EMPIRE GAMES

Evening Star, Issue 22880, 11 February 1938, Page 12

EMPIRE GAMES

THE SIX-MILE EVENT UNPLEASANT INCIDENTS RACE MARRED BY UNSPORTING TACTICS Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright SYDNEY, February 11. (Received February 11, at 11.30 a.m.) The sectional times of the six miles were as follow;—Mile, 4min 46.55ec; two miles, 9min 55.45ec; three miles, 15min 11.4 sec; four miles, 20min 17sec; five miles, 25min 27.65ec. The last mile took only 4min 46.95ec. Ward tried to go on with Matthews when commencing the last mile, but soon fell back beaten. It was' learnt later that he struck a running board on the inside edge of the track with his left foot, and last night his ankle was badly swollen. The ‘Herald’ says: “The six miles was a sensational race, in which Matthews repeated his triumph in the three miles event, and Coleman, the winner of the Marathon, was disqualified. Jostling and hard tactics during the first half of the race marred the event as a sporting spectacle, but Matthews has a lovely, even action, and his grand performance made the spectators forget the earlier unpleasant incidents. Matthews had the race won with two laps to go. He would have had to drop dead to lose it. Matthews, indeed, seems of the Nurmi school—one of those indomitable men who know not the ravages of human strain or the difficulties of distance. Against a man of such a mould no other competitor had a chance. Matthews thoroughly earned the title of the British Empire’s champion of stamina.”-

•‘ANOTHER NURMI” MATTHEWS CONSIDERS IT A SILLY DISTANCE SYDNEY, February 11. (Received February 11, at 11'.20 a.m.) Tbe manager of the Canadian team (Mr Robinson) described Matthews as “ another Nurmi.” The ‘ Daily Telegraph ’ says Matthews yesterday ran his first six miles track race, and probably his last. The ‘ Telegraph ’ quotes Matthews as saying; “It is a silly distance. I don’t mean it is an exhausting race. In fact, it is much easier than two or three miles. It is the monotony that gets you—just running round and round a little track with nothing to see but a long line of faces on the fence. At times yesterday I got so bored that 1 began to wish someone would scoot out and set up a big lead just to make it a little more interesting. Over the last mile it wasn’t so bad. . I was putting all I knew into it then and seeing how many of the stragglers I could lap. The cheers of the crowd helped a lot at this stage.”

WEATHERILL VERY TIRED SYDNEY, February 11. (Received February 11, at 1.50 p.m.)’ Weatherill was prominent early in the race, but dropped back to fourth place aft«r three miles, Geddes passed him when commencing the last two miles. After the placed men came the remainder of the field at long intervals, Geddas being fourth, 100yds ahead of Weatherill, who was very tired. UNOFFICIAL POINTS TABLE AUSTRALIA IN THE LEAD. SYDNEY, February 11. (Received February 11, at 12.45 p.m.) The unofficial table of points for all the Empire Games events is as follows :—■ Australia 367 Canada ... 248 England ... 202 South Africa 125 New Zealand 110 Scotland; ... ... 26 Wales has gained points for athletics, boxing, and swimming, British Guiana for swimming, Ceylon for athletics and boxing, Rhodesia for bowls and boxing, Northern Ireland for bowls, and Fiji for bowls. New Zealand has scored the most points for" bowls, and is fourth in the athletic and wrestling _ tables, but scored very few points in swimming, boxing, and cycling. The referee of the six miles event, Mr Langford, said he had not investigated any suggestion of _ elbowing by Coleman. Stanford (Trinidad), who dropped out of the race after one and a-half miles, alleged that he was so badly elbowed by Coleman that it was impossible for him to continue. It is understood that the manager of the Trinidad team has lodged a protest in writing against certain incidents in the race.

CONGRATULATIONS TO MATTHEWS [Per United Press Association.} WELLINGTON, February 11.‘ On behalf of bis colleagues and himself, Mr Savage has conveyed the warmest congratulations to Matthews on his magnificent performance in the six miles event at Sydney.