ATHLETIC NOTES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19250, 14 August 1924, Page 4

ATHLETIC NOTES

By Amateub August 16. New Zealand Cross-country Championship. Next Saturday the New Zealand Crosscountry Championship will bo decided at Wellington. Otago has sent a strong team, and everybody expects them to win the championship. Tapp and Brown will probably lead the field home, although N alder, who won last year must he reckoned with; However, all Otago harriers will expect to find Otago’s name on top when the result conies through on Saturday. In the interval of the football match at Carisbrook the Mile Race was a decided success. It gave the members of the team a good run. Tapp won nicely from White, but most of the cracks did not seem inclined to unduly exert themselves. Next Saturday will bo the time for that. ARE THE OLYMPIC GAMES WORTH WHILE? Lord Cadogan, who is president of the British Olympic Association, last weok said that ho refused to believe that the deathknell of the Olympic Games had been sounded. England and America have a most important role to perform—that of inculcating snorting instincts, in which the English are the modern crusaders. International sport must not bo killed, and the cessation of the Olympic Gariies would be a disaster to the world. Some of the nations involved were still recovering from wars nerve-racking effects Says the Sydney Referee: The scenes that discredited some or the competitions at the Olympic Games gave rise to biting criticisms in England to whicli Lord Cadogan replied as above. In some directions in the Old Land the_ games have been long since considered of little or no use to amateur sport. Thus we find England, the creator of Rugby and Association football, sending no teams. Many of the Continental countries have net yet realised the grand spirit, underlying true sport. Whether they will over reach that hapny goal is a moot point. It is the growth of generations; we might sav of centuries. . . In British countries and in America team spirit keeps sport vibrant. Save in a few cases Continental countries have not yet got that spirit into their sporting blood. It is distressing to spend thousands .of pounds in sending men across the seas to Europe, only to find them diqualifiod or disrated by incompetents who know little about the particular sport in which they officiate. An Australian walker, Australian and New Zealand boxers, and an Australian swimmer suffered front this seeming incomFetency. If the Olympic Chimes are worth while, the nations concerned should sec that the officials are men of standing in their particular fields of action. And the English-speaking countries will have to see to it that it is done. If not, it will never be done, and the games will strangle themselves. . ~ We believe the Olympic Games are worth while but oniv it they are earned out with fitting regard to the ethics of sport. And so far as Australia is concerned, only competitors who have reasonable prospects of winning honors should be sent in future It is a sheer waste of money to send men liable to bo utterly outclassed. Better far to concentrate on real champions and the younger ones who promise to become world-beaters, than on men who can never rise above modiocrily. The public which has contributed the money, is well rewarded when a Chariton, a Winter, or an Eve gets a first and incidentally cieatcs a world’s record, Australia stands high in the world of sport through its cricketers, footballers, scullers, oarsmen, swimmers, lawn tennis players, and its runners. And no man should have the honour of representing Australia unless ho is a real champion likely to give tho world’s best a fight for the laurels. INTER-EMPIRE ATHLETICS. DOMINIONS BEAT ACHILLES CLUB. In a very close and interesting match, a team chosen from the ranks of the dominion athletes who had competed at the Eighth Olympiad, defeated the the powerful Achilles Club at West Kensington last week W 35 points to 31. At the Queen’s Club, West Kensington, last week, tho selectors of tho dominion team stacked up a strong side against tho Achilles Club (past and present Oxford and Cambridge University men) with the result that a win was achieved. The brunt of the engagement was borne by South Africans and Canadians. In the 100 yards A. E. Porritt (New Zealand) put up a great effort—a 10 seconds go against a breeze. In second place was Cyrill Ooaffee ..(Canada), who has 9 3-seoc to his credit in Ids homo land, whilst the ■Olympic 100 metres winner, H. M. Abrahams, could only manage third places.

And Abrahams was also below form in the running broad jump—he has evidently somewhat overdone things. The triple victory of S. J. M. Atkinson (Natal), further hall-marks that well-known South African champion broad-jumper apd hurdler. Most of the performances were below what the winners liave shown in previous competition. The win of Howard P. Kinsman stamps him as amongst the 'world’s best, especially over 220 yards. And mention of Kinsman calls to mind that at the last English A.A.A. championships the crack Natal sprinter won the 220 yards decisively from Eric H Liddell and Arthur Porritt—tie beat (he Edinburgh University erode, who held the title by two and a-half yards in 21 7-10 sec.

