THE SPORTING WORLD

Evening Star, Issue 14515, 5 November 1910, Page 12

THE SPORTING WORLD

♦ [Fiiom Oun London Goreespondent.] September 23. ATHLETICS. The. cablo has brought news of come remarkable performances by overseas atJi.letcs lately, which have" given English sportsmen something to ponder over. Briefly, the running of IT. Braun (of Germany) at Stockholm, "Bobbie" Kerr at Winnipeg, G. V. Bonlvug at New York, and the success of G. Golding over E. J. Webb (of England) in walking matches at Toronto indicate clearly that home athletes will be severely tried at the next Olympic Games. 'At the last festival the representatives of the British Isles secured 56 of the 110 events, while five other events wore won by overseas Britishers—Canada 3, South Africa 1, and Australia 1. The United States victories numbered twentytwo, three of which were due to the efforts of athletes born in the British Empire. Thus, it will bo seen that Britishers and their American cousins almost swept the board, though it must not bo overlooked that the Homo Country natnrally has a very great advantage. So much for the past. As indicated above, Homo sportsmen are now thinking about the 1912 festival at Stockholm, and unless serious attention be given the matter English athletes are not going to shino. The Swedes themselves are very keen, and now that the writer's old rival Ernest Hjertberg has been appointed athletic adviser-in-chief, they will surely improve. That the Swedes arogoing ahead *\vas illustrated by the performances at some games recently held at Stockholm. Though the track was" a cement one, Wide Tan the half-mile in lmin 56|scc, though lhi6 only gave him second place to Braun (of Germany), who got home in lmin 54-Jsec. A 6 he also took the 400 metres in 50£ sec, it is evident the German crack will want a lot of .beating if he retains his form until 1912. Turning to doings.in Canada, even allowing for tho possibility of very favorablo conditions (wo hear nothing re direction of wind), "Bobbie" Kerr's "100" in 9;|se<;, "150* in 14|scc. and "220'' in 21? sec at Winnipeg shows that he is as fas't as ever. Many peoplo here feared ho had seen his best day, and it will give general pleasure on this side should the Irish r born sprinter prove this is not so. As to the victories of GouMing over Webb at Toronto, that creates no surprise. Tho manner the former has improved since the 1908 Olympiad has been wonderful, but Webb is far too much of a veteran to surpass his past efforts. Goulding will probably do better still next season, and after recent happenings he looks like a future Olympic champion. —Persoveranco Rewarded.— Tho steady improvement of United States athletes at distances above one mile has been remarkable. Twenty-five years ago only L. E. Myers among American amateurs had beaten 4min 3l)sec for one mile. Tho advent of W. D. Day gave a stimulus to American stayers. Nevertheless, Britishborn athletes—E. C. Cartor, T. I*. (.onneif, G. W. Orton, and the writer —won most of the Canadian and United' States distance championships up to the time of the revival of tho Olympic Games in 1896. Since then American-bom runners have gradually developed their stamina by steadily "sticking to it," and one must admire the pertinacity of men like G. V. Bonhag. Whei. tho latter was here in 1906 he was just a good average runner, but he had the right spirit, and grasped the- salient feature ci distance running—viz., to subject the to tho mind, and struggle on, even though in difficulties. He was a better runner ii 1908, and since then has advanced to the very top of the tree, as instanced by hi.recent win in the Fivc-milo Metropolitan Championship at New York, with the watch showing 25min 9ssec. The improvement in Bonhag is a splendid example of wh;r persoverance will do, and young athlete: should profit by the object-lesson. —Smart Performances.— Little 6paco remains to devote to thi London A.C. snorts at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. E. W. Haley won a novel event by doing best time (32£ sec) in ;• 300 yard's timo trial, each competitor run ning' alone. V. H. D'Arcy also shower about a yard worse than lOsec for 100 yards, and ho certainly bids fair to tie volop into an "even-timer.'' Another gwv performance was accomplished by W Coales, who, though he had no one. to pu.'-l him, won the Three-mile Int-crtcam Bar. in 14min 58scc. —Like Old Times.— Memories of .other days were recalled \i\ the One-mile Scratch Race lor riders of tin ordinary (high) bicycle at the Nationa' Cyclists' Union sports last Saturday. 11. W. Bartlett proved the winner, his heat hem;: won in 3mi;i 18|soc, which is no: bad for "old 'wis." Among the compel!

