ATHLETIC TITLES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23302, 22 March 1939, Page 22

ATHLETIC TITLES

JUNIOKS AND LADIES NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS CONTESTS NEXT SATURDAY Outstanding performances are anticipated at the first New Zealand junior and ladies' track and field championships which will be decided at Carlaw Park on Saturday. Conditions have been ideal for training during the past few weeks and the tracks are in excellent condition. The majority of the finest young athletes in the Dominion will be taking part Auckland will field an exceptionally strong team, judging by the brilliant performances registered at the Auckland junior and ladies' championships last Saturday week, and will be most difficult to defeat for the major honours. A feature of the meeting will be the third and deciding contest over 100 yards in New Zealand between Miss Decima Norman. British Empire eluim- j pion, and Miss Doreen Lumley, of Auckland, Dominion British .Empire Games representative. In their first meeting during Miss Norman's present tour of the Dominion at Carlaw Park 011 March 11, Miss Lumley won a great race by inches in lis., time which equalled the world's record for the distance. • Last Saturday, however, Miss .Norman turned the tables 011 her rival hv winning another magnificent struggle at; Morrinsville by inches in time aeain equalling the record. The pair are to contest the third and deciding race on Saturday, when a great struggb? is anticipated. i Miss Norman should have little difficulty in winning the 220 yards ladies' title as her time of 25 3-os. at Morrinsville was easily the fastest ever recorded by a woman athlete in the Dominion. She runs splendidly over the furlong and it will not be surprising if she returns even faster time on Saturday. PROVINCIAL MILE TITLE

DARE WITHDRAWS FROM RE-RUN

The ruie book of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association states that dead-heats in championship events will not be recognised and it is therefore necessary to re-run all dead-heats registered at championship fixtures. When S. J Wade. Technical, and A. O. Dare, Auckland, dead-heated for the Auckland provincial mile title it was decided to hold another race between the pair, and this was scheduled to take place at Carlaw Park next Saturday. Dare has now withdrawn from the contest, however, but at the same time Wade will have to cover the distance on his own in order to become the bolder of the title. Arrangements at present are that Wade will cover a mile unattended by other runners during the national junior and ladies' championship meeting on Saturday. If conditions are favourable he may make an attack on the provincial record of 4m. 25 2-ss.

A. L. FITCH IN AUCKLAND COACHING AT THE DOMAIN Many new points about training and style were revealed to large attendance of Auckland athletes at the Domain on Monday evening by the American coach and champion athlete. Mr. A. L. Fitch, who is at present spending a fortnight in Auckland. Fitch received a most attentive hearing and already athletes are working steadilv on the new methods he has pointed out to them. . The use of starting blocks as an aid to running a fast 100 yards was strongly advocated bv Mr. Fitch, who suggested that one of the reason whv New Zealand sprinters could not compete with the rest of the world was because they had neglected to use these blocks' in the past. The necessity for a high knee-lift m sprinting, followed by a powerful legdrive. was demonstrated by the coach, who considered that there were several runners in Auckland capable of running 100 yards in 10s. or better. About. 20 sprinters were given a number of starts off the mark by Mr. Fitch, their actions being closelv watched. Middle-distance runners were then shown the various stvles adopted bv famous American athletes such as Ben Eastman, former world's record holder for the 440 yards and 880 yards, who used a swaying action, and Archie Williams, winner of the 400 metres at the Berlin Olympic Games, who used a sprinting-type of action. Advice was also given to the field events men. Mr, Fitch will be at the Domain practicallv every evening and all athletes should attend. All phases of training for the track will be covered and any questions will be answered. •Just what can be achieved by adopting the scientific American methods of training lias been illustrated in the case of D. Blewett. the young Canterbury runner, who finished second to V. P. Boot in the New Zealand halfmile championship at Napier on March 11. This is Blewett's first season on tho track and when he was discovered by Mr. Fitch he was running 880 vards in about 2m. 7s. His time was eraduallv reduced until at Napier he finished a few yards behind Boot, individual time heing Im. 55 2-ss. Blewett was introduced to Auckland athletes at the Domain on Monday.