ATHLETICS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume L, Issue 113, 9 April 1930, Page 12

ATHLETICS.

TRACK, AND CYCLE. AT HOME AND ABROAD. The Christchurch Sun states that the well-known cyclist, T. O’Brien, has challenged the New Zealand champion, F. J. Grose, to a match race over any distance, and if arrangements can the- match will take place at Petone on Easter Saturday. Official information regarding the Tenth Olympic Games lias been received in New Zealand. An invitation is extended to the Dominion to send an athletic team to compete at Los Angeles in 1932. During the interval the controlling body intends to devise a scheme to raise funds in order to send a team. To select a representative ill the world’s professional sprint championship series, the South Australian Athletic League, decided that the test should he 120 yards championship of the State. This was won by Julian Hunter by a yard from R. P. AVilhelm in 11 7-10sec —three yards inside evens. Hunter, who won the “Melbourne Thousand” last year, is considered to have a fine chance of winning the world’s championship. Presiding at a luncheon of motorcycle track racing promoters in London. the Master of Sempill hoped it might be possible at the end of the present season to send a strong team of dirt-track riders to Australia to compete in a series of test matches for the speedway “ashes.” The Australians could return the visit the following year. The Master of Sempill pointed out that ten millions attended the British tracks last season despite the prohibition of betting. The name Stawell Gift is familiar to most New Zealand professional runners, and probably also to most of the amateur fraternity. It is looked upon by Australians as the athletes’ Blue Ribbon event, and the winner receives in addition to the substantial monetary prize a handsome sash. This year the successful competitor will receive £2oo in cash, a solid gold medal, and the sash. The prize money altogether totals £4OO. Perhaps the most sensational event of the past season has been the re-entry of Randolph Rose into the sphere of active athletics. AVith comparatively little training, he won the three-mile championship in the splendid time of 14min. 45sec. This is 16sec. slower than the Australian and New Zealand record which stands to Rose’s credit, but his time this year was a magnificent effort, considering his limited training. Rose put up a great fight against Leo Lermond, the American crack, and ran him to within inches in a mile bout in 4min. 21 4-ssec. Lernnond, thus achieved revenge for the defeat of his countryman, Lloyd Hahn at Rose’s hands (or should one say feet). _ , , AV. A. Stewart, a New Zealander, who played four times tor Scotland at Rugby just prior to the war, was in his day admittedly the fastest man in the world over fifty -cards, says an English critic. His speed was really amazing, and, after all, fifty yards is as far as we can expect a three-quarter to run with the ball. And tw6 other Scotland representatives, J. G. AVill and Kenneth McLeod, were nearly always capable of doing oven time for the sprint. McLeod was not only a magnificent three-quarter—he played ton times for Scotland, including matches with South Africa and New Zealand (1905) —but he was also a wonderful all-round athlete. The most notable find of the past amateur season was Don Evans, the Taihape middle-distance runner. He won the half-mile Dominion title as generally expected, but his defeat of Savidan, Barnes and company was a surprise. In the right hands one can anticipate a big future for the young runner, and an Australian and New Zealand title looks well within his compass. Randolph Rose has a word of advice for Evans. He told a nalci Daily News representative that he regretted Evans was being called upon to do so much hard racing over all distances. “He should concentrate on one thing,” Rose said, “and refuse to be hacked about the country. He is only a lad yet, and with judicious management has a great future before him.” ‘He considered that if Evans was called upon to do too much racing his legs would fail him. He instanced his own case, and that of the young Masterton runner, Ralph Gully, who, he considered, would have been one of the greatest middle-distance runners of j New Zealand had he been managed judiciously. .