VARIOUS SPORTS

Northern Advocate, 22 January 1927, Page 11

VARIOUS SPORTS

Two Mexican Indians, Thomas Zafiro and Leonicio San Miguel, put up a world’s record on November 8, running from Paehuca to Mexico, a distance of 62-1 miles, in 9hr 37min. During the run the Indians were frequently at altitudes of from a mile and a-half to two miles. The run was arranged for the purpose of proving the ability of the Tarahumare Indians as distance runners. The best previous record for 62 miles is credited to J. Saunders. In New York, in 1882, Saunders, during a run of 120 miles 275 yards, covered the first 62 miles in lOhr lOmin 50sec.

Chopping and sawing seems to have reached a high standard in Southland judging by the performances put up recently. The visit of Jerry O’Sullivan, the world’s champion axeman, has done a great deal of good, and his style has been -watched keenly by local men. O’Sullivan was successful in several events at the Tahaopa sport-s, and since then has been handicapped so much that he haa usually had to content himself with second or third money.

The latest Australian sprinting sensation is Tommy O’Halloran, of Queensland. It will be remembered that this 16-year-old ran fourth in the Australasian 100 yards championship, Tuning O’Halloran is stated to have competed against a bicycle, and covered the hundred in 9 4-ssec. The time may be correct, for it was taken by both the cycling and the running officials. O’Halloran is in the hands of Arthur Postle, who is sanguine that he will be the next Australian sprint champion. Postel declares that he is the best material that he has ever seen. Jack Curran, another prefessional runner, holds the same opinion as Postle.

What is described by one writer as a hesitation waltz in scrag time, the bout between Belgian Ernest Tyncke, and ‘ 1 Frisco ’ ’ McGale failed to give general satisfaction. It was a poor scrap, by most accounts, and for that, Frisco is held to blame. The Belgian always wanted to fight, but his mental apparatus clogged his physical endeavour. He has a noble right, however, and heaps of pluck. The negro fought a retreating battle, and when he did not do that, he stalled and clung like a burr to a lamb. But he could not stop the non-stop spirit of Tyncke, who went on and piled up a big winning margin. Against an opponent who will come to him, Tyncke probably would please everyone but his opponent and friends.

The path of athletic achievement lead to Hollywood and the films. Gene Tunney followed Jack Dempsey out to the realm of the studios and the Klieg lights, and Patho is now showing the Tunney serial, “The Fighting Marine.” Then “Red” Grange heard the call and the chances are that “Babe” Ruth will bo obeying the instructions of some director before the winter is over, says an American writer. Now comes the report that Suzanne Lenglen, one of the C. C. Pyle’s lawn-tennis stars, is expected out in Hollywood, where Byron Morgan is completing a tennis story for her. So far the numerous rumours about the tale have been settled down to these misty facts. The piece may be called “Forty Love,” and concerns actively a girl who plays tennis pretty well, and in one minute of play serves aces, “all aces,” and impfimpQ wnHd p.hfiTnTubn.

'UPPUMIVS I Albert Barry, who is coming to Aim- j tralia to row for the sculling cham- , pionship of the world, has deposited a, cheque for £250 for a match with Major Goodsell. The Barry family has j been famous in rowing circles for many ! years. W. A. (Bill) Barry won the ] Doggctt’s Coat and Badge in 1891, and seven years later he defeated George Towns, the Australian, for the English championship. Ernie Barry, five times, world’s champion, is naturally the- most notable of the Barry family, and his nephew, "Bert,” bids fair to uphold the family prestige. His successes include the Doggett’s Coat and Badge (1925) and the Putney and Kingston Coat and Badge races in 1920 and 1021 respectively. * * * * Through the American Amateur Athletic XTnion, Paavo Nurmi, the Finnish runner, sent to President, Calvin Coolidgo a gold ornamented knife and chain said to be a type carried in some parts of Finland as a weapon for protection against attacks by highwaymen. The chain is for suspension around the neck. The Japanese swimming champion, Takaishi, who is touring Australia, at present , has put up meritorious performances in a 50 metres pool. He is a free style swimmer, and his companion, Saitoh, is an exponent of the back-stroke. Takaishi is proclaimed the next best swimmer in the world to Arne Borg, but what, of J. Weismuller, who holds world’s records for 100yds, 100 metres, 150yds, 200 metres, and up to 500 metres? asks a Sydney writer. Weismuller’s world’s record for 100 metres is 57 8-lOsec, and his Olympic, record in the 100 metres event, held in Paris in 1924, was 59aec. Takaishi made 59 4-saec for this distance at the Olympic Games.

That Los Murray has more than made good in the United States is shown by the accounts, of bis fight in Now York with Solly Slceman. One paper remarks that “Los Murray’s fine work in defeating Solly Sleeman in the Gardens (Madison Square) still is fresh iu the minds of the fans who were on hand. Murray’s showing was totally unexpected, ns he had been anything but impressive in his first appearance here.”

The German nation will be well represented at the next Olympics. If the team perform up to reputation several world’s championships will be taken to the Fatherland. Systematic preparations have been made for months past for the 1928 Olympics.

At the Sydney Stadium the other night the contestants persisted in clinching and lying on each other. The spectators wore bored, and said so. At last one enthusiast, thoroughly fed up, remarked, “All they are doing is loving each other.” “Yes,” commented another, “anyone would think they were boxing under the ‘Marquess of Gooseberry’ rules’ instead of the ‘Marquess of Queenshurv. ’” Eventually the referee also got tired of the exhibition, and disqualified one of the boxers.

