LOVELOCK LOSES TO BECCALI

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22102, 4 November 1933, Page 15

LOVELOCK LOSES TO BECCALI

UNIVERSITIES’ GAMES (From Oob Own Correspondent.) . LONDON, September 13. At Turin, as the result of four full clays of athletics in the International Universities Games, Great Britain was placed seventh, with 25 points in the classification of the universities for the athletic events. Germany headed the list with 126 points, Italy coming second with 80, and Hungarv third :with 47. United States was ninth with 23. J. E. Lovelock (New Zealand), British holder of the world’s mile record, was beaten by Luigi Beccali, the Italian and Olympic champion, in the final of the 1500 Metres event, Beccali’s time of 3min 49 l-ssec equalled the world record set up by tfie Frenchman, Jules Ladoumegue, in Paris two years ago. Lovelock, it is thought in English circles in Turin, would have won his race and broken the world record for the distance if his recent illness and comparative lack of training had not prevented him from making his usual burst of speed at the finish. He was beaten by five yards. His time was 4min 49 4-ssec, which was 3-ssec outside Beccali’s. B. N. Page (London University) was pacemaker, and he led for 300 yards, closely followed by Beccali and Lovelock. A German competitor then got ahead for a _few yards, but Beccali, with Lovelock still close behind, passed him. s Lovelockig time for the first lap of 446 metres, was 68sec, and Beccali's a shade slower. The race was now a duel between Beccali and Lovelock, who, conspicuous in their black shirts, ran away from the rest of the field. Lovelock stuck to his man, but his final effort was not good enough, and Beccali, running strongly, stalled him off to win byi five yards. V

R- K. Brown (Cambridge University)ran strongly to qualify for the final of the 400 Metres Hurdles. His time was 55sec. D, R. W. Watts (London University) failed to qualify, TAKING SPORTS SERIOUSLY.

The Times special correspondent wrote from the Mussolini Stadium, ■ Turin Even if a representative side could have been sent, Germany would not have been seriously rivalled, but, since Contmental sports are questions of National prestige, the wisdom of allowing .Great Britain to be represented comparatively weakly is questionable. Foreigners take th 6o ® sports seriously, and cannot believe that England does not do likewise. The standard has been so high that even the equalisation of two world records does not stand out. Thus it is the superb physique of the average modern foreign athlete and the enthusiasm of the spectators for field events which leave a deep impression. . Of the eight finals, Great Britain was seriously concerned only with the 400 Metres Hurdles, and with«the 4 x 400 Metres Relay. In the fornUß- race R. K. Brown led to the eighth hurdle, but there the. wind caught him on the bend and he went over right instead of left leg first. E. Wagener (Germany) and Mori, the Italian champion, shot to the fore, but Brown came again before the last hurdle. Just as Brown was assuming the lead, Wegener hit the hurdle, and Brown next to him followed suit. Suddenly Nagy, of _ Hungary, who had previously distinguished himself in the 100, 200, and 400 metres, let loose a terrific burst which deprived Great Britain of her first victory by Ift. All Brown wanted was a trial over the full course, and he would not only have won, but have lowered the record still held in 54 l-ssec by J. Simpson.

Great Britain ran lier best two men first in the relay, so that when G. N. Blake handed over Britain lay third. G. Lawrence being'really a half-miler, first s Czechoslovakia_ and then Italy beat ns, but Nagy again could not get Brown to beat him for fifth place. The extremely strong German team, consisting of Notbrook, Ruble, Metzner, and Yoight, broke the record by two seconds. Swakinski ran brilliantly for France. The other record was in the 800 metres, in which the Germans, De Desseker and Danz, led from start to finish. E. Stinson did well to get sixth in under two minutes. After three false starts in the hurdles, E. M. Vane got away faster than he had done before and beat his rivals to the first hurdle, but he crashed into the crossbar. Boros (Hungary) was disqualified for running through the next hurdle. Vane got the fifth place. After the fourth hurdle, E. Wegener (Germany) was rolling too much to stay with J. Morris, the American champion, who drew away to win by five yards in 14 2-ssec, which equals the world’s record time of E. Wennstrom (Sweden). The secrets of Morris’s prowess lie in his perfect balance, his chopped-down landing stride, and the way he delays his back leg action for a lightning second stride. I. Fuqua (United States), H. Voigt, and A. Metzner (Germany), three of the world’s greatest quarter-milers, fought out the 400 metres final. From the point of view of grace, Fuqua was the clear selection from the start. He swung his arms easily at the side, but the Germans’ more muscular cross-chest action seemed laborious and liable to contract the lungs. Fuqua travelled too easily for 200 metres to have a chance of beating the world’s record, but, when he accelerated, the Germans were beaten. Voigt, the German champion, kept his form to the end, thus turning the tables on Metzner, “Who won in the Anglo-German match. Their times were 47 4-ssec, 48 3-10 sec, and 48 4-ssec respectively. As the 400 metres is barely a yard short of 440 yards, the brilliancy of this time is clear.

The 100 metres was a tragedy for B. Luti, the burly Argentine, who alarmed the Americans before the’ final at Los Angeles. At 50 metres he pulled a side muscle. Every day he had been practising dozens of starts from the holes, and his breakdown only shows that even potential world-beaters cannot put such a strain upon themselves without impunity during their first season or two. H. W. Clegg did admirably to get fourth in such a distinguished final, but he never looked like holding Pflug (Germany), the winner in 10 7-10 sec, which is only one-tenth of a second outside the Games’ record and twofifths o| a second outside the world’s record.

A successful day for the British ladies was completed by Miss Booth and Miss Ireland getting second and third with the discus. British jubilation was, however, tempered by the fact that the winning throw of 84ft liin by Signorina L. Bogiovani was little more than half the ladies’ world’s record.