AMATEUR ATHLETICS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20292, 28 December 1927, Page 10

AMATEUR ATHLETICS.

AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND CHAMPIONSHIPS. DOMINION WINS THE SHIELD. MORE RECORDS BROKEN. (Peb United Press Association.) WELLINGTON, December 27. To-day at the Australian and New Zealand track and field games was a ( day of broken records. L. M. Davidson, the brilliant Victorian jumper, created a new record for" the high jump by clearing 6ft 2iin. J. W. Shirley (New Zealand) bettered his own hop, step, and jump record by 3i;n. F. S. Ramson and b. Nesdale dead-heated in the 440 hurdles in time which was inside the official New Zealand record, and the speedy New South Wales relay race team clipped onefifth of a second off Victoria’s 3min 34 4-saec performance of three years ago. For the first time since her sweeping victory in 1911 New Zealand won the Championship Shield, scoring 10 points to New South Wales’s 7, and Victoria’s and Queensland’s 1 apiece. The Decathlon remains to be decided, but the event counts only 1 point. After Monday s championship® New Zealand and New South Wales ran level with 4 points each, and to-day, after four events Had been concluded, the score was still 6 all. The wins of Rose, Lankey, and Shirley then clinched matters, and left New Zealand a certain victor. The day, which was marred by a strong northerly, provided another series of exciting contests, and the Three-mile Championship was one of the finest ever seen in the games. There were three starters, R. A. Rose, J. W. Savidan (New Zealand), and A. Hodsdon (New South Wales;, who entered only to make the event international, for he is on the 100yds marK in the mile. A duel between Savidan and Rose was fought to the finsh. No one was anxious to make the pace at the beginning, and at last Rose moved out with a Savidan a couple of yards behind. At the end of the second lap Savidgn was five yards behind Rose, and Hodsdon was 30 yards further back, and when the third lap was completed Savidan had closed up- on Rose, and Hodsdon was 60 or 70 yards behind them, The mile was run ‘in 4min 51 2-ssec, and two miles in lOmin Isec. Rose and Savidan maintained their positions all through this time, but Hodsdon was now a lap behind. In the eleventh lap Savidan opened out and moved ahead of Rose, who took up the challenge. The pace was on when the last lap was entered, and round the back of the course, with the wind behind him, Savidan ran eight or nine yards ahead. Rose closed up as they turned into the straight, but Savidan had a lot in hand, and the two men came down the stretch sprinting like half-milers. Rose almost overhauled hia opponent 40 yards from the tape, but Savidan made, a final burst, and the two went past the line abreast, the judges giving Rose the verdict oy six inches. It was a magnificent finisli, and the final quarter mile was run in 63 l-ssec. Hodsdon was a lap and a-quarter behind. The 220yd® championship was gathered in by Carlton (New South Wales), as was expected. He beat Jenkins (New Zealand) by Ift in his heat, Elliott (New Zealand) just shading Grehan (Queensland), last year’s winner, for third place, and A. Scott (Victoria) being last. The time was 23 3-ssec, and when in the second heat C. J. Lane (Victoria) came in Ijyds ahead of A. Walker (New South Wales), with Leadbetter-. narrowly beaten for second in the time of 1-Sth of a second better, it was obvious that the two winners would decide the issue. So it proved, but in the final Carlton showed that he had not been all out by covering the distance in 22 l-ssec and beating Lane by Iyd. Leadbetter was inches away third and Ift in front of Jenkins In a desperate finish A. Walker, who seemed a likely second, fell just short of the tape in a desperate effort to throw fiimself over the last bit. The 380yds Championship was C. Stuart’s'. He wa® a good 2yds in front of C. Olsen (New Zealand), who flashed out at. the finish. Stuart and Norman were ahead for a good part of the distance, but- the field closed up on Norman, and G. Nicol and C. B. Allan, both New Zealanders, finished third and fourth. It wag a strung-out finish, Olsen beating Nicol by sft and Allan