When Jack Hobbs is no more and the present generation of cricket lovers is dead, his famous cricketer’s shop at 59 Fleet Street, London, will be a spot of great historical interest to all visitors, says an English writer. The regard for .Tack Hobbs in England is practically reverential, and this season, after his great contribution to the Old Country’s win in the last test match, followed by the highest score of his career, 316 (not out) for Surrey against Middlesex, public worship of their idol knew no bounds. In musty old Fleet Street Hobbs has his sports centred, within the hallowed precincts of journalism. Hundreds pass his shop daily, and there is always an interested crowd gazing with admiration at the wares displayed or some tit-bit of importance in cricket that Jack will show. Hobbs’ shop is a great centre of attraction, and it is doubtful whether “Ye Olde. Cheshire Cheese,” the famous inn further down the street, draws such crowds.

In one of the fiercest fights seen at the Sydney Stadium for a long time, Ivan Laffineur won in 14 rounds from Ted Monson, who was sent to the floor with a blow which was questioned by a large section of the spectators. It was in the last minute of the term that Laffineur landed a right-hand punch to the body. Monson 'dropped to the. boards and placed his left hand over the injured spot. The expression of his face indicated that he was in great pain. The referee (Joe Wallis)) counted Monson out, and then placed his hand on the Drenchman’s head as a token of victory. As Monson dropped to the boards the Frenchman moved back to the southern ropes, and resting his face in his gloves for a second or two, appeared to be crying He then waved his arms, and was certainly agitated There was no real reason for this. He should have been exultant over his victory. The contest showed that with all the boosting of some of the visiting fighters, there arc also Australians who can give sensational displays. Monson astounded the crowd with his great gameness and fine hitting Laflineur afterwards admitted that it 'was his hardest fight so far in Australia. The Australian had the Frenchman on the floor for five seconds in the tenth round through landing a stiff left to the solar plexus. It was a clean hit. Laffineur was groggy at the end of the thirteenth term, which was the fiercest round and probably the best that Monson has ever fought.

j No woniler there was a grin on the | faee of the “Tiger.” For “Tiger” '• Payne, the coloured American middlc- ■ weight, succeeded, the other day, at I the Sydney Stadium, in knocking out j George Thompson, the heavyweight I champion of Australia, in one round. i The Australian was confident at the ! start, and the negro clearly nervous. ! After an exchange of punches, Thomp- ! son got inside Payne’s guard and had | the better of a short rally on inI fighting. There was a break, and anj other rally inside, also to Thompson’s 1 advantage. After the negro had swung several times, and missed, ho changed his tactics swiftly, and forced ! the lighting. Some quick moving, and I Payne, putting all his weight behind j a left hook, caught Thompson on the side of the head. It was a convincing i punch, and Thompson dropped to the ' j boards. Eight thousand people, who | contributed £ 1G5(5 to the box office, groaned in spirit at the briefness of their entertainment. ! • • - • An American paper sent its repre- • sentative to Philadelphia to report the i Dempsey-Tunney fight. He visited the camps of the two contestants and saw . them at work over their last week of training, and reported to his paper i. ’ that, despite what might be said by j what the paper terms the “self styled I ‘ace’ sporting writers,” his opinion . ] was that Tnnncy would win. After the ’ i fight, tin 1 result of which bore out . | his views, it is hardly necessary to ; 1 say that his paper did not neglect to . ! advertise the fact that its representa--3 'live “did not make predictions that ) i could bo turned with the wind after i the fight.” <lt should be mentioned s that all the leading writers with the , 1 exception above mentioned, dashed up ) . their stuff in a non-committal manner, , | which enabled them, after the fight, j j to be in a position to say, no matter B j which man won, that the result was as I might have been expected.

The Otago Chib’s crew, winners of the Champion'Fours'last season, and subsequently winners at two regattas at Melbourne, will defend their title at I’ictou on March 19.

It is reported that Charlie Paddock, the famous American sprinter, is about to marry Bebe Daniels, the noted film actress. Evidently Paddock is following in the footsteps of Jack Dempsey.

| The women who wish to swim the ! Catalina Channel, on the Californian coast, may try grease as their only covering, according to the decision of Wrigley’s Committee, which is arranging the competition. Pome of tho women contestants expect to wear a coating of grease weighing 101 b. One of the contestants tho other day declared that she would no,t hamper her speed by wearing a costume. She said that she had done many long swims with just a grease covering. Gertrude Edcrlc,' tho American girl who swam the English Channel, wore a costume, and her body was heavily smeared with grease to keep out the cold. The right Santa Barbara Islands, including Canta Catalina, lie off the southern coast of California, from 20 to CO miles from the mainland, and extending for 160 miles in N.W and S.E. the islands of San Miguel, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, and Anacapa from the mainland. * * * * “Was tho big fight a fake?” asks one Sydney Sutherland in a feature story in an American magazine, thereby keeping up the custom that has obtained ever since boxing was first commercialised. Every time someone beats someone else for the heavyweight championship of the world the charge crops np that it was a fake. In Sutherland’s story Charlie Mabbutt ,tho generalissimo, around Dempsey’s camp, has declared that tho exchampion was poisoned from milk left on the verandah in the morning. Mabbutt was ill for several weeks after the fight, attacked by the same rash which afflicted the former champion. Sutherland also charges Hempscywith having agreed to lie down before Tunney, but says, that gamblers who had backed Tunney heavily also slowpoisoned Dempsey to make; certain that he would keep the agreement. “Perfect nonsense,” declared Tex Rickard, when shown this and similar charges which are stirring New York, Dempsev himself said. “I was beaten by a better man. That’s all about it.”