Our Association

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXII, Issue 205, 13 August 1932, Page 3 (Supplement)

Our Association

With Olympic Games of the Past

DATES BACK NEARLY A QUARTER OF A CENTURY. representation has been good. BUT NOT BRILLIANT. At Olympic Village, Los Ang des, a New Zealand team of athletes, in the drive for international sporting honours, has' been for the past two weeks extending a trail that was blazed all but a quarter of a century ago. New Zealand was first represented at such a meeting at Lot don in 1908, and had representatives at Stockholm in 1912, at Antwerp in 1920, at Paris in 1924, and at Amsterdam in 1928. Only pne title’has been brought to this country by these crusades. Ted Morgan, of Wellington, won the worlds’ amateur welterweight boxing championship at the 1928 Games at Amsterdam.

H. St. A. Murray, of Christchurch, a hurdler, and H. E. Kerr, of Wellington, a walker, competed at London in 1908. Kerr did very well in the preliminary rounds of the 3500 metres and 10-mile walks, but then had to retire through having blistered feet. G. N. Hill, of Auckland, a runner, and M. El Champion, of Auckland, a swimmer, went to Stockholm in 1912. Hill failed to qualify in heats of the 1500 and 5000 metres, both won in record times.

Champion, now superintendent of the Auckland Municipal Baths, was eliminated in the 400 and 1500 metres events, but was a member of the Australasian team of four that set a new world’s record of 10.11 1-5 for the 800 metros relay.

C. Atkinson, well ' nown in Christchurch, and now resident in Napier.

competed at this meeting as a member of the British team and won a heat of the 200 metres breast-stroke. Miss Violet Walrond, only .15 years of age, was the outstanding competitor, considering her years, in the team that went to Antwerp in 1920. She was third in her heat, and fifth in the final of the women’s 100 metres swimming race, and second in her heat of the 300 metres, but did not start in the final. H. E. Wilson, of Wellington, a hurdler, was third in his heat of the

110 metres hurdles, third in the semifinal and fifth in the final, won by that superb athlete, Earl Thompson, in 0.11 4-5. D'Arcy Hadfield, who had performed exceptionally well in Army competitions in England and France just after flic Great War and wl j later won the world’s professional championship, won his heat in the single sculls, but was eliminated in the semi-final.

G. Davidson, of Auckland, a sprinter, was second in his heat of the 200 metres, third m the semi-final and fifth in the final.

At Paris in 1924, which was the first time New Zealand had competed as a separate nation, Dr. A. E. Porritt, of Wanganui, then a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University, got nearer to a

world’s amateur titlte than any New Zealander had up till then, being third in the final of the 100 metres event. Charles Purdy, of Auckland, who fought in the welterweight section if the boxing, had a points decision given against him in his first fight. The London “Times” said he was “robbed right and left” and it seemed to be the opinion of most who saw the fight that he should have been given the decision. Miss Gwitha Shand, of Christchurch, competed in the swimming events. She was second in her heat of the 100 metres and third in the semi-final. She won her heat of the 400 metres and was third in the semi-final. She did not, however, start in the final of either event. At Amsterdam in 1928 E. Morgan, though he injured a hand in training and had to go into hospital immediately the competition was over, won five fights and the Olympic tithe in boxing, mainly by the energy and power he displayed. The team this year was the largest New Zealand has sent. Stanley Lay, of Hawera, was expected to do well in javelin throwing, but was eliminated in the early' rounds, though only a week or two before he had made a greater throw in England than the one which ultimately won the Olympic event. W. B. KaJaugher, another Rhodes Scholar at Oxford, competed unsuccessfully in the hurdles, and Misses Ena Stockley and Kathleen Miller were not good enough in the women’s swimming, and D. P. Lindsay was not successful in the men’s swimming. Miss Norina Wilson, of Gisborne, was the first woman runner to represent New Zealand at an Olympic Games meet. She was second in her heat of the 100 metres and third in the semifinal, failing to qualify for a final. A. J. Cl'everley, of Wellington, a boxer, and L. J. Moorhouse, of Christchurch, a backstroke swimmer, paid their own expenses to the meeting. Though they performed well they were not quite good enough .to win titles.