ATHLETICS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 11229, 25 November 1899, Page 7

ATHLETICS.

The Spring Carnival of the Auckland Ama>eur Athletic and Cycle Club, to be held at , Domain Cricket Ground tins afternoon, has been attracting considerable public attention during the past week or two, an( promises, with favourable weather, to prove ono of the most successful gatherings yet held under the auspices of this old-establisneu club, both from an athletio and financial point of view. , ~ „ The Town and Country Journal, reporting the Australasian Championship llor l®B at Brisbane, says of Rowley's 100 yds win • ■ "The time was 9 9-10s., but, although the official timekeeper gave that phenomenal time, the others placed it at evens, . ,T. ,7. Dickey, the well-known "heel find toe" exponent, has expressed his determination to endeavour to lower the colours of the returned champion, C. McAffep, in til'? Walking events this afternoon at the Dcmiyn, As Dickey is said to he in good form, tins friendly "go 1 should prove full of interest In onlookers, and productive of very, 800" times.. Both men have a.strong following of supporters. ...

The recent biennial Australasian Amateur j Championships at Brisbane were the fourth . ill t° date. The previous meetings were held in Melbourne in 1893, in Christchiirch , J? and in Sydney in 1897, the New i •South Wales team on either occasion win-1 nmg the majority of championsliips, and thereby securing the coveted premiership. I would throw out the suggestion to the Australasian Amateur Athletic Union that a banner should be securedthe cost to be equally contributed by the four affiliated associations—for presentation to the winning I colony at future gatherings, to be held by the I successful team until such time as it is wrested from them ty the representatives of one or other of tho sister colonies. W. H. Madill, champion amateur hammer '■rower of Australasia, is billed to hurl the 161b missile against his own record (130 ft 2in) at the A.A.A. and C.O. sports on the Domain Cricket Ground this afternoon. He is confident that with conditions* favourable he can add several feet to the record, and is determined to do so, as some of the authorities who witnessed his performance at Brisbane tho _ other day seem inclined to think that his record throw was a somewhat flukey one. The Aucklander, who now adopts the tlireo turns before delivering the hammer, finds that the-extra turn adds seven or eight feet to his throw, the only difficulty being in retaining the grip of the handle, so great is the velocity attained in turning. Tho climatic changes and pineapples (of which they ate a great number) played havoc with the New Zealand team at Brisbane, and, as I anticipated in summarising j the meetings last Saturday, Malthus, tho Christchiirch representative, was too unwell to start in the One Mile Flat Championship, while McAiTnr, though facing the starter in (lie '[ iirrc-inilo Walk, was also indisposed. Talking of Malthus, recalls the cabled statement that F. W. Durham, the Victorian • representative, left the track at the end of the ninth lap (when leading), under the impression that he had won, leaving Malthus to go on and win, and on (he return of the team I naturally questioned the Christchurch man as to the accuracy of tho report. The game little South Canterbury runner was somewhat, reticent on the point, but remarked that it was rather stranpo that the Victorian should mako a mistake of five lapsthe track being 14 laps to the three mileswhile the other members of tho team, on being taxed, said the statement wan all "bunkum, and agreed that Durham would never have lasted out tho journey. This puts a somewhat different complexion on affairs. Some excellent performances were accomplished at the Gaelic A.A. Championship Meeting, despite the absence of three such brilliant men as Horgan, Newburn, and Leahy. ,P. ,T. O'Connor won the Long Jump with 23ft 7in, and, in an exhibition jump, cleared 24ft 3in. He also won tho Hop, Step, and .Tump with 48ft, the High Jump with sft Sin. and the 220 yds Flat Championship, and finished second to Lynch in tho lOJyds Championship. M. O'Connor won the shot-putting with lift 2in, and Kielv tho hammer-throwing with 156 ft 2in, and throwing the 561b with 37ft 4in. E. Brownlee, amateur champion broad and high jumper, should, on the springy turf at the Domain, succeed ill lowering the Now Zealand record, held by himself, for the high jump. Brownlee, who is handi- ' caped 011 sft 9in, is in rare fettle at present. I Nothing could liavo been moro gratifying ' than the kindly remarks made by the mem- ! I hers of the team at the reception 011 lion- \ day evening last concerning the capable management and cvoi-ready assistance of 1 I Manager McEetli, in rubbing tho men down, ! ! etc., during their training on the other side. 1 I One and all of them agreed that lie was the j ! right man in tho right place, and that the ' I members should have taken this, their only I opportunity of publicly expressing their. satisfaction, must have fully recompensed the , .genial Mcßeth lor his efforts on behalf of j tlir contingent.