ATHLETICS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 12818, 18 March 1905, Page 5 (Supplement)

ATHLETICS.

I Before these notes appear in print the : nrst clay a programme in connection with the annual championship meeting under the auspices of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association held this year on the Lancaster Park ground, Christeburch. will have been disposed ,of. The gathering concludes today but in the absence of the list of entries, usually telegraphed to the loading centres ot the colony. I can hardlv venture an opinion as to the, probable results; and will therefore confine myself to rcnrodticitig the list of events to be decided. " They are as under: —Athletic championships: ' lOOvds flat (final), standard 10 1.55., New Zealand record 9 4-5,. : 220 yds flat, standard 22 4-55., Now Zealand record 22 3-55.: 880 yds flat, standard 2m. 2*.. New Zealand record im. 5? 1-s f-; one-mile flat, standard 4m. 525., New Zealand record 4m. 28 2-55.; one-mile walk, standard 7m., New Zealand record 6m. 27 2.55; 440 yds hurdles, standard 635., New Zeaand record 58 4-5.5.: high jump, standard sft mi, New Zealand record sft 9 l-Bin: pole. jump, standard 10ft, New Zealand record lift Clin : tin-owing 161b hammer (9ft. i'^ C f V), ,i standard 130 ft, New Zealand record 166 ft 4Ain. Amateur cycle championships: One mile and five Utiles. vi-"i E. Shrubb. who arrived in Dunedin on Wednesday afternoon last, will not compete in the distance events, to be decided at the -Now Zealand amateur athletic championship meeting on the Lancaster Park ground, Uiristchureh, to-day. The English champion feels that he would net be able to do himself justice over a mile, and not without reason, as all who followed his doings while in Australia are aware that an attack of gastric influenza compelled him to delav his departure for this colony, and it would therefore be impossible'for him to get fit in the short space of time that has been at bis disposal since be lauded In New Zealand. He, however, hopes to get back into sufficiently good form to compete in the mile events to be decided at both Wellington and Auckland. In Auckland we shall probably see the best of him as far as his New Zealand form is concerned, and in view of this I would suggest to the authorities of the Auckland Amateur Athletic and Cycle Club that an effort should be made to get Hector Burk, the young Dunedin crack, to come North to measure strides with England's champion. Shrubb says lie hopes to reel off the mile in 4m. 2':.s. or 4in. 23*. before leaving the colony, and should his hones be realised it is hardly likely that Bulk, fine performer though lie undoubtedly is over a mile, would prove equal to holding his own with the Englishman: but it is quite certain that he would give Shrubb a better race than any other amateur runner in the colony at the present time, and a meeting between tho pain would unquestionably prove a strong attraction. Bulk's best, is 4m. 28s. for the mile, but with Shrubb to set the pace be no doubt would, under favourable conditions, improve on the time on the Domain Cricket (hound, which is admittedly the fastest track in the colony.

At the Irish Athletic Society's sports at Inveroargill on Wednesday last Frank Forde, who recently issued a challenge to A. A. Cameron for a match in a series of field events, succeeded in beating the famous Scottish athlete's world's record throw with the 161b hammer, Scotch style. Fordo hurled the missile a distance of 126 ft Tin, which beats Cameron's best, by oft Biin. Mr. R. Smith, who recently issued a challenge on behalf of A. A. Cameron, in which he offered to pit th". Scottish athlete against Constable Arthur Skinner, of Auckland, in a three-style wrestling match or a series of field contests, lias presumably not yet seen the Aucklander's published in my last Saturday's notes —as he has not yet communicated with me in the matter.

A. R. Churchill, hon. secretary this year of the Cambridge University Hare _ and Hounds, is looked upon by a prominent English writer as a likely successor to A. E. Shrubb. Churchill, who is just 21 years of age, won the two-mile race for Cambridge against the L.A.C. last year in the record time for the ground (Fenner's) of 9m. 36 1.55. and the three miles against Oxford at Queen's Club in 14m. 57 5-ss. He has also several other fine performances to his credit in flat and cross-country races up to 10 miles. . American sprinter A. F. Duff nude his first appearance in New Zealand last Saturday, when lie competed at the international meeting promoted by the Otago centre of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association. Jumping off the mark like a shot out of a gun in the .50yds dash, the Yankee flyer won in the great "time of 5 2-55., establishing a record for a grass track: but in the 100 yds handicap he was slow to move and could i.< t make tin the ground he was giving awav, finishing outside the placed division in a race won in 10s. by Hoare (4lvds) a very creditable performance for the Dunedinito. With the additional traming be has had since running at Dunechn Duffev should go very near even time for the distance in the 100 yds championship final, to be decided at Lancaster lark ground (Cliristchurchl to-day Hector Burk. the Dunedm distance crack, chopped Is. off the New Zealand record for the half-mile on Saturday last at the international meeting on the Oansbrook ground. The Victorian champion. Wheatley, was pitted" against the young Southerner, but was not able to foot it with Burk at the business end of the journey the Dunedmtte breastin"- the tape a vard to the good of F at riclt fed!) in lm. 53 1-ss. Wheatley filled th.rd Pi The wrestling match between Hairy Peerce (Australia)' and Arthur Skinner (Auckland was conclude,! on Saturday last at A Man dra -Park- The final style was Cornish, best of three falls to decide (the other styles, cafe! astch-can. and Cumberland, were decided some months ago without advantage to either), and after the pair had wrestled for an hour and 40 minutes the referee (Mr. W. S. Fagan) declared the match a draw, announcing that each had gamed a fall. As I was not present, I shall not dwell at length on the matter, but I must say that several • competent judges who were there unhesitatingly state that Skinner got two fair falls, and should have been declared the winner. They may or may not have been correct, and while not, under the circumstances, in a position to dispute the referee sdecision, I certainly respect their opinion, as men capable of judging a fad lm her, it may be stated that prior to the start at Alexandra Park the referee, intimated that in the event of neither of the men having gained an advantage in number of fa lis at The exniration of an hour and a-halt, it was his intention to decide the match on points. Such a course would not commend itself certainly, but having staled his intention to so act ■the referee should have adhered to it, and decided one way or the other. JNo one will deny that Skinner made the bulk of the play, and had such a decision been Sv n V could hardly have been other ban ft his favour. The referee having declined to give a decision, the Aucklander demanded that the match should be continued, and after demurring Pearce consented to go on tor a further period of ten minutes (making ,he'hour and 40 minutes), and acting on the defensive succeeded in staying out the time without a tall being registered against him. George Hackensehmidt, world champion Grseco-Roman wrestler, passed through Auckland by the R.M.s. Sonoma at the cnu of last week, en route to San Francisco. Before leaving America he will probably arrange a match with Frank Gotch, who recently won the title of champion of America by defeating Jenkins. Should a match be fixed up it will probably be in catch-as-catch-can style, as Gotch has stated that he will not get into holds with the Russian Lion in Graco-Roman. Gus. Rennert, the German wrestler, who was in Auckland during the Carkeek season, has advised the sporting scribe of the Sydney Referee that he is prepared to visit New Zealand to meet A. A. Cameron should (he Scottish athlete be willing to arrange P. match either in catch-as-catch-can or Gi'fpco-Koman styles. t 11. Kerr, the Taranaki walker, is raid to have deposited a cheque for £50 to bind a match with C. Faulkner, the Sydney professional. It, is understood that L. B. Webster, exchampion sprinter of New Zealand, now in Sydney, will bo invited to compete in the international scratch sprint races on the Sydney Cricket Ground on April 15 and 22. This is the meeting at which Shrubb and Duffey will run.