being 4ft further back. , L. K. Corleen (Victoria) was last. The time was only a second outside the record, in conditions not of the best. The 440yds Hurdles gave the spectators another thrill. F. S. Samson (New Zealand) moved out at the pistol, and was chased and caught by last year’s winner (A. J. Watson, Victoria) when threeparts of the distance was gone. A® they rounded the-home curve Watson moved ahead, but Ramson, with a final effort, shot to the front again just as F. Nesdale (New Zealand) pushed up from the back of the field, followed by the New South Welshman, E. H. Scott. Watson had run himself to a standstill in his effort to maintain the terrific pace which Ramson had set, and fell and lay helpless at the final hurdle. Ramson and Nesdale took the final obstacle together, though Ramson landed first, and in the dash to the tape the Te Awamutu boy caught Ramson, the problem of separating them being too much for the judges. Scott was 3yds back third. The time for the event was 57 l-seec, which is 4-ssec better than the present official New Zealand record of A. C. Gariick, but 2-Ssec outside the new ceoord which Ramson created at Christchurch and which has not yet been passed. In the three-mile walk W. Lankey (New Zealand) gained his revenge on E. E. Austin (New South Wales) for the defeat which he suffered on the previous day. Lankey clung close to Austin’s heels ' until the last lap was half gone, when the New Zealander put every ounce into a final effort, which carried him away from Austin and into the straight a good 10yds ahead.- Lankey did not let up, and Austin was tiring, the New Zealand man passing the judges 20yds in front of the New South Welshman. R. H. Cabot was over a lap back, third, and D. Pedersen, the other New Zealander, was again called off by the judge. The High Jump Championship saw some fine form on the part of the two Victorians, E. M. Davidson and L. B. Mason. These men were in a class above the New Zealanders. F. Brady and E. G. Sutherland (New Zealand) and J. M. Watson (Queensland) were the first to go out when (he bar reached sft lOin. Skeats and Davidson touched the bar in clearing sft llin, and Mason failed twice, and then made a beautiful jump—the best so far. At 6ft both Mason and Davidson went over cleanly at their first attempts, and Skeats failed three times and broke the bar into the bargain. The crosspiece was then raised to 6ft l-Jin, and both the Victorians failed twice. On their third attempts they jumped it. The record had already been broken, bm the bar was elevated to decide the winner, and Davidson made a perfect jump, while Mason just missed and would not try again. The Running Hop, Step, and Jump saw J. W. Shirley (New Zealand) beat his previous record of 47ft 4j}in. It was seen eariv in the contest that Shirley and C. M. Ebert (New South Wales) would fight out the championship. Shirley first jumped 46ft igin, which was his best oer. formance until Ebert battered it with 46ft 2i'w. Shirley, Ebert, and Sutherland were left to jump off, and Shirley, with a great effort, cleared 47ft Sin. Ebert could not answer this with anything better than 46ft 7jin, and Shnley was left with the championship and a new record. The Throwing the,Hammer Champion*hie wa» New'Zealand's from the coin-

mencement, for only J. W. M’Holra, V. Harvey, &nd J. G. Leckie, all Dominion representatives, competed. Harvey won with a throw of 143 ft 2iin, a little under his performance in 1926. The relay race was an easy win for -he New South Wales men, the New Zealand four being the only other team to start Over the 880yds ‘.Martin (New South Wales) gained a good start from Campnell (New Zealand), and handed the baton to Hunt syds ahead. A bad baton change between Jenkins and Leadbetter completed the Dominion’s downfall, and added about 3yds to the already decisive load with which Carlton commenced the final 220yds, the New South Wales man coming in 12yds ahead. The time—3mm 35 3-sscc—was a new record. The following are the results—--220 YARDS CHAMPIONSHIP. New Zealand record, straight __ track, 21 2-ssec, J. V. Scholz (U.S.A./, 1926; circular track, 21 4-ssec, J. K. Avers Oosterlaak (S.A.), 1922, M. M. Kirksey (U.S.A.). 