SCULLING CHAMPION

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22353, 26 February 1936, Page 11

SCULLING CHAMPION

NEW SOUTH WALES AMATEUR MEMBER OF PEARCE FAMILY . New South. Wales has a new amateur sculling champion. While his fame is fresh, his name is familiar to Australians and New Zealanders. He is Cecil Pearce, a magnificently-built , cousin of H. R. ("Bobbie") Pearce,%" v twice Olympic sculling champion, and now professional champion of the world. ' Cecil Pearce weighs 13st. 61b. and is over 6ft. in height. His style, when he won the New South 'Wales championship on the Nepean River, re-" minded many spectators of "Bobbie" — a fact no doubt having its origin in the teaching and coaching of Harry Pearce. father of the world's champion and himself a first-class sculler in his day. The dethroned champion was H. R. Turner, one of the greatest performers, Australia has produced, who has a very imposing record. He has won three of the last four State championships,. and created a record by winning four - successive Australian championships, in one of which ho established a • record =• time for the distance. He was consid-i eretl a certainty for the next Australian r Olympic Games team. * VPearce first flashed into prominence ' when he defeated Turner in a 2000 metres race, the Olympic distance, in Sydney on December 14, but that race was considered unsatisfactory owing to: Turner capsizing -200 yards from the finish when trying to avoid a collision,.although at that stage Pearce was well in front. Having now confirmed his superiority, Pearce is . expected to be selected to represent New South Wales; in the Australian championships at Perth in May.'"The Olympic selectors will no doubt ask„for a test race over" the Olympic distance before makingany nomination.