Reverting to tlie dominions’ team two or its members in Cyrill H. Coaffee and J. Hams are onampions of Canada. In the match results hinged, in a measure, on which side certain of the overseas men at Oxford and Cambridge competed, Pomtt (New Zealand) and L. ,F. Roberta (South Australia)—Porritt at Oxford and Roberts at Cambridge—-elected to represent their dominions. W. E. Stevenson, ‘™ ™ the 440 yards for the-Achillea Club, is an American Rhodes scholar, from Princeton University. 100 Yards.—-A, E. Porritt (New Zealand) 1, C. H. Ooaffee (Canada) 2, H. M. Abrahams (Achilles A.C.) 3. lime, lOsec Running Broad Jump.—S. J. M. Atkin- / « n i 1; H. M. Abrahams (Achilles A.C.), 22ft lOin, 2; R. J Honner (Australia), 21ft 6iin, 3. 220 Yards.—H. r P. Kinsman (Natal) 1, A. It. Porritt (New Zealand) 2„ G. M. Butler (Achilles A. 0.) 3. Tim©, J 22 l-sseo 880 Yards.— D. G. A. Lowe (Achilles A.C.) I, J. Harris (Canada) 2, J. S. Watts (Achilles A.C.) 5. Won by four yards. Time, Imm 58 l-ssec.

120 Yards Hurdles.—S. J. M. Atkinson (Natal) 1, L. F. Partridge (Achilles A.C.) 2. Lord Burghley (Achilles A.C.) 5. Won by half a yard. Time, 16jsec. Pole Vault.—Francis (Canada), 12ft 6in, I; Pickard (Canada), 12ft, 2: J. H P Cavrvbell (Achilles A.C.), lift, 3. Running High Jump.—E. G. Sutherland (Natal), L. F. Roberts (South Africa), R. J. Dickinson (Achilles A.C.) and A. G. Delvillis (Achilles A.C.) tied at sft 9iin; Two Miles Run.—Len, Richardson (XVanavaal) 1, P. H. M. Bryant (Achilles A. 0.) 2, E. A. Montague (Achilles A.C.) 3 . Won by six vards. Time. lOmin 8 ’

440 Yards.—W. E. Stevenson (Achilles A. 0.) 1, G. R. Rcnwick (Achilles A.C.) 2, Christie (Canada) 3. Won by four yards. Time, 50 l-sscc. Mile.—ll. B. Stallard (Achilles A.C.) 1, P. J. Baker (Achilles A.C.) 2, Baines (Canada) 5. Won by three yards. Time, 4min 37 l-ssec. 220 Yards Low Hurdles.—S. J. M. Atkinson (Natal) 1, Lord Burghley (Achilles A.C.) 2, R. J. Dickinson (Achilles A.C.) 3. Won by 15 yards. Time, 25sec. Mile Relay Race.—Achilles A.C. 1. Dominion team 2. Won by 50 yards. Time, Smin 38seo.

Despite a cold wind and a steady rain, 50,000 spectators braved the elements to witness the American test contests at Cambridge, Mas., in June. In yiSw of subsequent happenings in Paris something about the performances on the rain-soaked tracks at Cambridge should prove interesting reading.

In the 100 Metres the placings were:— Chester Bowman 1, J. Soholz and C. W. Paddock (dead heat) 2, F. Hu soy 4, J. Le Coney 5, K. Lloyd 6, and Loren Murrbiaon 7. Bowman won by inches in 10 6-10soo.

In the 200 Metres Scholz won in 21sec. In his heat he did 20 9-10 see—a world’s record. In the 200 Metres Paddock was last of six runners.

In the 400 Metres J. C. Taylor won from Harold Fitch in 48 1-Osec. At the Olympiad Fitch put up 47 4-ssec. W. B. Richardson won the 800 Metres in Imin 55 6-10 sec; Ray Buker the 1500 Metres in 3min 55 8-10 sec; and Joie Ray the 3000 Metres in Pm in fl 3 9-10 sec. D. Kinsey, who won the 110 Metres Hurdles at Paris, was beaten by F. Johnston in 15sec. George Taylor won the 400 Metres Hurdles i» 52 6Tosec.

Leroy Brown bettered 6ft 6in in the Running High Jump, and De Hart Hubbard cleared 25ft 0 3-Bin in the Running Broad Jump. In the 161 b Shot P'utt Clarence Houser got the implement out to 49ft 11 l-Bin. with Glen Hartranft doing 49ft Oiin and Ralph Hills 49ft. F. D. Tootell won the 161 b Hammer Throw, with Matt M'Grath second and our recent visitor, J. Merchant, third, whilst W. Ncwfeldt threw the javelin 191 ft Ijin. Finally four men tied at 13ft in the Polo Vault.