletes. Small fields with the top-notchers not in action are apt to affect public interest in the meetings and this may be magnified when the bigger gatherings take place :later on. It is not the fault of the. local officials. They are providing the meetings, and the onus of seeing that they are successful rests entirely with the athletes.

By December there is usually a fair number-of competitors, but there is this to be said, that so far this season athletes have hot been encouraged by the weather. No doubt there will be greater interest shown after the Christmas and New Year holidays and with the approach then of the. provincial and New Zealand championship meetings. ■ ■ ■'■;••:■.■■ ... . . .

The possibility of the Wellington Centre.inviting a .team of three New South Wales athletes to the Dominion early hextVyear was mentioned last | week. A decision on this project has not yet been • made. As a matter .of fact, it seems.to be largely dependent upon whether ..the New Zealand Council' 'yiili regard it as a major or minor [ tour ia terms of its recently announced policy regarding, tours'generally. The matter .was mentioned by the Wellington president, Mr. A. C. Kitto, at the annual meeting of the N.Z.A.A.A. this week, when he inquired whether the | council, would be; agreeable to a tour I embracing , the- Wellington, Hawke's Bay-Poverty Bay, and Auckland districts, the. idea being that each of these three centres should co-operate. There was not much discussion on the point, but judging from what was said there seemed to'be-a possibility of such a !tour x being contrary to the policy that'has been laid down of the council being in full control of major tours' and approving the centres conducting limited tours in their own particular districts; However, the proposal has not been turned down flat by the council. It is to be considered, in more detail at the meeting of the council next week.

The desirability of the sport being given some stimulus by the importation of first-class athletes from Australia and further afield was mentioned at the meeting by Mr. Kitto. Wellington- has in view inviting a sprinter, a jumper, and a distance runner. While,' as has been previously stated, a team of this kind should prove an attractive combination, the thought occurs that, instead of a jumper—although his contests with T. J. Crowe doubtless would be of considerable interest—it might be a better plan to include a good hurdler. In support of this suggestion there is the fact that Wellington, after "having suffered a dearth of first-class hurdlers since the retirement of R. W. Lander, now has at least two good timber-toppers in P. S. Bowie, the present New Zealand 120 yds' hurdles champion, and G. McGregor, formerly of Canterbury, who won the New Zealand sprint hurdles title in the 1932-33 season. Hurdling is a branch of athletics worthy of encouragement . and in view of the fact that Wellington will have good men to put up against any champion from overseas'the time, seems opportune to do this. Apart from this, there is nothing more, spectacular and exciting than -classy, well-matched hurdlers in action. The very nature of the event seems to - invest the competitors with a degree of personality which is not so apparent in some other events. And this, when Wellington is in need of: athletes with some definite personal, as. well; as running, capacity to attract the public, is also an important consideration. .': ;

One of the, most gratifying features of athletic; competition during the last season or two has been the greater interest displayed in high jumping. Greater numbers are taking part in

SEASON NOT YET IN FULL SWING

this branch of the sport, but notwithstanding the fact that New Zealand has been, visited by such stylists as J. P. Metcalfe and the Finn, V. Perasalo, many of our jumpers still cling to the traditional scissors jump. Both Metcalfe and Perasalo demonstrated beyond any question- that to achieve marked success as a high jumper it is necessary to break away from this form of jumping and adopt an acquired style. The scissors method has definite limitations, the height obtained by using this style being wholly dependent upon natural spring. . T. J. Crowe is one of New Zealand's athletes of the present time who has demonstrated the efficacy of modern methods. He uses the Western Roll, as did the former New Zealand, champion Frank Brady, from whom Crowe learned this style of jumping. There has been really no one in Wellington besides Crowe who has jumped in any other than the orthodox way. It was therefore pleasing to note at the Basin Reserve on Monday that E..S. Phillips, formerly of Hawke's Bay, gave evidence that he is endeavouring to model his jumping on scientific lines rather than hope for, the best with the scissors method. He is reported to have jumped sft lOin in Hawke's Bay. The other night at the Basin he did sft Bin. He appears to have plenty of natural ability, and, particularly if he is able to acquire a more polished style, he should prove a worthy opponent for Crowe. . '

Much,time was devoted at the annual meeting of the N.Z.A.A.A. this week to the consideration of a long series of amendments and additions to the rules of competition, prepared by Messrs. L: A: .Tracy and A. Urquhart, so as to bring the rules into conformity with those of the International Amateur Athletic Federation. The amendments and additions were adopted.

Most of the changes were accepted without question, but two or three aroused a good deal of discussion, notably a clause relating to heats, providing that at least six competitors shall qualify for the final round. The principal objections raised in this were that on some tracks six lanes would be impracticable, in quarter-mile contests, and that.in hurdle races there would be insufficient hurdles available. Eventually, however, the clause went through. Previously the relevant clause in the rules "stated that, if possible, at least six competitors shall start in the final round.

A new paragraph was.added to the rule governing the acceptance of records. It provides that no record shall be recognised when starting blocks have been used 'in the race. In the case of walking events no walking record is to, .be recognised unless made on a track.

The Olympic AA. Club commenced its training activities on Thursday of last week when a good muster turned out, including-several members of the newly-formed women's branch. Arrangements have been made for a special training night to be held on Wednesdays. A complete training schedule has been drawn up. Monday's sports meeting is to be under the control .of. the Olympic Club and will afford the ; newer members a good opportunity of gaining' experience in open company. '. . ■

A new Idle-Along, the Venture; was launched on Saturday but too late to race. She shaped very well'and will increase the ■ already serious competition. . Several boats were out early on Saturday, but returned dejectedly with a wetting, for once,'of fresh water.

Hayward,' a former Rangitikei cricketer" who has.played in Wellington as a country representative, is now playing in Auckland, ■where^he is : doing, good- service as Eden's'.wicket-keeper.

The Auckland;junior representatives, to meet Wellington in the Brabin Cup match at Wellington, in February, are to.play a match.against a Manawatu team at Palmerston North after fulfilling their engagement with Wellington. - .