ATHLETICS

Evening Star, Issue 19387, 22 October 1926, Page 12

ATHLETICS

[Notes by “Pistol.”] FIXTURES. October 23.—Otago Centro (Netf Zealand A.A.A.) sports meeting, Caledonian Ground. October 27.—Otago Boys’ High School sports, Carisbrook. November 3.—Otago primary schools’ championships. _ _ November 17.—Civil Service Clubs evening meeting, Caledonian Ground. The Caledonian Ground is in good order just now, and it only requires lino weather for to-morrow’s meeting to bo a real success. It is pleasing to note the keenness being displayed by the members of some clubs which for a long linio past have not done a great deal in the way of summer activities. A large number of the embryo champions from the primary schools have been engaged in training at the Caledonian Ground during the past week or so. It is pleasing to see also a number of teachers out giving the boys some instruction in starting, etc. This is a good opportunity for the members of some of the clubs to put in some good work with the boys, and a suggestion that appears worthy of consideration is that one or two_ of the clubs might discuss the advisability of granting membership to the most promising of the hoys competing at the primary school championships next month. The writer feels sure that if the Schools’ Sports Association were approached by any of the clubs with an offer of free membership for, say, the four most promising boys in the sprint events, the middle distances, and the jumps, the school sports authorities would gladly accept it. Many boys from the primary schools do not go on to the high or other secondary schools, and unless the clubs are prepared to step < in, then many a promising athlete will be lost to tlie sport. It speaks well for the keenness in regard to athletics that is displayed at the Otago Boys’ High School when the large number of entries received for the school’s sports next Wednesday is considered. It was announced at the Otago Centre meeting last Tuesday that 2,020 entries had been received for the meeting, and that only fifty-three boys in a school of about 600 pupils had failed to enter for at least one event. The mils drew something like 130 entries. A new club has been formed in Wanganui, the Pirate Football Club having decided to enter into this branch of summer sport (says the Wanganui ‘Herald’). The prospective members are keen on the formation of the club, and there is every chanco of its being successfully launched. Over twenty members, all of whom are now to athletics, have signified their intention of competing during the coming season, and as the sport is in need of active adherents their entry will be warmly welcomed. This proposed club does not intend to confine membership to “Pirate” footballers solely, but will welcome the active assistance of other football clubs, Association or Rugby, who are desirous of engaging in athletics in order to keep fit for the strenuous winter pastime. Franco believes she has another Jean Bouin. The foot racing performances of Gaston Baraton this year certainly mark him as the most remarkable runner developed on the French _ tracks since the war, not even excepting the famous Corporal Josef Guillemot, who defeated Paavo Nurmi in the 5,000metre race at the Olympic Games at Antwerp six years ago. Baraton, who played second fiddle to Reno Wirriath at the French meetings last year, has stopped to the front during the last two months to assume foremost position. A few weeks ago he startled the athletic world by beating the world’s record for the 1,000-raetro run, held by the Swedish star, A. Zander, and established more than five years ago. More recently the French_ youth furnished another surprise by winning the British A.A.A. one-mile championship in 4.17 from one of the best fields that ever entered the race. English critics who saw Baraton win their onc-niile national race have waxed enthusiastic in their praise of the new Jean Bouin. They approved mostly of his easy style and his seemingly inexhaustible supply of energy. Baraton’s mark of 4.17 w r as made without any special effort to break records. Miss Thelma M‘Millan,_ who finished at the top of the poll in the “Miss Otago” beauty competition so far as the voting in connection with the ‘ Star ’ was concerned, was at one tune a keen lady athlete. She was a-mem-ber of the Anglican Ladies’ Harrier Club when that club was formed a few seasons back. The Civil Service Club is the first in the field with an evening meeting, and a good programme has been drawn up for a fixture to he held at the Caledonian Ground on November 17. The events to be decided are 75yds, 300yds, I,oooyds, Bi-mile cycle, and 100yds ladies’ handicaps, and none of these will be restricted to members of the Civil Service Chib. There seems some likelihood of the other clubs following suit in the way of conducting_ evening meetings, and the writer was informed during the week that the Anglican Club was considering the possibility of staging an evening gathering. Amateur athletes will hav© plenty to keep them busy during the next few weeks, for, in addition to to-morrow’s sports and the Civil Service fixtures, several open running and cycling events have been included, on the programme of the secondary school athletic championship meeting towards the end of November or early in December. In conversation with the writer during the week, F. M. Hanan, .who belongs to the University Club, stated that be intended taking up athletics again during the present summer. If he can reproduce the form he showed at Wellington College, Hanan will be a decided acquisition to athletics in Dunedin. Ho had the advantage of a good grounding in the long jump and hurdles at Wellington College, being coached by J. N, Millard, the ex-Otago University athlete, whose New Zealand University record of 22ft SJin still stands for the long jump. Hanan did 20ft 6in in the long jump at the Wei-

