ATHLETIC NOTES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21264, 19 February 1931, Page 4

ATHLETIC NOTES.

By Ahateub.. NEW ZEALAND CHAMPIONSHIPS. Now that the team to represent Otago at the New Zealand track and field championships, which will be held at the Caledonian Ground on February 27 and 28, has been selected, a note on its chances in the various events may be of interest. In the 100 yards championship, M, G. Valk, who' represented Otago at Wanganui last year, was 1 of good enough class to gain a place there, but he appears to be doing better times this year. B. Geddes, of Invercargill, who was a member of the Otago team two years ago at Wellington, and gained a place in the final, should also be among those placed at the forthcoming meeting. A. L. Price ran his best race last year to gain a place in the final of the 440 yards, but this season he seems to be running with more freedom, and Should not be far away in the final, L. C. M'Lachlan, on his performance at the Caledonian Ground on Monday evening, would appear to have a' much better chance than he had at the Otago championship meeting.

C. M. Olsen, the former New Zealand half-mile champion, has been selected to represent Otago in the 880 yards. He 'has been in training for some time, and if he can reproduce his old form he should be one of the hardest men to beat, although E. A. Taylor is running very well at present. J. E. Lovelock, J. J. Morris, and J. G. Barnes will contest the one and threemile championships on behalf of this province, and any one of them may be able to create a surprise, especially in the one mile, although Lovelock’s chances appear to be the brightest. It seems somewhat unlikely that Savidan will be at the meeting, as it was stated at the meeting of the Otago Centre on Tuesday night that no arrangements had been made in Auckland to send a team to the championships. Indeed, that province seems to be decidedly dilatory in athletic matters, as the local championship meeting has not yet been held, and will not take place until next month. In view of the fact, however, that Savidan would be a great “draw,” it was decided at the Otago Centre meeting to send a telegram to him asking him if he could possibly come, and to make every endeavour to have him in Dunedin for the championships. In response to a telegram sent by the president of the Otago Centre (Mr E. L. Macassey) to one of the centre’s delegates in Wellington, a reply has been received that the New Zealand Council is in communication with Savidan and also Elliot (the New Zealand 100 yards’ champion), with a view to their visiting Dunedin. The possibility of their coming, however, depends on their getting leave from work, and the council is awaiting further information. it is practically certain that Randolph Rose will be here, and as he is rapidly approaching form some fine distance running should be seen.

