JAPANESE ATHLETES

Greymouth Evening Star, 22 February 1937, Page 14

JAPANESE ATHLETES

SUCCESSES AT AUCKLAND. [PEK PBESB ASSOCIATION.] AUCKLAND. February 21. The Japanese athletes were seen in action in New Zealand for the first time on Saturday, when Kohei Murakbso. a long-distance runner, and Kenshi Togami. a jumper, made the first competitive appearance of their Dominion tour at a special carnival held by the Auckland Amateur Athletic Centre at Carlaw Park. Both the visitors. who. were among the best Japanese performers at the Berlin Olympic Games, gave outstanding displays. Outpacing his opponents with ease. Murakoso scored a decisive win in a special two miles handicap, and Togami won the broad jump and gained- second place in both the hop, step, and jump and the higlrjump. Covering? the first, lap of the two miles in 64sec,. the second in 66sec, (he third in 69sec, and the fourth in 71sec, making 4min. 30sec. for the first mile, Murakoso was at this stage well ahead of his co-marker. Savidan. When the winner’s time was announced as 9min. 20 3-ssec. only two-fifth of. a second outside the New Zealand record established by R. rßose in 1927, it was evident that had Murakoso been at all pressed in the final stages he would have set new figures comfortably. .

Togami, who is ranked among the finest jumpers in the world, gave a high-class display of broad jumping to attain a< distance. of. 23ft. Biin, only 2J in short of the national record. Apparently not yet properly settled after his rough trip from Sydney during the week, Togami experienced difficulty in striking the take-off board accurately. One of his leaps carried him the remarkable distance of 26ft, but was d.isalibwe'd : as liis foot was a fraction over the mark when he took off. Rhythms and co-ordination of the three movements were the most noticeable features of Togaini’s hop, step, and jumping. He gave a glimpse of his calibre in this event by clearing 46ft. lOiri. with his first effort. Hjs second jump was an even better distance, being 48ft. lOin, but was disallowed on another technicality. Togami displayed versatility by clearing the bar at sft. 9iin. in the high jump. METCALFE WINS DECATHLON. SYDNEY, February 21. Jack Metcalfe, with 5732 points, won the New South Wales decathlon championship from the former champion, F. W. O’Brien, with 5284 points. Metcalfe won the. 110 metres hurdles, the 440 metres hurdles, and the javelin' throw. ■ O’Brien won the 1500 metres and the discuss throw. 500 YARDS RECORD. (Recd. February 22, 8 a.m.) NEW YORK, February 20. Eddie O’Brien broke his own world’s record for 500 yards, in 57.6 secs.