VISITING ATHLETES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21758, 24 March 1934, Page 14

VISITING ATHLETES

' AUSTRALIANS ARRIVE © GRI:AT ALL-ROUND JUMPER STANDARD IN NEW ZEALAND i.' V . MEETING WITH AUCKLANDERS One of the best athletic meetings staged in Auckland is anticipated at the Domain this afternoon, when the •three Australian athletes, T. E. Hampson, sprinter, J. P. Metcalfe, jumper, and E. W. Barwick, distance runner, will compete against the cream of the Auckland Province. The visitors arrived yesterday morning and underwent light training at the Domain. Although feeling the effects of the tour, the Australians are fit and expecting keen competition to-day, ~. . In the sprint events, Hampson will be opposed by A. J. Elliot, who represented New Zealand at the last Olympic Gaines and has been Dominion sprint champion, and V. Walker, as well as several good sprinters in the province. Barwick will start only in the mile, and will be opposed by A. It. Wilson, tho brilliant Whangarei athlete. Whether either J. W. Savidan or N. E. Cooper competes in this event depends on their condition after tho thrde miles contest, which will bo run previously. Metcalfe's performances, prior to and during the tour, place him as tho greatest all-round jumper in the world to-day. In the high jump he has been consistently clearing 6ft. 4in. In the long jump and the hop, step and jump, Metcalfe will have strong opposition from H. K. Brainsby, who has jumps of 22ft. and over 48ft. to his

credit in these events respectively. "The arrangements regarding athletic meetings in New Zealand are very

good," said Mr. Metcalfe last evening. "The following of the public 'is touch better here than in New South Wales, but it has to be considered that there is not the same rivalry between the various sports in New Zealand. An outstanding feature in the Dominion is that officials and athletes work in so well together." } Good Distance Bunners; ■. With reference to the'standard of athletics, in the Dominion, Mr. Metcalfe said it was high in • distance events. The standard in jumping and sjjrinting was not so high as that in Australia. Taken all round, the tracks in New Zealand were definitely better than those in- the ; Commonwealth, & feature of thef meietings wap the fact that cycle races were given prominence.: ThesO ra6'es> -Were not; held in ■ conjunction with athletics in Australia, and he considered they lent variety to the programme, and were most interesting. : ' 1 ' Asked his opinion of the athletes with whom the Australians had so far Mr. Metcalfe was loud in his praise of T. G. Broadway, Canterbury, the middle-distance runner. he said, compared more thaa favourably .'. .with I.H. Irwin, Sydney, who was a fine distance runner. To date, the Canterbury and New Zealand champion, J. B. Macfarlane, was the best sprinter Hampson had met. / .Welcome by Mayor A roception, at which the Mayor of 'Auckland, Mr. G. W. Hutchison, was present, was given to the Australians by the Auckland Centre of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association at the' Station Hotel last evening. There was a representative attendance of centre officials and old athletes. - The Mayor, in extending a welcome, said his experience of all visiting Australian athletes was that they were in the • top flight of sport. He expressed the wish that the Australians would find conditions to their liking to-day and would be able to give of their best. He said athletics had been prominent in Auckland in past years, bui> of late had waned slightly. He anticipated that the present visit would 'do a great 'deal toward restoring the sport to . its former prominence. The president of the. Auckland' Centre, Mr. J. P. Kalailgher, and a vice-president of the centre, Mr. A. T. Da vies, also, welcomed the visitors. Mr./F. J. Ohlson spoke on behalf of kindred sports bodies. The visitors were the guests of the Australian club at dinner last evening. Mr. N. S. Walker, president, presented each member of the team with the badge of the club as a souvenir of the visit. Messrs. J. P. Kalaugher, president,

and H. L. Towers, secretary of the v Auckland Centre, wished the Australians a pleasant vißit.