In the' 120 Yards Hurdles J. Robilliard and I. 0. Manson are the two Otago men selected. They made a very close race of it at the Otago championships, the winning time being lOsee —a very creditable performance on the day. Both these men should be placed .at the national meeting, especially in view of the fact that Lander and Ramson will not be competing. Manson should be very close in tiie 440 Hurdles, and Robilliard has also been training steadily over this distance. Otago’s chances in the High Jump do not appear very bright, as J. M. Somerville, the only representative, will find some difficulty in doing much more than the starting height of sft 3in. If he can improve on his throw in the javelin event. R. Crceser, of Invercargill, should have a chance of gaining second place to Lay, who is at present consistently throwing over 200 ft. _ R. 0. Johnson, Robilliard, and. A. H. Easton, who will be competing in the Hop, Step, and Jump event, ; are all capable of giving a better exhibition than they did at the Otago championships, and if Johnson can produce his best form he should be hard to beat. . In the Broad Jump, Robilliard, in the absence of R. G. Jolly, gives the impression of being the only Otago man with any prospect of gaining a place, but if Jolly competes and shows the form he exhibited while at the Otago Boys High School the province should very nearly win this event. . Mies R- Grant, whose time m the oU yards event at the Provincial Championships was only one-tenth of a second outside the New Zealand record, will be Otago’s favourite at the national meeting. She will be pitted, however, against Miss T. Kench. of Wellington, the present holder of the title, and it is likely that a great race will be seen between the tW If he strikes form on Saturday week G. S. Cabot has a good chance of carrying off both the One Mile and Three Mile Walks for Otago. : , J G Leckie established a record for the best hammer throw by a New Zealander when he struck 151 feet 6 inches at Milton last sCason, but he has not yet won a national championship, and.it would be fitting if he were able to achieve this at the forthcoming meeting on his own gr Stephenson, the ex-Wellington College champion, comes with a great reputation, and as he will be competing in the 100 Yards Junior Event the chances of the Otago men are not especially bright. At the centre meeting on Tuesday night Hr W. J. Duff was appointed manager of the Otago team. CARLTON ARRIVES. Prior to his appearance at the meeting to be held at Athletic Park on Saturday, James Carlton, of New South Wales, the leading Australian sprinter, arrived at Wellington on Tuesday. Hie best performance this season was on December 29, when he ran the 100 yards in 9 3-ssec on a fast grass track at the Sydney, Cricket Ground. Realising (says “ Hurdler ” in the Dominion) that he was probably the only runner in Australia or New Zealand likely to extend George Simpson, the astounding American sprinter at present on a Dominion tour, the Wellington Centre —not without difficulty —took steps to secure his appearance. Carlton will run against Simpson and also C. Jenkins, the present New Zealand 220 yards champion, in the 100 yards and the 220 yards in a race which should draw thousands. THE BRILLIANT AMERICANS. The three American athletes, who will appear in Dunedin on I ebruary 27 and 28 at the New Zealand championship meeting, are college men of the highest prowess. George Simpson, the “ Buckeye Bullet,” was the first man in the world to run 100 yards in 9 2-ssec. In addition, he is co-holder with Ronald Locke of the 220 yards time of 20 3-ssec, which is a world record. Rufus Kiser has run the mile in Amin 13sec, and is the mile national champion. Harlow . Rothert holds the national collegiate record for the shot putt, 52ft Hn, and is a magnificent all-round athlete. In the past fortnight he has several times broken the New Zealand record for this event. Rothert, who is captain of the team, is of magnificent physique, standing oft 2in in height, with limbs and balance that suggest the perfect physical man. Simpson is not so tall, while the slender Kiser is of the typical middle-distance build, slim and spare, enabling him to carry a tremendous stride the full 1700 yards. Rothert began his athletic career at football, where he soon achieved renown. Later, however, his shot putting began to draw attention upon himselt, •until at present his efforts are within inches if the world’s record. He is an excellent discus and javelin thrower also, Simpson gives an impression of tremendous force. This man, whose boyhood was sickly, who required special food and treatment for a long time to combat an accumulation of ailments, frail stature, flat feet, weakened constitution, etc., is undoubtedly, if not the fastest, one of the three fastest men in the world. In his own country ho performs before a crowd of 50,000 spectators. An American journalist gives an impression of a race in 1929 which Simpson won:—“At the inter-collegiate track meeting in June, 1929, the crowd in the grandstand waited, all of a tingle, for the start of the 100 Yards Dash. The track was hard and even, the distance exactly 100 yards, there was no wind, and the field one of the greatest in the history of inter-col-legiate athletics. There was every prospect of a record. The sprinters tensed on their blocks, the gun snapped, the athletes hurtled forward. Inch by inch n tall, swarthy youth in a red shirt, fleet as a deer, drew away from the field, and broke the tape a full yard ahead of his fellow competitors. The timers gasped. They could hardly believe their eyes. Three watches read .0 3-10 sec, the other two 9 4-ssee. They rubbed their eyes and looked again, for no' human being had ever run 100 yards faster than 9 5-10 sec, and only three or four had done 9 6-10 soc. The crowd on the grandstand went mad.

They bowled and shrieked when the megaphonist read out that George Simpson, of Ohio State University, had broken the world’s record for 100 yards. Rufus Kiser’s 4min 13sec mile stamps him as one of the greatest milers in the world. He is by no means at the peak of his career, and before he is, he may better even this time.