NOTES AND COMMENTS

Evening Star, Issue 19942, 11 August 1928, Page 6

NOTES AND COMMENTS

HEW ZEALANDERS IN LIMELIGHT [By Hookeb.] To-day’s cables make more cheering news from Now Zealand’s point of view, the success of the New Zealand light-weight boxing champion, Ted Morgan, being the feature. Despite the fact that Morgan injured his left hand, he easily outpointed the Frenchman, Catalaud, in the welter-weight semi-final, and now has the distinction of being the first New Zealand boxer to take part in an Olympic final. Morgan’s displays all through have been of a convincing nature, and if his hand is not too much affected he should stand a good chance in the final. The Wcllingtonian has more than fulfilled expectations, and he should return home a vastly improved fighter. In the swimming the cables tel! us that neither Miss Kathleen Miller nor Miss Ena Stocklcy has struck her best form, which makes all the more pleasing the intelligence that both have survived the first round of the 100 metres free style, and Miss Stocklcy has qualified for the semi-final of the 100 metres backstroke event.

Some startling performances were put up in the women’s 100 metres backstroke championship, the word’s record for the event (standing opposite the name of the late Miss Sybil Bauer,_ of America) being equalled by one swimmer and broken by another. Miss King, of Britain, won the beat in which Miss Stockley, who was third, qualified for the semi-final, her time being 82sec, which equalled the world’s record. Miss King has come to light comparatively recently. She is a Scottish girl, and in the British Olympic trials registered 84 2-ssec for 100 metres backstroke, and she apparently will be a strong contender for the title, though the Dutch girl, Miss Braun, who broke the world’s record by winning her heat in 81 3-ssec, looks the most dangerous of those who have reached the semi-finals.

Miss Stockley put up a very fair performance in the 100 metres backstroke, in which she returned 85 2-ssec for the distance. This time is but two-fifths of a second slower than the best time the Auckland girl has ever recorded for the distance, but she may do even better in the semi-finals.

Miss BonnioMealing, who was beaten in the Australian championship by Mjss Stockley, on the occasion that Miss Mealing swam off the course, failed to qualify, finishing fourth in her heat. The 100 metres free style found both the New Zealand ladies in the picture. This is not usually regarded as Miss Miller’s distance, and, while she has taken second place to Miss Ena Stockley in the New Zealand ladies’ 100yds championship, it is generally recognised that the extra 9vds in the 100 metres favours Miss Miller, who is a very determined finisher. However, Miss Miller finished second in her heat and did the distance in 77 l-ssec, Miss Stockley being second in her heat in 76 2-S sec. Neither Miss Davey nor Miss Mealing qualified for the next round, which both the Now Zealand girls succeeded in doing. Even should success not come their way, they have shown that they arc in the first flight of the women swimmers in the world to-day.

The Australian flag was hoisted for the first time with the brilliant success of the sculler, Pearce. Pearce is regarded by some of those who have scon him in action in Amsterdam as the finest sculler that has ever participated at the Games. He is a son of Harry Pearce, one time a leading light in professional sculling in Australia.