BATTLE OF CHAMPIONS AT AMSTERDAM

NZ Truth, Issue 1144, 3 November 1927, Page 1

BATTLE OF CHAMPIONS AT AMSTERDAM

Brilliant Sprinter

Our Athletes Will Meet World's Best When Olympic Games Are Staged

(From "N.Z. Truth's" Athletic Correspondent.)

Records ShowThat Dominion Has Held Many Honors Over Past Giants

There is far too much "perhaps" and not nearly enough "must" about the part New Zealand is likely to play m the Olympic Games at Amsterdam — and, indeed, m international sport generally. Too many doubting Thomases and funereal followers abound. Let us, as good New Zealanders, take for our battle cry: "New Zealand must be there P and as an addenda attach the Gilbert and sullivanism : "Of this there is no possible doubt ; no possible, probable shadow of doubt, no possible doubt whatever."

WHY should this country, which has produced champions that have won the admiration of the world m all branches of sport — champions whose names will live through the ages — proceed to develop an inferiority complex? No reason at all, for we have the material m the vigorous youth of a vigorous country to write the name of New Zealand still higher m the roll of sporting fame. We hear day by day of "Flying Finns," "American "Streaks,"' and so" forth, and we are far too prone to take these so-called supermen at their face value. Great men they ai-e without a doubt, but can we not produce even greater — and have we not done so m the past? Most assuredly we can and have. There is no need to retail here the glorious records of our footballers both abroad and on our own soil. Sufficient it is to say that they are the champions of the

world and can point to international' records of which no other country can boast. And what New Zealanders have

done at football they can do at other sports — given equal opportunity.

Take, for instance, our men of the spiked shoe. After the war a New Zealand relay team consisting of H. E. Wilson, J. Wilton, D. Mason and J. Lindsay defeated all-comers at the International Army meet at Stamford Bridge, England, and established a world's record that took a power of knocking down, despite the most valiant American efforts.

Subsequently, m New Zealand, H. E. Wilson decisively beat George Krogness, one of America's champion hurdlers.

About the same time A. E. Porritt had to be content with third place to Kirksey and Carr, but afterwards — when he had spent a little time m England — ho carried the silver fern of New Zealand into a brilliant third place m a brilliantly-competed 100 metres championship, showing his heels to the majority of sprinters of the old and new worlds. Just a case of opportunity. Then, when the Springboks sent their fine athletic combination here before this country 'had ceased vibrating

to the shock of war, a champion came —as it were, from the void — and beat their middle distance men every time they met.

That athlete was C. H. Taylor, of Canterbury.

Again, when the present champion of America, Lloyd Hahn, athlete and gentleman, came here with honors thick upon him, he had to bow to the superior qualities of R. A. Rose m four conclusive races.

In three of those races the athletic propensities of New Zealanders were vindicated as never before. In England, Rose — owing to a run of misfortune that would have dismayed any athlete — was not the success that was anticipated, but the quality was there, as that good judge, Jackson Scholz, realizes. He stated only the other day that they could weigh and re-weigh the chances of Finns, Americans and Englishmen as much as they liked, but there was one man who could beat the lot of them m the Olympic Games 1500 metres — and that man was Rose. And we have still the material to produce champions capable of sending along the elect of other and bigger lands to their utmost limits. Lander (hurdler), Lay (javelin), Leadbetter (sprinter), Grose (cycling), and Fleming (middle- distance) are a few names that oome to mind of men

who have the qualities; what they alone lack are the opportunities. Given these, they will do as well and go' as far m sport as any foreigners. This will be made manifest at Christmas time, when the elect of Australia will come to Wellington to contest the championships. New Zealand has beaten Australia time and againand; w.e., ; caiv; expect, that "o;flr"athletes will' give us" a victory over them that will be but a f orerunner to a grand showing when the Olympiad is decided next year. An effort will be made to send a rowing eight with the team — and why not? Americans will not readily forget the thrashing administered to them m the great rowing race on the river Seine m Paris soon after the war. And it was a New Zealand crew that downed

and chagrined the redoubtable Americans. That good sculler, D. Hadfleld, showed them ■ that what New Zealanders can do as a team they can also do individually by beating the best and the rest of them. Also m the days of the professional sport boom, when a champion rower was wanted, he was found m New Zealand. Arnst and Webb kept the rest of the world at bay for years. In the only races that they have competed m overseas of recent years, New Zealanders have had the pleasure of showing the way home to Australians. So by all means let us send a crew to the Games, where they can cross blades with the elect of countries fifty times larger than the Dominion — and we will not be disgraced. There is supposed to be a paucity of swimmers, but who knows where a champion is lurking? Our swimming champions have had a habit of bobbing up from the deep water at the most unexpected times.

