WORLD OF SPORT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19453, 8 October 1926, Page 15

WORLD OF SPORT.

VETERAN CYCLIST'S FEAT.

LONG JOURNEY COMPLETED. SPECIAL PRIZE AWARDED: To compete in a long-distance road cycling race at the *age of 57 and stay the journey was the meritorious performance registered by F. S. Clark, of Invercargill, who rodo in the Timaru to Christchurch race, a distance of 112 miles, on Saturday. Clark started with the limit men on the 50 minutes mark. They left him in the first 10yds., and from then on he continued to drop hack. Two hours out from Timarn he reached Geraldine, and ho was then last in the long, long trail. After the race, when the riders were being entertained at a smoke concert, the Mayor of Christchurch, the Rev. J. K. Archer, was speaking of the man from Invercargill, who, he understood, was on the road then, when a mudstained and weary little man, in -the long trousers and blue blazer which he had worn in the race, poked his head insido the door. With a roar of delight some of the riders swooped down on him, and he was hoisted shoulderhigh and chaired to the head table.

The snm of £3 was collected at once and handed to Clark as a special prizeIn returning thanks Clark said he had never ridden in a race before. He had bought his cycle for £8 about 18 months ago, and to get hardened for the race he travelled from Invercargill to Timaru by cycle, except over the hard going from Dunedin to Oamaru, which part of the journey he covered by train. Ho took four days to reach tho starting point. Clark added that recently he had found work hard to get, and he gave an assurance that his very special prize would bo well spent. Victorian Cricket Bombshell. Attacking his newspaper critics, Mr. Matt Ellis, one of last season's Victorian cricket selectors, threw a bombshell on tho table at tho Victorian Association annual meeting. He asked leave to withdraw his name from the nominations, and said the position was so unenviable that the best thing the association could do would be to get paid selectors. The chairman, Mr. McKinnon, said he would not bo able to withdraw his nomination, but ho would instruct the delegates that Mr. Ellis did not want any of them to vote for him as a selector. Mr. E. E. Bean, another of last year's selectors, who managed the last Victorian team to visit New Zealand, did not even nominate. He made an announcement that ho had decided to retire from every position which he held in the Victorian Cricket Association. He attended the meeting, but had nothing to say. He was, however, elecfed, together with Drs. Robertson and Mailler, as Victorian delegate on the Australian Board of Control. Vernon Ransford, W. M. Woodfull, and P. McAllister (a member for many years), comprise tho new selection committee. Ryder and Armstrong were among the nominees who were defeated. Lady Breaststroke Champions. Miss Gladys Pidgeon, lady champion breaststroke swimmer of New Zealand and holder of tho 220vds. record for Australia and Now Zealand, will leave Auckland by the Ulimaroa to-day for Sydney on an extended holiday. Apart from the recreational value of her trip, tho Auckland girl is having a change of atmosphere with a view to improving her swimming, for after tho rest she will return to prcparo for her contest with Miss Ettie Robertson, Australian lady breaststroke champion, in the New Zealand championships in Auckland next January. Both girls are faced with a difficult task, as their fastest times for 220vds. vary by only l-55., Miss Pidgeon's record of 3m. 40s. being the faster. Applications to the New Zealand Swimming Council for visits from Miss Robertson and her champion free-style companion, Miss Claire Couldwell, have exceeded all anticipations and testify to the popularity of overseas champions. So numerous are the requests and so scattered are the points of their origin, that several of them will probably have to be refused in justice to the two visitors who will be required to race against tho Dominion's best ladv swimmers just before their departure for home. Tennis Tour of Dominion. Now South Wales tennis players desirous of selection for the proposed trip to -New Zealand have been invited to send in their names to the secretary or president of their association or to seek further particulars from Frank Peach. It has not been docided definitely whether the team will leave at the end of December or the end of January, and players are asked to state whether both, or either, dates are suitable. The date decided upon will depend on the talent available. If the earlier date is chosen there is a possibility the visitors might play in the New Zealand championships to be held in Auckland at Christmas and New Year. New Athletic Rules. Among the new rules and regulations adopted at the recent congress of tho International Amateur Athletic Federation at Tho Hague were several that must be noted in New Zealand. A press report says:—"There was unanimity upon the need for closer control of international tours. In the matter of timing races, it was decided that the timing at the 1928 Olympiad should bo in fifths—it was stated that at present it was not practicable to procure accurate watches registering lOths of a second. However, tho Swiss delegates promised to go fully into the matter and report the result of their investigations to the. next congress. "Tho rule as to starting was greatly tightened up—now one break over brings about a warning, while tho starter must disqualify a competitor for a second break. In tho case of soveral breaking, the one who moves first, and thus, probably, carried the others over, is the 'offender.' The 'rocking' start, i.e., swaying the body backwards and forwards when 'set,' is prohibited. "It was also decided that no record would be accepted for any distance which has already been beaten for a longer distance —for example, a 200 metres record must be loss than tho accepted figure for 220 yards to be recognised. This will rule out several old records, particularly at 200 metres. "In all international races up to 400 metres or 440 yards, each competitor must have a separate lane marked by a 2in. chalk line, the lanes to be 4ft. wide." Champion Amateur Sculler. Bobbie Pearce, the amateur sculler, of the Sydney Rowing Club, a son of Harry Pearce, the former professional sculling champioA of Australia, recently celebrated his twenty-first birthday. Like other members of the famous Pearce family of oarsmen and footballers, tho youth stands over 6ft. in his socks and turns the scale at 12st 61b. He started off as a sculler nine weeks ago, and in his five races has not suffered defeat. Recently ho annexed tho final of the Walker and Hall trophy, defeating Sid Pyo by three lengths over a mile, after allowing tho Loichhardt man a start of 16s. Pearce .is one of the greatest amateur scullers "discovered" in Australia during tho last. quarter, of a century. He gives promise of becoming tho next. New South Wales and Australian champion, and one of his ambitionfc is to represent Australia a& the n©xt Olympic Games.