lington College sports a couple o’f years ago, and 17sec for the 120yds hurdles, but lie has not done a great deal since then. Ho competed at the Otago University interfaculty sports, _ and with little training gained places in the hop, step, and jump and 120yds hurdles. Reference has been made in some quarters to the desirability of including a distance man in any oyerseas_ team that might visit the dominion this season, with a view to reproducing the great clashes that took place Between the Maorilander, R. A. Rose, and the American, Lloyd Hahn, last season. It has been pointed out, however, that Rose may desire a spell this‘summer after tfio strenuous times he has gone through during tho past ten months or so. Should it be iound that Rose means to get into solid training durmg tlio forthcoming season, there should be little difficulty in finding him an opponent who will him witn well worth-while contests. The writer refers to G. R. Hyde, the plucky lutie Victorian,, who chased Rose home all round tho country in mile and threemile events during tho latter hair or the 1924-25 season. Since then the Victorian, who is now only about 21, has shown great development, ri.d at the recent Australasian championships ho smashed Rose’s three-mile record and also won the mile title. He is spoken of as Australia's Nurmi, and meetings between tho pfcr again would prove a far better draw than Ihey aid a couple of years ago. A sixtecn-year-old boy, named G. L. Henderson, put up a good performance in winning tlio senior championship of the Southland Technical College last week. The average age of the boys attending technical schools is usually a good deal lower than that of those at high schools, so that it would perhaps be unfair to contrast the technical records alongside those of some of tho older-established high schools. Henderson won the 100yds in 10 4-ssec (having the assistance of a slight breeze), 220yds in 25sec, and 440yds in 57 2-ssec —performances from a boy of sixteen that are well worthy of mention.

