ATHLETIC CHAMPIONS

Evening Star, Issue 12989, 7 December 1906, Page 6

ATHLETIC CHAMPIONS

POSTLE BEATS DAY. Praia Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. 0 PERTH, December 7. (Received December 7, at 8.36 a.m.) At the Kalgoorlie pedestrian champion- > ship contests tie attendance was 15,000. In the 75 Yards Race Pestle, the local runner, defeated B. R. Day, the Irish champion, by three yards, in TJeec. In the 300 Yards , Race h© finished three yards in front of Day, in 30£ sec. Day attributes his defeat to ill-luck, and says he was not given time to got a proper start. Ho challenges Postle to again meet him. 1 [Beauchamp Rochfort Day, the young - Irish athlete, travelled from England to Australia in answer to a challenge from Arthur B. Postlo to race him for tlio championship of Australia and a side wager of £l5O. Day was bom at Dublin on Christmas Day, 1882, so that he is now twentyfour years of age—the same age as Postle. His height is 6ft 9in, and weight when stripped 10-12. His weight is principally in the legs, which are lengthy and solid, his body being rather light. Day started • running as a boy of twelve years in school races, and quickly asserted his superiority over all tho other lads in school sports around Dublin. His first victory of any [ importance was in a 220 yds liandicap at Dublin, which, at the ago of fourteen, he won very easily, from Nowbum, the cham--1 pion all-round runner of Ireland, who was • conceding him 7yds. Tho following voar I tho famous hurdler Dennis Chrey took Day over to England, where he won tho Ohadderton Handicap, near Manchester, and several other races. A few months later Day, who was now only fifteen vears of age, caused a mild sensation by defeating that grand distance runner, Alfred Tysoe, with a start of Byds in 440 yds. Day then • returned to Ireland, and won the 220 yds and 440 yds Irish Championships, defeating J. C. Meredith, tho then 440 yds champion of England. Up till this time B. R. Day’s running had all been done in amateur ■ events, but at the age of sixteen ho tnmed ‘ professional. At Edinburgh, after comi peting for four years over long distances, i ho entered for the big Powdcrhall Handicap, was favorably handicapped, not being , regarded as a sprinter, won tho race, and , tho party behind him landed several thousands in wagers. The following year he defeated Growcott for tho championship of England and £IOO a side over 120 yds, and [ followed this up by worsting R. W. Wadsley, tho cx-amatour champion, for tho | 220 yds championship of England and £IOO a side. Since then Day has been unable to got matches on in tho United States, and his challenge to the world in tho English sporting papers failed to moot with ’ response. When Alfred Shrubb joined the ‘ professionals after visiting Now Zealand he was challenged by Day to race I,oooyds ■ for £SOO a side, but refused to accept. Postlo’s record appeared in our columns recently.]