T tors were Herbert Synyer and R. J. Maoready, and somo of my readers may recall that the former was a champion in the days of F. J. Osmond, whilst Macready was about the- first cyclist to race on a. pneumatic tyre. The hero of the meeting was 6. B. Kingsbury (of Portsmouth), and tho manner he outfinished V. Johnson and B. Jones t • in tho " quarter" and five-mile races TecaJied his brilliant win at the Olympic Games two years ago. —Walking Popular. — When 130 competitors, representing twenty clnbs, turn out for a junior intcr- ' team walking race, it is a sound proof of 1 the popularity of the pastime. The event : under notice was promoted by the Southern ! ; Counties Road-walking Association, and was won by E, Rogers (of Birmingham), ! who finished the course of about eight and ; a-half miles in Hi 25m in 50sec, while the 1 team honors went to tho four leading rej.rcscntatives of the Heme Hill Harriers, 1 who, by finishing 2,* 10, 11, and 16, only totalled , 7 .Q points, as against 64 by their nearest rivals. ■ FOOTBALL. Rugby football har, not yet commenced > in earnest, though one very important lixturo claimed .attention) last Saturday. It > was tho Leicester v. Neath match, and i the former showed to advantage when beatl ing tho Welsh club champions bv a try to > nil. i Tlie Northern Union tourists all speak i ! well of their trip to Australia and New Zealand, and there appears to he a genera! . agreement that the crowds and players in '< ; Australia da not compare with New Zca- I » landers in regard to sportsmanship and ; knowing how to lose. The tourists i divided their forces into teams label let! . " England v. Wales and the West." and . played a match at Plymouth last Saturday, . which provided an interesting struggle. Turning to Association matters, the suc- ; cess of Celtic in a Glasgow Cup tic appears , to have had beneficial effects, for the Scottish champions have, since scored wins (2—l and 4—l) over Dundee and Hibernians. Tho table is, headed by Clyde at present, three, wins and two draws (8 points), the win over St. Mirren by two goals to nil on Saturday being decidedly smart. Aston , Villa, the English League champions, have , also shown better form lately, while the. j i success of Newcastle United (2—l) when | . visiting Tottenham Hotspur also indicates | that the F.A. Cup holders arc getting to- i gether. Sunderland alone retains a dear I record of all wins, and with 8 points tor J ; four games I he Rocker Park Club shows up , well. Luton had a, corresponding record in the Southern League, and Clapton Orient shows the way in the Second League with ■ three clear wins. SWIMMING. V. Bcaurcpaire, of Australia, has been adding to his laurels this week. He* led 1 off by winning the 500 Yards. Amateur Championship at ihe Glossop baths on Monday evening. Following this, the Victorian went on to Bradford, and the nextevening tried to Ik-.hl the 400 metres record of smin 36* sec, which 11. Taylor set up at ihe Olympic Games of 1908. Swimming splendidly throughout. Beaurepnivo gavel hefigures a good lieating, the watch-holders recording smin 26isee at the finish of 1 heattempt. IX GENERAL. ('. Harverson made breaks of 303 and 517 during the week, the latter being the best of the present season. This tine form has induced Harverson to offer to play anyone save, Stevenson a level match of 16,000 up for £IOO a side. Zbyseo was absent when Ihe match between Gama and himself should have- lie:"!

resumed, eo fl» Indian vrre&&ec was declared the winner, and presented with tha belt and stakes. G. Nutt and H. Bird accomplished a fine performance on a tandem early in the week by riding 234- miles funpaced) on the road in twelve hours, the previous best being 219", miles. In races ovex a. sea mile at Southampton on Saturday Sir J. A. TJiornycroft's motor boat Miranda IV. did lmin, S2sec with tho tide, and 2min 3sec against it, and C. W. Gardiner beat C. Hefferon (South Africa) by two yards in a five-milo running match at Newbury on Wednesday, the time being 27min 54sec Tho course was rough grass-, and sis laps to the mile. S. Whiting, of Criccieth, accomplished a splendid round of 71 in the Welsh qualifying competition for the. professional golfers' £240 tournament. The score is a record for 18 holes on tht Llandrindod Wells course. '■ Tom Thomas and Jim Sullivan are likdy to meet for the British middle-weight, hxicsr championship during November. Alec Taylor held a strong hand w ; tlt Elizabetta and Admiral Togo 111., bo-.h running in tho Newbury Cup this afternoon, and many did not know which of the Manton pair to 6elect. It was the •'Admiral's" mission, however, and ho proved equal to the task, which will make many keep an eyo on Taylor's selected for oth-r long-distance races during the balance of the season.