CHAMPION SCULLER.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 8187, 31 July 1912, Page 1

CHAMPION SCULLER.

BARRY WINS TITLE.

ARNST OUTROWED AFTER GOOD RACE.

By Telesraph—Press Association—Copy ri*hi LONDON, July 29. Ernest Barry, the English challenger for tho world’s sculling championship, defeated Richard Arnst, of New Zealand, holder of tho title. , The morning came i»v wet and squally, and the water between Hammersmith and Barnes was expected to be very bad. Before the start the wind was dropping. Despite a succession of heavy showers the riverside was thronged. Bossy Phelps, from' a cutter, steered for Arnst, and Tom Groen acted similiarly for Barry. The d lampion was a very warm favourite. Arnst won the toss and chose the Surrey side of the river, because the southerly wind was likely to give shel. ter at Chiswick.

The men got away at the first attempt, and Arnst, pulling powerfully, 38 strokes to the minute, was soon clear, his opponent going quietly at 36. The champion led by a length at the boathouses.

-At Craven Steps Arnst pulled past a length and a half in front in 2min SOsec. The mile was covered in, 4min 58sec.

Barry was pulling beautifully. Arnst was apparently taking too much out of himself.

The challenger spurted at Crabtree and drew almost level.

Hammersmith bridge was made in Bmin 30sec. The water was rough. Barry drew level, and at Biffen’swas a quarter of a length ahead. In the more sheltered water at Chiswick Arnst again drew clear, and led by a length—time *1 Imin 3sec. Barry, by a fine effort closed on the leader and led by one-third of a length at Dukes Meadow. Thenco he went

right away, having the smoother water, Arnst laboring in heavy water. At' Barnes, which Barry passed in 19min 23seo,' Arnst was palpably tiring. The challenger led by three lengths. Arnst, .still tiring, tried to spurt, but stopped., Barry winning by .100 yards in 23min Bsec.

Arnst stopped rowing at the Brewery, dead beat. Sir George Reid, High Commissioner for Australia, congratulated Barry on his magnificent victory. Barry stated that, finding. ho held Arnst after they had gone a mile, he had no doubt of his ability to win.

The Thames course Is 4 miles 400 yards in length. In the last race. rowed there for the championship in 1896, J. Gandaur defeated J. Stanbury in 23min Iseo.

VICTORY OF SCIENCE OVER STRENGTH. (Received July 30, 8.55 p.m.) LONDON, July 30. j The largest crowd 7 seen in recent years witnessed yesterday’s race. Arnst wore dark blue, emblazoned with the New Zealand fern leaf, while Barry, in white adorned with a Union Jack, looked as slim as a girl compared with his rugged rival, who evidently was a far more powerful sculler. Experts commented unfavourably on Arnst’s boat, which is : two feet longer thjm Barry’s. The wind was moderate, from the south-west, and the water fairly good in the Putney reach. . Arnst at the start pulled a quicker, shorter, stroke of rare power, while Barry used long sweeping, and telling strokes, bided his time, and steered the better course. : From' Craven Steps, where both were rowing 24 to the minute, it was - a great race to Chiswick Eyot. Barry's wonderful watermanship stood him in good stead, and he gave a fine exhibition of sculling in rough water and almost managed to hold his opponent. Each answered spurt with spurt, Arnst was still ahead at Chiswick Steps.

The winning of the toss had given the New Zealander all the best of the water for three miles; now came Barry’s opportunity. By a fine effort he raced up again, and there was tremendous excitement, la the shoot for the northern shore about Thorneycrott'a iiarry led by a third of a length, and in less than a minute was clear. He gained rapidly in the sheltered water under the Middlesex bank, snd sculling easily, in a clean fashion, at 24 to the minute, he was two lengths ahead at the Bull’s Head, where Arnst drew in behind to get the shelter of the shore.

The challenger showed excellent judgment, and husbanded his ■ strength, while Arnst was dipping his left blade very deeply and seemed thoroughly tired. He was thirteen seconds be, hind at Barnes Bridge, but set his teeth and pulled doggedly at 25. The effort, however, was too great, : and Arnst was clean rowed out. while Barry paddled home.The general opinion is that the race was a triumph of science oyer strength,

Prince Gustave,.. .of; Albania, • was in this city yesterday on his way to Dunedin. His movements are a little uncertain, but he proposes soon to go-to Egypt, where his.mother resides.' The Prince explains' that in his visit to the Dominion he is hot actuated by mercenary motives, as any collections raised at tho churches whore 1 he lectures go to the missions in Albania. He 'does not regard New Zealand- as a , money-making rtlace compared ;with, say, America, but he has a very‘high-opinion of this conn-, try. Ho had an interview with the Prime Minister yesterday,, and. Mr Massey promised to attend any lecture he might and also expressed,

Barry , always'had the'measure of his His * 10ng,.-easy,; clean, stroke was ‘ victorious 1 over J Afnst’s -remarkable ■ »rm 'work.'. .

