SCULLING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18444, 4 January 1922, Page 5

SCULLING

THE CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH. BOTH CONTESTANT CONFIDENT. (Feou Oub Own Coreespondent.) ' WANGANUI, January 3,_ Within 48 hours the sculling championship of the world will have been decided, and the big .event to take place on the Wanganui River on Thursday will have attracted great interest. Already crowds are pouring into the town for the event, Which is of world-wide importance, and they' are likely to see on© of the beat sculling races winch has yef ! taken place for the title. Both competitors, Amst (holder) and Hod- / field (challenger), are perfectly' fit for the gruelhrig race that is promised. There has been a big fresh in the river during the past couple of days, _ but both oarsmen have lost no time in their training operations, which are now more .of a finishing nature. Arnst is favourite, and some of Ins supporters are confident he will win by. several length®.’ Hadfield’e supporters, too, are bohfident that the holder of the title will meet his match in the young Auckland oarsman, who is improving daily. This opinion has been strengthened by the fact that in a sprint race with Sharpe, his pacer, over a : mile of the course, Hadfield put .up a exeat effort. He gave Sharpe a ooupletof lengths start over the first mile, and rowing in splendid style caught and beat Sharpe over the distance. It was a rattling good performance, as Sharpe is undoubtedly very •fast over a mile. Hadfield sculled over the remainder of the course at a steady pace, his rowing being remarkably neat. , He has a splendid swing, and has blade work is very clean. The work, be has been doing lately is certainly .'very encouraging to his friends, who display the greatest confidence iri hi? ability to win. Arnst put in some solid rows yesterday. He was afloat twice, and covered a couple of miles at a good swinging pace/ Hp also indulged in three or four fast bursts of a minute each, i and he says he never felt hotter.or more confident of winning, though he admits that he is conscious of the challenger’s prowess' in his boat, end : is taking no risks. He is going all out, and if Hadfield should by any means beat him ho will be the first to congratulate the 'winner. Dick Arnst, however, does not think that his felicitations at the end of the race will be required.