ATHLETICS.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume X, Issue 48, 9 February 1920, Page 5

ATHLETICS.

AUSTRALASIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS.

N.S.W. WINS THE SHIELD

Sydney, Feb. 8. Ideal weather favoured the concluding stage of the athletic championships, Friday's rain giving place to a bright, crisp day. The tracks were in perfect condition. The keenness of last week’s competitions and the evenness of the contest between New Zealand and New South Wales excited tense interest. To-day’s events brought to-day a record crowd. As anticipated, the New Zealand champion hammer thrower, McHblm, easily outdistanced the local talent, and beating Munro, the Dominion’s wonderful shot-putter, by 14 feet 2 inches. Lindsay, who had already beaten the great Englishman, Applegarth, over 220 yards, had to content himself with third place behind the New South Wales fliers Hunt and Leadley. The manner in which Hunt shaped in the 100 and 220 yards caused his name to be seriously considered in connection with the Olympic Games. Dormer made a good showing in the 880 , yards, being narrowly beaten by the New South Wales representative | Piggott, who usually shines over the last stages' of the half-mile, whereas Dormer appears to' have lost at the finish. Wilson, New Zealand’s champion 120 yards hurdler, was beaten out of a plate in the 440 yards hurdles, Edmunds securing the event for Victoria, defeating the New 'South Wales', competitor by three yards.

New South Wales occupied the three places in the mile walk, Parker repeating his victory obtained last week in the three miles walk, and easily downing Austin by sixty yards. NeW Zealand was not represented in the running high jump and the three mile run, the former going to Victoria, H. W. Harbison topping sft. Bin. against the two New South Wales’ competitors’ sft. sin. New South Wales again supplied the leaders in the three miles run, Gran- ■ demange scoring easily, bringing the shield to . New South Wales with seven firsts, nine seconds, and nine ’ thirds. New Zealand took second ’ place with four firsts, five seconds, ’ and three thirds; Victoria'four firsts, ' one second and three thirds, and the , other States nowhere. Following are . the detailed results: —

Hammer Throwing. — McHolm (New Zealand), 130 ft. 9in); Munro (New Zealand), 116 ft. 7in.; Ferguson (New South Wales) 112 ft. 2m. The event proved a soft snap for the hefty New Zealander. 200yds.—First heat: Hunt (New South Wales) 1, Lindsay (New Zealand) 2, Goll (Victoria) 3. Won by four yards in 23 seconds. Second heat: Leadley (New South Wales) 1, Linehan (Victoria) 2, Hueston (New South Wales) 3. Won by two yards in 23 4-ssec. Final: Hunt 1, Leadley 2. Lindsay 3. A perfect start. When the men straightened for the final dash Hunt had two yards’ advantage and, finishing strongly, won by five yards in 22 2-5 secs. „ „ Half-mile -run. —Piggott (N.S.W.) 1 Dormer (New Zealand) 2, Linehan (Victoria) 3. A hard won race, Piggott only defeating the New Zealander by reason of his resolute finish by two yards. Corrected time, 2min. 2 2-ssecs<. 440yds. Hurdles.—Edmunds (Victoria) 1, Frazer (N.S.W.) 2, Almond (Victoria) 3. A muddling race. Wil•son when leading fell exhausted within twenty yards of the tape. The accident threw Frazer out of nis stride, 1 enabling the fast-finishing Edmunds to snatch victory by three yards'. Time, Imin. 2 4-ssecs. Mile Walk.—Parker (New South Wales) 1, Austin (New South Wales) 2, Stokes (New South Wales) 3. The first two were togeher at the bell, when Parker made a determined sprint, passed Austin and won easily by sixty yards' in 6inin. 49secs. Running High Jump.—H. W Herbison (Victoria), corrected height sft loin. 1; J. K. Herbison (New South Wales), sft. 7in. 2; Potter (New jsouth Wales), sft. 7in. 3. The winner’s performance was remarkable. He only arrived in Sydney on Saturday morning after travelling from Wednesday night, and scored his first success in the Australasian championships. Three miles run.—Grandemange (New South Wales) 1, Cain (New South Wales)i2, Sheaves (New South Wales) 3. The winner made a remarkable sprint of fully three hundred yards in the final lap, scoring easily by forty yards in 15min. 54 1-5 sec.

WHY NEW ZEALAND FAILED. (Received 9, 9.40 a.m.) Sydney, Feb. 9. Mr. Davis, manager of the New Zealand team, accounts for New Zealand’s defeat by the fact that the team was not up to proper form on l the first day, and on the second day they found the track very rough and heavy after what they were accustomed to in New Zealand. —(A. and N.Z.) _