ATHLETICS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12472, 1 October 1902, Page 2

ATHLETICS.

when, to the casual eye, the mare appeared to be as beefy as a' bullock. Petrovna is backward or l not so forward in condition

eentative football matches in the season just closed shows little signs of improving, and that there is a prospect of his being unable to take part in athletics this season. With Cuff and Stalker, who were the D.A.A.O.'s representatives at the Championship meeting in. Auckland, out of the way, some of the other members would have a chance at the annual sports. But tho club can ill afford to lose two such men in one season, and I sincerely trust both will be seen cti Carisbrook track before long. The secretary of the Empire City Athletic Club forwards me a copy of the report and balance sheet for past year, which shows the club to be in a healthy financial position, having a balance in hand of £11 10s 2d. A further sum of £41, not included in balance sheet, from the social side of the club, snakes a total of £52 10s 2d. During llift season the olub was successfully represented at "outside sports gatherings. A recommendation to th© incoming committee is that the olub should hold a big Sheffield Handicap during tho season. .7. S. Westney, the American runner, states his willingness to meet Hargreaves, Spencer, Sumner, Morgan, and Tremeer_ in a 100 yds scratch race again before leaving England for America. At a recent meeting of the English Amateur Athletio Association, an application for a three-mile grass record created by Alfred Shrubb, the English long-distance champion, ■was received, but it was pointed out that it did not beat the existing record of 14min 24sec. 6'. "W. Smith informs "Lynx" that if overtures were mad© it is quit© on the cards that a visit to the colonies of some of the famous American athletes could be arranged for. "While in England, Mr G. W. Orton, the American distance runner, spoke, to the Aucklander about a visit to Australia and New Zealand of an American team, and seemed very keen on the idea. In the high jump at the Celtic Sports meeting, hold in Glasgow on August 9, S. S. Jones, th© American, cleared 6ft l£m. Tho event was won by E. G. Murray, who, receiving 3in, cleared 6ft 2in; Jones (6ft l£in, scratch) was second, and J. B. Milne (receiving 2in, sft llin) third. In reply to the questions of an interviewer regarding G. W. Smith's running m the 120 yds Hurdle Championship of England, the Canterbury man, Simpson, said that the comparatively slow time he put up in the championship was due to the fact that the ground was so uneven that he had to be more careful about his jumping than he would have been on a first-class ground. On© London paper had expressed the opinion that Trafford could beat Smith, but the Aucklander proved that this was incorrect by afterwards giving Trafford 2yds start and a.2yd3 beating. ' -vr^„ The Half-mile Championship of New South Wales was won on September 16 by A ,A. Oxlade in 2min 6sec, defeating A. J. Wilkiiis by four yards; S. W. York Of George Smith, "Actaeon," in the Auckland Star, says:—lt is to be regretted that the champion ot England will ; not race again, having been obliged.to come to this determination by illness suffered in training eubsequent to the championship meeting. Smith has brought! home seme valuable trophies as mementoes of his vssit, a visit ■which he is not in the least anxious to rei>eat. The waiter was miserably cold when he was training, so cold that after ins runs, oven though he was encased in a emglet and a couple of woollen sweaters, Ibis legs were as blue as indigo. A movement is on foot to form a P«jestrians' Association, or League, m Melbourne. The main objects, so far as the matter has been "thought out, are to prosmote sports meetings,, in Melbourne, particularly during the dull season, and to have representation on the council of the V.A.L. By forming themselves into an association, and paying the necessary subscription to the. V.A.L./the body will become registered as a club, and will then be entitled to representation on the council. On the second day of the Celtic F.C. Athletio Sports, held in Glasgow on August 11, J. T. Rimmor, of Liverpool, accomplished si fine performance in the two-mile flat, by covering the distance in 9min 22 3-ssec, which constitutes a Scottish record.

At the Cfliftcmville F.C. (Belfast) sports on. Saturday, August 16, several of the American athletes participated. The following are details of tho events in which they competed:—looyds Invitation Handicap—D. Murray, Dublin, 2yds start, 1; ,T. S. Westaiey, America, Syda, 2; A. F. Duffy,_ Georgetown University, scratch, 3. This was a magnificent race. When they had travelled 1 '30yds Duffy drew level with' the others, but Bearing the t-ape Murray spurted brilliantly and won by a few inches from Westney, same distance between second and third. Time, lOsec. . 120 yds Hurdles Handicap— S. Jones, New York, owed l 13yds, 1; S. A. Allen, Pennsylvania, owed 12yds, 2; T. F. Kiely, Carrickmuir, owed 12yds, 3. Won easily by two yards, the third close up. Time, 16 2-Ssec. In an exhibition high jump, S. Jones cleared the bar at 6ft 3in. J. Bailie, of America, was beaten in the first half of the Half-mile Flat Handicap by W. J. M'Grath, Belfast, who ultimately won the final off the 45yds mark dc lmin 57 3-ssec. Sandow, in conversation with a representative of the Age, said he does mot intend to accept the challenge of Professor Miller to contest with hian for £100 a side superiority in heavy dumb-bell lifting, GraecoEoman wrestling, boxing and fencing, sword, v. sword, or foil v. foil. He made no claim to superiority in some of the branches*of eport enumerated by Professor Miller. "I am. not hero," remarked Mr Sandow. "to accept or issue challenges of any kind. I do not pose as an athlete who is a boxer, fencer, wrestler, and strong man rolled into one. I simply say that I have a system of physical culture which, will make anyone * strong and therefore a healthy man. It is a mere chance that I am on the stage. I perfected my system, or made it as nearly perfect as I hope to make it. and in my encounter with .Samson showed that it had rendered me at least powerful. I was offered induoemenfe to go on the stage, and my performance is merely to show that a great deal ca.ii be accomplished by a' scientific system of training. I have been frequently challenged. The other day I jneceived a challenge from Mr Paris Nesbit." Sandow leaned back in _ his chair and laughed. "You see,!' he said, "I have many challengers. Professor Miller no doubt is an .athlete of great ability. I have not spent much time on some of the games ho mentions. In wrestling, however, I regard myself as proficient. I wrestled in Italy for many years as |an amateur. It was in Berlin that I encountered one of . the strongest and most unprincipled wrestlers that the world ever saw. He possessed phenomenal finger strength. On one occasion he was known to drive his fingers through the wall of a maa'a stomach, and almost pluck out his intestines. You see these, marks?" Sandow bared his arm and disclosed two round white marks, as of old ■wounds that had healed but. left their brand behind. "I wrestled him," said Sandow. The light of battle shone in his eye. "That's where he gripped me, drove his fingers into my arm, and tried to grasp my sinews. I rushed" him, squeezed him round the body, broke three of his ribs, and nearly broke his back. I bear my mark; he has never been right since. No, I don't like wrestling. I don't want to hurt anyone, or, for that matter, hurt myself. lam not going to accept Professor Miller's challenge." Sandow added that he has been very busy since he landed in Australia.