1923; J. V. Scholz (U.S.A.). 1926. First Heat. J. Carlton (N.S.W.) 1 C. Jenkins (N.Z.) 2 L. C. Elliott (N.Z.) 3 Time, 22 5-ssec. Also started: A. Scott (Vic.), N. •)- Grehan (Queensland). Second Heat. C. J. Lane (Victoria) 1 A. W. Walker (N.S.W.) 2 M. Leadbetter (N.Z.J Z Time, 22 2-ssec. Also started: W. Hunt (N.S.W.). Final. J, Carlton (N.S.W.) 1 C. J. Lane (Vic.) 2 M. Leadbetter (N.Z.) Won by a yard. Time, 22 l-*ssec. . 880 YARDS CHAMPIONSHIP. New Zealand record Imin 56 l-ssec, L. Hahn (U.S.A.), 1926. C. Stuart (N.S.W.) 1 C. Olsen (N.Z.) 2 G. Nicol (N.Z.) 3 Won by two yards. Time, Imm 57 l-ssec. Also started. L. K. Corteen (Vic.), C. B. Allan (N.Z.), R. D. Norman (N.5.W.,. 440 YARDS HURDLES CHAMPION SHIP. New Zealand record (sft 6in hurdles;, 58isec, A. Holder (N.Z.), 1897; (3ft hurdles), 58sec, A. C. Gariick (N.Z.), 1927. F. S. Ramson (N.Z.) and F. Nesdale (N.Z.), dead heat 1 E. H. Scott (N.S.W.) ... ; 3 Won by three yards. Time 57 l-ssec. Also started: A. J. Watson (Vic.), f. Melville (N.S.W.), R. W. Lander (N.Z.I THREE MILES CHAMPIONSHIP New Zealand record, 14min 29 l-ssec, R. A. Rose (N.Z.). R. A, Rose (N.Z.) 1 J. W. Savidan (N.Z.) 2 A. Hodsdon (N.S.W.) 3 The only starters. Won by 6in. Time, 14min 49 5-ssec. THREE MILES WALKING CHAMPIONSHIP. New Zealand record, 21min 36 3-ssec, H. E. Kerr (N.Z.), 1911. W. Lankey (N.Z.) 1 E. E. Austin' (N.S.W.) 2 R. H. Cabot (N.Z.) 3 Won by 20yds. Time, 22min 10 l-ssec. Also started: D. Pedersen (N.Z.). ONE MILE MEDLEY RELAY CHAMPIONSHIP. Australian and New Zealand record (Victoria, 3min 35 4-ssec, 1924; New Zealand record, 3min 39 3-ssec, Wellington, 1925). New South Wales (Martin, Hunt, Walker, Carlton) i New Zealand (Campbell, Fleming, Jenkins, Leadbetter) 2 Won by 10yds. Time, 3min 35 3-ssec. THROWING THE HAMMER CHAMPIONSHIP. New Zealand record, 169 ft 93in, J. W. Merchant (U.S.A.), 1923. W. Harvey (N.Z.), 143 ft 1 J. M. M‘Hohn (N.Z.), 14ft 2in ... 2 J. Leckie (N.Z.), 128 ft 7iin 3 The only competitors. RUNNING HIGH JUMP CHAMPIONSHIP. Australian and New Zealand record, 6ft L. B. Mason (Victoria), 1926; New Zealand record, 6ft 1 3-16 in, L. H, Kelly (Victoria), 1911. E. M. Davidson (Vic.), 6ft 2Jin 1 L. B. Mason (Vic.), 6ft l|in 2 Also started; G. J. Sceats (N.Z.), E. G. Sutherland (N.Z.), J. M. Watson (Queensland), and F Brady (N.Z.), sft lOin. THROWING THE DISCUS CHAMPIONSHIP. New Zealand record, 137 ft, P. Munro (N.Z.), 1924. P. Munro (N.Z.), 125 ft Sjrin 1 L Hunt (N.Z.), 120 ft 4in 2 A, D. MTntosh (Vic.), 116 ft lOin ... 3 RUNNING HOP, STEP. AND JUMP ■ CHAMPIONSHIP. N. record. 47ft 47in—J. W. Shirley (N.Z.), 1927. J. W Shirley (N.Z.), 47ft Bin 1 C. M. Ebert (N.S.W.). 46ft 7|in ... 2 E. G. Sutherland (N.Z.), 45ft Sin ... 3 THE DECATHLON. METHOD OF SCORING. (Pee United Press Association.) WELLINGTON, December 27. To-morrow at the athletic championship meeting the Decathlon contests will begin. The decathlon consists, as the name implies, of 10 events. It is a test of all-round athletic ability and demands performances in the 100 metres flat, 400 metres and 1500 metres, 110 metres hurdles, running high jump, running broad jump, putting the weight, throwing the javelin, and discus and pole vault. Points are allotted on a basis of the bast performance at the 1912 or previous Olympic games. If the competition equals the 1912 Olympic record for the 100 metres, for instance, he scores 1000 points. If he betters this, which was 10 3-ssec, he is granted additional points according to his performance. He scores in this event 47.6 points less than 1000 for every fifth of a second over 10 3-5 sec which he takes to cover the distance Similarly, in the runnning high jump, he scores 1000 points if he equals the Olympic record of 1912, which was 1.93 metres, or 6.331 ft. Other distances jumped are scored at the rate of one centimetre, equalling 14 points. To-day the 100 metres, running broad jump, putting the weight, running high jump, and 400 metres flat will he decided, and to-morrow the 110 metres hurdles, throwing the discus, pole vault, throwing the javelin, and 1500 metres. The competitors in the decathlon are E. Keskinen (Queensland), L. R. Lundquist (Victoria), and E. G. Sutherland, J. W. Shirley, and G. J. Sceats (New Zealand).