ATHLETIC NOTES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20612, 10 January 1929, Page 4

ATHLETIC NOTES.

By Amateur. ATHLETICS IN THE OLD COUNTRY Recently returned from England is Dr J. J. Brownlee, former Canterbury champion over 100 yards, who competed in the Old Country and observed closely the methods of running the sport there (says “ Sprinter ” in the Christchurch Sun) ._ His impressions are doubly interesting to Canterbury enthusiasts, for they show that th e avenues along which progress is being directed by the Canterbury Centre of the New Zealand Athletic. Association lead in almost the same direction as those along which the . sport is being developed in England. Match races between club teams, mostly relay or point races, are the principal events now in England, according to Dr Browiilee. Points count for first, second, and third places, and the team with the largest aggregate at the end of the day is the winner. Handicap events are very few, compared with the scratch and inter-club races, which arc attracting a good deal of public interest, and providing very keen compe■tion. It is a recognised thing that in meeting one of the weak clubs a strong club will not field its best men, the aim of the stronger clubs being to make competition close rather than to win all the time, and to provide competition for all their men. , After the winter conferences of club delegates last winter the Canterbury Centre set out to promote more interclub competition, and so far its efforts have been very successful. The .Americana were the first to realise the importance of carefully-organised team-work in athletics, and particularly of relay racing. They hold many inter-club and relay meets, and much of their success is attributed to the great amount of relay running they • do. Canterbury, in following America and England, has become athletically up-to-date. When it comes to the actual management of a track meeting the rest of the world can show New Zealand nothing new. Except for the installation of loud speakers for announcing ' purposes. Dr Brownlee saw nothing in the control of • English meetings that was an advance jon New Zealand control. And he did not meet a starter ns good as C. S. Thomas.

TIMARU CALEDONIAN MEETING,

The Timaru Caledonian Society opened their sports meeting on New Year’s Day in showery weather. Nevertheless, a crowd of some 6000 or 7000 people paid admission to see one of the best meetings held in the district for many years past. The society is the fortunate possessor of one of the best athletic grounds in New Zealand, having a great cycle track and a running track conducive to fast times under good conditions.

The veteran professional rider, Phil. O’Shea, carried off the big Wheel Race on the first day, and J. R. I’Anson, the ex-anmteur rider, won the Mile Blue Ribbon Championship, after a fine struggle. The riding of the professionals wag an eyeopener to the Dunedin athletes, who were startled to see the riders starting their sprint over a lap from home in a two mile race, and cutting out a mile race around about 2min,ssec every time. However, the beautiful track was a lightning conductor to fast times, and the mere fact of T’Anson winning the big championship suggests that - F,. Grose or some of the other, crack amateurs would give the professionals a fright; ; Perhaps the most outstanding rider over’ the two days was A., C. Ritchie, a Christchurch rider, who has recently returned from Australia. Ritchie cleaned up two championships—the Half-mile and the Three-mile-y-ho-sides collecting several handicap placings. For sheer grit and determination under great handicaps Ritchie would be bard to heat, and time and again he got placed from seemingly impossible positions. The most impressive professional runners were O’Loughlan, Polaschek, and Davison among the hack markers in the sprints, and over the longer distances Jones, M'Gillivray, of Dunedin, and Dodds, of Fairlie, were the most consistent. The former was outstanding, and I expect to sec him become, should ho be looked after, one of the best runners over quarter and half-mile distances in New Zealand, either amateur or professional. M'Gillivray, the Dunedin man. left the great Getson standing in the Mile Handicap, and he should he capable of improving his time, 4min 36 l-ssec. FORBURY PARK MEETING. The following is the programme of athletic events for the Otago Centre’s meeting at Forbury Park on February 2; —IOO yards A Grade handicap, 100 yards B Grade handicap, 1000 yards handicap, 100 yards ladies’ handicap, 400 yards ladies’ relay handicap, one mile iuterclub relay, half-mile walk championship, halfmile open cycle handicap, one mile A Grade, and one mile B grade cycle handicaps. Entries close on January 20, NOTES. With the passing of the holidays, training activities are being renewed at the Caledonian Ground. The track is in excellent condition at present, and it is a credit to the caretaker, Mr R. Maxwell. L. M'Lachlau, Otago’s outstanding middle-distance runner, is again seen on the track after a short let-up. Possessed of a good stylo and easy-going stride, this popular Civil Service runner should collect at least one title at the Otago Championships.

With dramatic suddenness, Miss May Speirs, of Canterbury, sprang into view five years ago, when she first won the ladies’ singles championship of the Dominion. ' In 1924, in Auckland, Miss Speirs did not repeat her success iu the previous championships, and was put out of the singles event by Miss E. Ballantync (now Mrs Watson). But the eclipse was only temporary, as she annexed all three events in 1925 in Christchurch. In 1926 the championships were again held in Auckland, and Miss Speirs lost to Miss A. Howe (now Mrs Adams). She recaptured the title in Christchurch last year, and this year she was compelled to surrender it to Miss Macfarlanc.

Malfroy had several difficult matches on his way to the final, especially those against Griffiths, Rhodes Williams, and A. L. France. His game against Williams was of particular interest. In the first set both stroked quietly and. carefully to work the other out of position. Although both played well to the sidelines, very few balls were put outside. The majority of those that did go over the lines were put there by Malfroy. Williams made the most of his opponent’s mistakes in the net. Malfroy ran to a 5 —3 lead in the first set, Williams drew level at 5 all, and had two points to win the set, 7—5. He threw one away on a double fault, and netted the next. He again had two sets points for 9 —7. Again did he throw one away on a double fault, and the other on a net. Malfroy won the set 10 —8. Williams was never the same afterwards, although he made a fight for the third set, and Malfroy, playing with increasing confidence after drawing out of danger, kept Williams on the move. At the vital stages of the first set Malfroy played with great care. He more often took the net, and in the first set Williams made good passing shots, but he netted too frequently in mistakenly trying to force the pace. Malfroy dealt carefully with Williams’s lobs. Both paid a great deal of attention to the other’s backhand, and in any lengthy rallies on that wing Malfroy was usually the victor.

F. R. Chisholm and J. H. Watson gave J. C. Charters and A. C. Stedmau quite a scare in the opening round of the men’s double, taking a" sot from the winners. The accuracy of the former pair’s volleying and lobbing in the third set after they had lost the first two sets put Stedmaii right off his game and nearly caused the match to go to five sots. Stedman and Charters drove far too much and also smashed too much straight down the court. These shots were invariably lobbed back. There was very little hcadwork about Steelman and Charters’s play. The losers employed the better tactics, but lacked consistency.

There was some splendid play in the final of the boys’ doubles, in which Robertson (South Canterbury) and Grew

■ Ot'V."- ‘ ’'M ■ ~,,,1 R-..,. ,M (J 3 G —s. Robertson was seen at his best) itinii wi„u a g.i.i.i

He played much move steadily than in the singles. All-round, good, clean overhead work by Drew, at the net, made for clever combination, Drew's net work was really a feature of the game, and many of his strokes were untouchable winning shots.