ATHLETICS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21774, 13 October 1932, Page 4

ATHLETICS

By ASiatbos.

FIXTURES -r;" , ’ October 15. —Track meeting at Caledonian Ground./:

SATURDAY'S meeting

The Otago Centre’s opening meeting of the new track season, which will be held on Saturday at the Caledonian Ground, should prove to- be an outstanding commencement to a successful season. One of the chief reasons for this assumption is the fact that the Caledonian Ground is once aga|u available for sports meetings, and as it is easily the most centrally situated area, in, Dunedin, it should have the effect of materially increasing public interest in athletics. Even last season, when the centre was hunted from pillar to post in the matter of grounds, there vras evidence to show that the sport was becoming more large crowd which braved the ‘atrocious conditions for the Otago championships was an indication —and the prospects for the coming season may be considered very bright. 1 ' ■ • Among- the competitors •■- cm Saturday there will be practically' all the outstanding performers of last year. J. G. Barnes,, the New Zealand 'cidsß-coiintry champion and Otago One and Three-mile champion, will compete' in the Half-mile and. Mile, as will A.’ R. Gedijes,’ L. G. M‘Lachlan, J, H. M'Laren, E. P. Brown; and 0. F. Clark. With this field ;in view some fine racing should be seen' in these events. . ‘ ’

• The' 1 sprinter's will be- well catered, fbr. and besides a handicap event ever 126 yards, there will be. a new departure for Dunedin which should interest the, spectators—a. 200 Yards Low Hurdles Handicap.' Probable starters in : the latter event include H. Pearce, the Otago 100‘ Yards champion,- A. L. Price, K. Miller, L. M. Wright, P. G. Ward, R. 0. Johnson, arid W. Allen.'■. . • One of the principal attractions of-the' day- will no doubt be the Two-mile Relay,; composed of four half-miles, a handicUU event which will be contested by .Borah good teams. On paper, the Civil; 'Seif' vice team is a very strong one, consisting; of Barnes, M’Lachlan (Otago Half-mile' champion); Geddes (Soutnland Mile, champion), and E.' C. Bjowu, who secured, fastest time in . the Port' Chalmers Road. Race this year.' incidental,yj these.foiir, competitors' were members of the yictC>-.~ nous Otago team at the. New cross-country! championships. Caver-; sham's team (E, P. Brown, «f. J. Morris, S. F. Corbett, and . C. F. Clark) ,is , a fairly .strong one, and should give, a" good, account 0f.,, itself. ..Pacific.. and' Leith., are sure to be represented by good, teams, while a number of .other clubs ..will no doubt contest .the event. ; As, this u^ept-" ihg is recognised as a harrier it, is anticipated that by .providing this; event the centre will ensure more competition among distance runners.

VENUE OF CHAMPIONSHIPS A. strong' edort will 'be, iliiidJ.fi»yrit<?>» Rystander.”. iii the ;S6dtjil'auid ’Times) , to have the Otpgo Championship meeting* held at Invercargill this Beaeon. . Ther in-' Eer^argill; Clulj|;. ...ul u i.U}.v.,l?L tjiis. direction. since it has for yearsdieeu sending : a strong ; teain. to , cpbi-, pete ui; ’ this tixturC in Duucdlfi. ' Another .point in its favour should be the-suceess. with \ which it "has ' run' the sub-eeirtrc; cliampionships/and the. secondary schools’ championships,;the latter,. weeting,;/ast, year was one- of ( the huestr held herej 'the; financial:;, result being particularly-- grati->; tying. However,' in seeking'to have the; Otago Championships here the possibility of fet£:imng’ tfie/n,coSts - bt' this 'uiipqhng,. is, not being ’ considered. . The stimulus ; tcr theiqpojrt in jSputhrand- and.the' undoubted:, beneficial results which • would accrue from S the holding; of this‘'meeting ’ -is 'what';fis| hieing' considered/and- it fs, to' be’hp))ed'that this- 'Aspect ju)bhe wA,!’ appeal To ; d.elje-£ gates ori' the Ofago 'Centre When the matjer; is. being-considered;- : LAC&VbF ; FINANCE : A \ : Amateur athletic bodies all oyer;' tjie k ; Doifii'riipii'are at, present epdeavoiifTng .to?: find: means whereby they- may bolster ,npi their finances,, and as one means-pLdoing this the suggestion has been-made (writes; “Sprinter;’ in the Evening: Post) thfctjj the institution of interprpvjScial'- cbn-| tests between Auckland;-;We lliPKton, ftnjif Canterbury would stimulate public in-; terest. ‘Such contests certainly beldflif; both "from a ‘ financial point of frpm^the,point of-giving oiir athletes the Stronger competition theyi need, , but of greyer assistance, qtjill wquldl be the‘ Somir ffcKid oVer-J seas athletes, Already the suggestion been made? by th,e, ..Otggn ...Centre, f that; Duncan ■-.Grny, the Australian'. sh 3 Olym-t pic champion cyclist, should be invited to* make a tour of New Zealand, :.ahd,also,| if negotiations .being, .conducted by;, Ajis-t tralian officials for a visit of irtar Amevi-f can athletes are successful it .might .be; ppifeible l ’for -’ the N.ZvA.A.- and C.A., | by! working ill with the ' -Australian; authorities, to 5 bring the team to -Newl Zealand. The- Athletic Council has-the; matter Ini view, and Itjiag asked;fpy Jtjiej views; of the eeptrps op,the qpestiop .of a? tour by" overseas athletes this season so j|; thtit there..' will* be sPmethin'i;' definite > be-r; fore the annual meeting of the assbtna-jj, tion on November ,21, - . • r •.: t.A.LW . f ' ; ;,v v 'V : ; :notes'.?' I E. W. Fish, the Utago 220 yards’ chainpipn, is now,residing.in and) has joined up with the Invercargill Club. V s Paavo- Nfirmf,- the- famous'- Finrr; ahd s,Juleg Ladoumegue, the brilliant French- | ; 1 man and holder: of several-world’s ic- $ cords, were spectators at the Olympic Games., ■ Both were prevented frega;com-1-peeing because they hpd broken their j. amateur status previous to the Games. | D. Evans hasdnfimated that he-is'giv- > ing up the quarter-mile and will coueen- 1, trate on/th.e hfijfr ahdi the; nylp., He has « 4min 22 '2-sSec to. hiscredit'oyer mile ; distance New 'ZEalafid HC'raTdjV' so G. Bayne, the national champion, can look forward to a harder , race than he had last year; . v , : ■• The quality of a starter-; in athletics is generally reckoned on the number of breaks made by bis field and- the number of second shots , required to call it back. .. During the. Olympic Games, Mr' T, W; - Leslie, the New Zealand starter, -fifed only one second shot in the course of all the events he started, while Herr .Mullet, the German starter, fired about a dozen second shots. Mr Leslie has been invited to take the position of number phertartef for the 1936 Games to be held in Berlin. Through a very courageous plan bn the v part of the Auckland .Centre (says-Vthe : New Zealand Herald), Auckland will probablv .nee the pick of Australian; athletes in ,action this .Season, 'first J Aucklanders and - then in a test . match » against New Zealand. ; Golding, Hillhbuse and Gray; the -Olympic stars,- and a couple more Sitate champions would draw a re- - cord crOwd;-'; f <