A-great crowd witnessed the presentation of the cup and a cheque for £IOOO,. of which £SOO was returned to the subscribers of Barry’s stake. Barry," in "responding;' called for' cheers for Arnst,. who he described as “a real, fine,;plucky fellow.” «

PRESS COMMENTS.’ . (Received July 30, 11.15 p.m.)

f LONDON/ July 30. ‘ > “The" Times” says-Arnst-sculled-well and most courageously. “Barry’s stylo ' is 'verv near-perfection,- while Arnst’s is most unattractive. He does not uti< ' liso -hia great i power to its full extent, though his blade; work 1 is good, giving • much; pace. .The' features; of ,the race 1 wore Barry’s admirable judgment and ! Arnst’s wonderful spurt.” , Mr Guy Nickalls, who watched. Arnst on the. Zambesi, • declares that hd-has i lost'much form, and was ill-advised in i consenting to race before” September. ’• Owing-to the-too sudden reduction in weight" he was far from being fit. to race - for the- championship. Mr Nickalls adds . that' Arnst did hot make sufficient use of his sheltered station. The - “Standard” expresses J every sympathy 7 for. .Arnst, as. a , magnificent specimen of manhood, and ,a good sportsman with the heart of a lion, -and-says that- probably-no- man -alivecould have made such a fight with such methods.; DR.' THACKER'S OPINIO*. ■WHY THE -NEW , ZEALANDER FAILED. \ SPECIAL. TO ..THE . , CHRISTCHURCH. July 30. Naturally, the opinion of .Dr. Thacker, who has always .been./an active ..and enthusiastic supporter of Dick Arnst, was sought <by a reporter this morning. The genial doctor, . of. course, was very sorry, to-hear of the defeat of the New Zealander, but he said that it was just-what-he had expected. Ho could, point to. the fundamental cause of Arnst’s defeat at once. The champion came back' from the Zambesi, and apart from-the. small amount of training he .put' in for ’ his race against Pearco, ho never really—if ever—got into a- boat. Tbe Pearce ■ contest ■ was only a flutter for him. Ho allowed condition" to tho extent of. font stone; to accumulate, ' that condition aggregating in two. years, and then tried to wipe . it-out In three months. That, probably, said the doctor, was the fundamental reason for his defeat, and secondly. :he was-.without, the services of his old friend and mentor, Harry Flovd. Floyd had attended, trained.; and advised Arnst in all his previous contests and his absence, would make , a great difference. • ■ ‘ . "After the Zambesi . race,” said Dr. Thacker, “Floyd-distinctly; told- us all, in- ' eluding Arnst himself, that the big fellow’s sculling was not improving, but was going back, and that if he did not take care he was riding for a fall." No doubt, added tho doctor, the very' severe head injury and resultant concussion Arnst 1 received at Manly had a deteriorating effect upon him. more particularly on .his nervous and ■ muscular systems. Both men agreed after the . race on the Zambesi that, they had had enough; nevertheless. while the winner has done' nothing since. Barry, on tbe other band, had received a severe set-back by his defeat, ana he went away determined to keep on training. which he . has - consistently done, toirether with the other hard work that : alls to his lot as a - lighterman on the Thames. ■ ■ Barry proved ; that ■he was in absolutely [opd condition by the way in which he >eat both Albany and Fogwell, and ' ' bis • fitness -was emphasised by the .light work .’ be:was indulging In during this course of training. .Moreover, Barry had -a. great point in his ■ favor through being in -his own territory. ... . All athletes -. from ; the southern’. hemls- , ] there are. at a gross climatic disadvantage - n England, as there are other conditions ■ "which are'unseen" tq, contend with." A'man 1

himself satisfied, with . Prince Difcran’s credentials. The Prince is very sceptical of the T<rong Turks', attitude towards the 1 Albanians, who he says will never have their independence unless the Christian powers step in. Ho predicts that- Turkey- will eventually become disrupted ana that some or the Balkan States will fall to Kussia and others to Austria. - When that occurs there will be a struggle between - England and Germany, for the possession of Constantinople. Prince Dixran expects when he arrives in Egypt that he will get into close touch, with the Albanian , revblutionaxies. Ho will then determine whether it is worth while, to go back into tl\o fighting lino.

ba«'to become acclimatised In'Borland, , and-if Arnst intends to regain bis championship'he will have to reside in England ' till* next summer. "I know • these clroumstances to be trne said' the doctor, "for I left New Zealand absolutely fit to play football, but could not get into decent form in Edinburgh for over a year." Arnet had also shown signs of muscular rheumatism, he continued, and this would not only, tend to harden his muscle, but also the sheath of the muscle fibre, and having.got grossly fat, the fat would crowd out .the'.muscle tissue Itself. Consequently Arnst’s muscular system would not regain the same elasticity or response to nervous impulse. All would be sorry to see the, champion beaten, .but no doubt it had been done fairly and squarely, and it-might eventually prove the greatest event' in Arnst’s athletic career.'. He no doubt, would, ationce recha.tenge Barry, as when arranging • the match’ ho had- held-out • for. another month; wanting to row the race in August: hut Barry was now in the unique position of being champion and dictator. ‘ He" could dictate his own 1 terms; rules, and course. •He was such a fine sportsman,'however, that he’would, no doubt, treat all who challenged him . to . reasonable conditions. "Perhaps those -people, who, were -inclined to doubt my statement' that Arnst was absolutely rowed out against Barry on the Zambesi will now rea.lse that :I was corroot.” concluded the doctor to a "Star” reporter. "Arnst had the . race of -his life, and I was very glad when it was all over. Arnst had Ahe greatest respect for Barry’s ability." - ■ ’, -