AMATIUR ATHLETICS.

North Otago Times, Volume CI, Issue 13235, 5 March 1915, Page 7

AMATIUR ATHLETICS.

100 YARDS CHAMPIONS,

Docils of J. 11. Hompton, -W. A, Woodgor and Itouald Opio, Now Zoalaild'H Fabtcbt Sprintors.

(B,\ <Tiodig<' i" H.wlnry'Beleico)

Last week, in cudeavuuriug to. coin?to a liiiding as/tu who was jlic Ju'st, 100 yds amateur runner in during iho mist twenty-five yenr.H.v., so far as mv own personal opinion is concerned, l'lei'l nit after having"made. ut preliminary selection of nine sprinters -J. 11. llcmpton, W. A. Woodger, and ■llomild Opie, r«j>resontiii}? Now lioiiliindjW.'T; Macphorson, Sltuilcv'.lt. HowlejV and Nigel C, Barker, New tiuutli Wales;and W. Shea, 11. 11. Hunter, ami U. A.' Moir, Victoria. Tlio preparation oMast week's article involved a task of no.small magnitude, but nothing as compared to the ditlK cully of a further -reduction of nine to two, ami from* two to out',■ owing to the different periods and different sets of circumstances under review, I will commence with the New Zealanders, The late J. H, Henipton on four occasions won Die 100 yds -championship of New ZealaniMSSHii lime recorded as i) 3-Osec, in 1892 in I) Wscc, in ISO!) in 10 2-osee, and 189-1 iu 10 2-sscc. Iu 1SI)0 he competed in an intercolonial meeting, and Von the 100 yds scratch race (grass) iu lOJscc. In England iu 1892 he ran second in 100 yds scratch race (to C, A, Bradley, of Hudderslield) at TuM'uell Park, being beaten a yard 'in lOsec. In the English 100 yds championship Heinplou was beaten in his heat bv an Australian runner named 11. T. S.'Bcll—a student at Guy's Hospital—by one yard in 10 L'-usec. Hemptou wits probably never quite at his best iu England. I may also mention that the track at Tull'nell Park over Avhicli he ran a yard worse thiui lUtice was grass, and partly downhill.I mention all these events because both Woodger and Opie won New Zealand 100 yds championships, also both Avon Australasian 100 yds championships (Woodgcr- iu JIM) and Opie in 11111), and both also visited England (in 1911). To return to Ilemploii. I tiist saw him compete in I§S9 at Duncdiu, when the otlicial watches showed 9 .'l-Sscc, for the lOOvds. To begin with, there was a strong breeze behind the runners, who repeatedly-broke over, and eventually . were moving as the gun went. I.timed that event. Personally, I make no claim for great time-taking powers,'but I have held a watch again and again against Mr W. T. Kerr, admittedly one of the world's greatest watch-holders, and tli.it authority has paid me the compliment of saying that in the vast majority of crises my watch agreed with 'his to the fraction. Well, I can only say of that Duncdin "go" that, with wind and moving start given in, my watch showed fl fl-lOsee. ' I cniinbtsay anything, one way or another, with regard to the I) 'l-iisec at (Jhristchurch on I'Yliriiarv li, 1802, but it will be noted that outside of the above times all other performances are well over lOsec. I know that when the deceased sprinter visited Sydney iu JSIHI (the big Botany boom days were not over and the city was full' of great runners and aiiihpri'tios on pedestrianism) no one would have it for n moment that Ileumton was better than a "quarter-second" man, if as gooU' And quite « number were prepared to admit that Macphorson was not far removed from an eventimer; anil vet llcmpton beat Macphersou in lOJsec. ♦That Jooyds race on the Sydney Cricket Ground in 1890 is one I have never quite been able to understand, although from one cause and another I am sure both were well below their best 100 yds pace. In Pollruarv, IS9I, Macphcrson went to Auckland" ami won the lOOyds-also iu !> •1-osec. lie went specially hoping to get another trial of speed with Houston, but. tluUitst-iiiimed, (lidjiot.-com-pete, being on the sick-list. Macpherson was iu slashing form at the time -it was then he ran 250 yds in 21 ;i-."i sec audllOydsin 50 2-ssec-and it was bad luck thov did not meet.

■ Ami now to Woodger ami Opie, vhn are of the .fame period. They met in the JUUvils championship of New 55c:ilimt at Huncdin on .March 20, IMS, ami Woodger won in 111 l-sscc. Woodgci' also heat Opie in the 220 yd* in 22 •}* sec. 1 lirsl saw Wuodgor in nelion in Dial memorable Australasian meeting nt Urisbain* (August, JIHUI), when Nigel Barker, although right off form, but partially trained, ami with a pronounced "leg," bravely went out to certain defeat in the short sprints in order to try and assist his tiinU'. for Australasian honours, In Itriibirne, although by no means well, Woodger won Hie loy.vils in lOAmv' (with 11. X Fay, Queensland, second, ami A. ■!). Ellis, Victoria, third) in 2i>J-iJscc. .In the, New Zealand' championships at Auckland on February .10, 1910, Woodger again met Opie, and in -both 100 yds ami SL'Uyils heal liiin-lOOyils in 1(1 l-j»ee\aiul 220 yds in 21 l-iisec. fn the New Zealaud championships of J9ll (at Christchurch during March) Opie won the lOOvds in 10 MOsec (F. C, Hubbard, second), the 220 yds iu 22sec, and the -1-JOyds in 30 Losec Woodger and Opie were members of (lie Australasian team at the Festival of Empire in ■ London (June-July, 1011), but Woodger had the misfortune lo bn laid up with sickness, whilst Opie developed a leg, As my readers) know, Opie was third in the 100 yds and second in the 2211 yds, the Canadian, F. J. Ilalliliaus, winning the double. In the 100 yds Opie was beaten by two yards.' in 10 "-iisoi:. A week before he had won a 100 yds scratch lace at Crewe. In his heat he beat V. It. A. D'Arcy by inches in 10 lusec, whilst iu Ihe tin a 1 he beat W. A. Stewart (Tasmania) by four or live inches in 10 1-Cscc. •Aiiywsiy, I will cut English form out altogether in coming lu a linding between Woodger and Opie, In the Australasian championships at Wellington (December, 1011) Opie won the lOUyds from P. Redmond (N.8.W.) and A. D. Ellis (Vie,), in 0 l-usee (downhill track ami wind'assisting); the 220 yds in 2:1 sec (from Redmond); and the llUyds in u!lscc (from Harding and Fnttinson); Woodger was not a competitor. Now, 1 have no hesitation iu placing Woodger slightly before Opie over the •UOOyils and also over-the 220 yds, b.eyond which Woodger docs not run. 1 have tried to pass the performances of Hempton and Woodger in review; have sized up the men and their methods; made allowances, here find there; and finally, have comb to the conclusion that, given both lit their best form and in their best health, Woodger was the best sprinter New Zoaland has produced during the past quarter of a century from 100 yds to 220 yds.