A visit to the “ Cale ” any night during training operations would cause one to wonder if tho lessons that should have been learnt from the Olympic 200 metres champion, Jackson Scholz, in regard to starting were absorbed by some local athletes. Scholz was always tho picture of steadiness from the word “ set ” to the bang of the gun, and in training he always impressed it upon anyone who was starting to count at least four between the “set” and the “go.” Thus, tho practice of breaking —the practice Scholz declared to be so much deplored in America—would be greatly lessened. When local runners are training more often than not there is no pause between the “set” and tho “go” at all, and thus a bad habit —and one liable to be the downfall of runners in outside competition—is fostered. Correcting tho faults in training will save runners much heart-burn-ing after races and the starters much trouble in competitive events. The return of E. G. Sutherland to New Zealand is particularly opportune, as the great all-rounder should prove a worthy opponent to the famous American all-rounder, Harold Osborne, the Olympic decathlon and American high jump champion. Sutherland was educated at the Palmerston North Boys’ High School, where ho first showed himself to he a great athlete. Ho has won many championships in South Africa, Scotland, England, and New Zealand, and was* a member of the South African Olympic team at the last games. “A. E. Porritt now is one of the big men in athletics in England,” said J. W. M'Holm, Rose’s companion, at a reception in his honor recently. Although some people thought that Porritt had not run his best in the English championships, he ran as well as lie himself expected, for he was at that time in the middle of examinations, and about to get married. He ran in Now Zealand colors, presented to him by the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association, and that was a very good thing, because ho was so well known as a .university runner at Home that folk had forgotten that he was a New Zealander. On his honeymoon Porritt went to France, and there won a good race in splendid time. Mr M'Holm thought he would be running still when the next Olympic Games were held. “In England they think he is a wonderful runner,” said Mr M'Holm. “ Last year they thought that ho -was practically unbeatable. I know that ho is a wonderful fellow, and New Zealand should be very proud of him. I do not know how he was able to give us the time and attention he did. He is certainly the biggest ‘ noise ’ New Zealand has ever had there so far as athletics is concerned.” “ It has been announced that the Australasian championships will bo held in> New Zealand in 1923. They will take place probably at Auckland or Wellington,” announces a writer in an exchange. As tho New Zealand championships will probably be held in Auckland this season, it is likely that Christchurch will be the venue for the meet in 1928. That being so, it seems more than likely that the Australasian championships in 1928 will be decided at Wellington. Evidently tho recently-formed Dunedin Ladies’ Amateur Athletic Club does not intend to let tho grass grow under its feet, and at a meeting hold during the week a suggestion was adopted that an evening meeting should be held somo time in November. Several forthcoming meetings have included ladies' events on the programme, so that lady athletes have plenty of incentive to settle down to steady training. A good number have already commenced track work, and a sign of the development of tho sport among the ranks of the fair sex may be gleaned from the fact that a high jump handicap has been included on tho programme of a forthcoming sports fixture. At the rate the Auckland Centre is now working there is every probability that it will this season be the main centre of athletics in New Zealand (says the Auckland ‘Star’). They have some good men at hand, both in the running and the field events, and Auckland is at present the home of numerous New Zealand champions. Auckland will certainly able to field a strong team at the New Zealand championships, and among those who may be expected to do well may bo mentioned several who are wcl known to Otago athletic followers an? others whose names have figured prominently in amateur athletic circles more recently. Auckland will he able U avail itself of the services of J. W Shirley .(high jump, broad jump, hop step, and jump champion of New Zoa land); E. L. Brown, tho ex-Otago milchampion; L. C. Williams, the promis ing sprinter who competed at the In? New Zealand championships in Dun edin; W. Savidan, a distance runne> who met with considerable success r tho one and three-mile events at tin. recent Australasian championships; J.

(H. M'Crystall, a promising long ijumper; K. C. Morgan, the Zealand 220yds champion, who,-is now stationed in Hamilton; and several others of great promise. Secondary school ath!etcs_ in Otago will rejoice at the decision of the Otago Centre of the N.Z.A.A.A. ’to go on with the Otago secondary schools’ championships. At the time of writing (Wednesday) the date for the meeting has not been finally fixed, but it will probably he either November 27 or Do comber 11. There will bo senior and juniog sections, the latter being for boys nnder fifteen on October 1. Several schools have already signified their intention of taking part, and it seems likely that the first provincial secondary school championship fixture to be do cided in Otago will meet with keen support from those directly concerned. When it is possible to draw competitors from such good athletic schools as the Otago, Waitaki, and Southland Boys' High Schools, as well as some of the smaller schools, it is safe to predict that some groat performances will be registered. Writing in regard to judging of walking events “ Get Set,” who is well qualified to speak on the subject, says:—“ln very artistic walking the competitor will rise to the extreme tip of the toe, and as the foot leaves the ground it makes a backward swing. Sucli a walker—Sturgcss is an example —using this residual swing appears to he going suspiciously when viewed from behind. However, by changing to aside view the false impression is immediately removed; this is one of the secrets of correct judging. When sprinting round corners the judge may question a competitors action—this is due to a distorted view of the off leg, giving the appearance of bent knee walking. Speed photographs show this to perfection. _ A modification of tho disqualification rule states that a competitor, during the race, is cautioned once and then finally disqualified; also, in the final lap, he may ho disqualified without a previous warning.”-