At the 1920 Olympic Games, New Zealand was represented by Miss Walrond — then only fifteen years of age. This girl was hardly off the boat before the Games started, yet she swam brilliantly against older, trained- to-the-minute swimmers. Misses Shand, Stockleyand Page are three New Zealand girls who, of late years, have ' recorded performances that will stand comparison with anything else tlie world can show. Shades of Bob. Fitzsimmons! There are those who say that New Zealand has no boxers worth sending to the Games. If this is true, then it is something new for New Zealand. What do we know of the amateur talent of other countries? When Charlie Purdy was sent with the last Olympic team he was decried by a certain section and all sorts of hidings were prophesied for him.

Yet Purdy was only robbed of an Olympic championship medal by some of the most incompetent officials who ever stood near a ring. The chances are that if one of our present New Zealand champions was placed m the ring to-morrow with a champion from another country he would more than hold his own. Let us send boxers. If they are not champions already, then the Games may make champions. ...of .. "them and New Zealand will not be the loser m any case. Unity of effort is what is required — and esprit-de-corps. New Zealand is not a country to be decried; nor are our sportsmen. A little local patriotism is a wonderful thing as any Australian or Ameri-. can will tell you, and local patriotism is a wonderful spur to victorious efforts. The spirit of "playing for the school"

will make the presence of this country felt at the athletic battle of the nations — and what greater or finer school is there to battle for than New Zealand? When the call came for men to shoulder arms, Germany having thrown down the gauntlet to the nations, the troops this country assembled at short notice were rapidly moulded into a force to be proud of. And during the years of carnage that followed, the deeds of our soldiers established the fact that New Zealand — from a more or less obscure Dominion — had blossomed forth as an entity to be considered among the nations of the world. As it was m war, so it is m peace. In every branch of sport New Zealand is now regarded as a distinct nation within the Commonwealth of "Nations forming the British Empire and it is meet that we should take our place bravely among the elect of other nations when the call comes at the great Amsterdam tourney next year. Dating their origin back to the days of ancient Greece, the Olympic Games have been a potent fac- '

reserving peace and creatbetter understanding and ting friendly intercourse nations.

Sport is a lan- ' guage that speaks its message m all tongues and it is a splendid thing when men can drop their interests, their ambitions and % their national prejudices to match physical prowess m the levelling environment of the playing field. Even now, Germany is spending her efforts and exercising her national resources m preparing to snatch supremacy of the world m the arena of sport, when before the war she worked only m the other direction. America, too, has long realized the benefits that accrue from a patriotism fostered by a national

supremacy m sport and has been an object lesson to the world m the thoroughness of her efforts m maintaining her place. *• England, ever slow to move, has realized that here is something that other countries find good and beneficial and the English national effort for the forthcoming Games promises to take the form of a challenge that will place all other nations on their mettle. "Where America, Germany, France, Finland, etc., compete as single nations, the British effort is divided, for Australia, South Africa, Canada and New Zealand compete as separate nations, but with the Union Jack featured m the colors of each. And what is the might of each, rightly is considered as part of the might of Britain. The Dominions, therefore, have a two-fold purpose and incentive to be worthily represented at the Games.

Firstly, to show the world that Britain as an Empire is as ready for the calls of . the athletic contests of peace as she

was for the grim affairs of war. Secondly, to show that m her Dominions Britain has fostered nations that have reached the stage where they can take their place among all comers and be considered — not nonentities or interlopers, but potent factors m the field of international endeavor. In the past the New Zealand teams have been small and the matter of financing the trip has been left to a few enthusiasts. Consequently, the athletes have always labored under grave disadvantages and it is really surprising that

Olympic Standard

any of them have done as well as they have. How can we expect a man — say, a sculler, for instance — to land m a foreign country a week or two before a meeting of the world's champions from a sea voyage across two oceans and hope successfully to compete with Americans and others who have been on the ground weeks beforehand and have had the most expert attention it is possible to conceive?

ly, it is ridiculous, yet this has been the position with regard to New Zealand representation ever since 1902.

Let It not be the position this time. It is the concern of every member of the community that this country should be worthily represented and to give of their best the team must be sent away m time to have a reasonable chance of getting used to the conditions— and, furthermore, it must be under efficient management. No one will expect that the world's championship of all events can be won for New Zealand at Amsterdam, but the world must be shown that we have athletes of class. When the teams of the nations parade before the arena m 1928, there will be thousands of eyes appraising the men and taking stock of their nationality. The flags will be noted and if the Union Jack with the Southern Cross of New Zealand is missings it will be a tragedy for which there will be no excuse. The men' are here. Aye! and the women, too. It is their particular business to get fit and as near as possible to the Olympic standard' — -and it is everybody's business to see that they : get a real chance for the sake of New Zealand.