ATHLETICS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23334, 28 October 1937, Page 4

ATHLETICS

By Amateur

FIXTURES October 30.—Primary school athletic championships, at Logan Park. November I.—Otago Centre's evening sports meeting, at Caledonian Ground. „ ~ . November 6.—Otago and Southland Secondary Schools' Champion ships, at Oamaru. November B.—Otago Centre's evening sports meeting, at the Caledonian Ground. November 13.—Otago junior and women's championships and Empire Games trials. November 27.—Otago Empire Games trials and short-limit handicap meeting. December 11.—Dominion Empire Games trials, at Wellington; athletic events at Otago Power Boat Club's gymkhana, at Tahuna Park. March 11 and 12.—National track and field games,- at Christchurch. TUESDAY'S EVENING MEETING Although rain early in the afternoon interfered with the attendance at the Otago Centre's first sports meeting on Tuesday evening, it did rot affect performances to any great extent, and several interesting events were witnessed. . ■' . The Half Mile was one of the most interesting races, and it provided a good finish between R. Dalton (Leith) and D. Foord (University), the former, off 50 yards, finishing better over the last 150 yards to record the satisfactory time of 2min. The national champion. Theo Allen, off scratch, ran very easily to be well up at the finish. He appears to be in great form already. The University athlete R. G. Pilling was in the limelight on Tuesday, as he won both the 100 Yards Open Handicap in 10 2-ssec, off % yards, and the Javelin Throwing Handicap.off scratch, with the good throw of 137 feet 5 inches. Jim Barnes, incidentally, showed his versatility by filling third place in the javelin event, but it would rather tend to spoil his success by mentioning his actual throw. Certainly the popular secretary's success was enthusiastically received. Other events of interest were the 75 Yards Women's Handicap, which was won in good style by Miss H. Ferguson, the 100 Yards Junior Han. dicap, in which R. Scott filled first place and the 100 Yards Schoolboys Handicap, which D. Walton won by a yard from B. R. McKernan's young The next evening sports meeting will be held on Monday, when it is to be hoped the weather will be more favourable. ', WOODERSON'S MILE Although S C. Wooderson was credited with a time of 4min 8 Msec in his successful mile record attempt at Motspur Park, England, on August 28, the claims for the recognition of the performance will give the time as 4min 6 2-ssec. Four timekeepers officiated, two returning 4min 6 -3-ssec, and the otner S? 4min 6 W Since then ,has been revealed that one of the timekeepers returning the slower time was nnt entitled to officiate. In such circumstances the faster time must be accepted, as the rules clearly demand three timekeepers, and the acceptance of the time returned by two watches should they agree. Thjs means that the International Amateur Athletic Federation the International Board, and the A.A.A will he asked to accept 4min 6 2-ssec as Sew world's, British, English, and na"m Stockholm recently, San Romani, crack American mi er .attempted to hpnt Wooderson's 4mm 6 3-ssec for tne mile, and his 4min 8 Msec was in £very way but fieures just as fine a pertonSe as .Wooderson's in view of the gale of wind and that fact that he had to make his own pace throughout H- had planned to run his four ?aps in 60, 62, 62, and 60 seconds respectively, and they actually took 63.1, 63.3, 62.4, and 60 seconds.

CANADIAN SCHOOLBOYS Athletic enthusiasts in Auckland will retain vivid memories of the brillianx Canadian schoolboy athletes who competed with outstanding success against the best local runners and field_ev ents men at the domain in 1935, when tney wire returning to Canada from the Melbourne centenary . schoolboys' meeting (states the New Zealand Herald).. Several of these Canadians, now in world class, are almost certain to be seen in action Si in Auckland and other parts of New Zealand when the Canadian team passes through the Dominion on its return from the British Empire Games to be held in Sydney next year, from February 5 to 12. , J Loaring, who finished second to G Hardin, of the United States, m the 400 Metres Hurdles Championship at the Olympic Games in Berlin, is likely to be one of the team. He recently caused a surprise at & HamUtoru Ontario when he defeated A. G K. Brown of England, over 440 yards in the fast time of 48 4-ssec. The race was_ decided at a meeting between tourmg Oxford and Cambridge athletes and the Olympic Club, of Hamilton the universities winning by nine events to °On entering the straight Loaring was four yards behind, but made a remarkable burst and won in the last tew strides. In the same afternoon he captured the 220 Yards Low Hurdles event from D. A. D. L. Nichols, (Cambridge) in 24 4-ssec. Loaring was not seen in action in Auckland, where the 120 Yards High Hurdles event was won by his team mate A Zizis. The captain of the 1934-35 Canadian schoolboys' team, J Homer, finished second to A. Pennington (Cambridge) in the 220 Yards at the same meeting and he is reported to be running better than ever. The young negro, S. Rich ardson. who is the present British Empire Long Jump champion, having won this event in England in 1934 at the age of 15 has since captured Jesse Owens's Canadian record with a leap of close on 25 feet. He represented Canada at the Berlin Olympic Games, where he qualified for the finals.of both the Long Jump and the Hop. Step, and Jump.

M. N. Limon, brilliant quarter-mile runner, is the present Canadian champion, with a time of 48 9-10 sec. He did not produce his best form at Berlin. H. McPhee, who won both the 100 Yards and 220 Yards races in Auckland, has since proved to be the fastest sprinter Canada has had. He holds the Canadian records for both the 100 metres and 200 metres, and performed with distinction at the Olympics. The other members of the schoolboy team—W. Savage, R. Jansen, T. Mitchell, E. Ferris, E. Wares, A. Zizis, and E. Fleming—still compete regularly. It : is likely that two or three of these athletes will be in the British Empire Games team CANTERBURY ATHLETES C. H. Matthews, holder of the threemile native track record of 14min 18 3-ssec, and 1936 Olympic representative, is very anxious to secure a trip to the Empire Games. Last season he failed to produce anything like his best form, due probably to the fact that he endeavoured to mould his style along the lines of cinder track runners. It was a mistake. Matthews's earlier style was, it was made clear ' by his performances, more efficacious for grass tracks. If he forgets all about cinder tracks and goes back to his natural style, there is no reason (says the Sports Post) why he should not produce another 14min 18sec run. He has been training for some time, and 10 days ago in Christchurch covered a mile in 4min 35sec, satisfactory going .for this time of the year. At Ashburton on Labour Day he returned the good time of 4min 29 3-ssec l for a mile off a handicap of 20 yards. V. P. Boot is also in good form, and at Ashburton ran 600 yards in great style, although no time was taken. He is very fit after a full winter's training. ■ . " The president of the Canterbury Centre this year is Dr J. J. Brownlee, who in his day was a well-known Otago sprinter and a keen member of Otago University teams. After Tuning with success in England, he re-' turned to Christchurch, where: ever since he has taken a keen interest'in the administrative side of the sportThose athletes and enthusiast? who hope to visit Christchurch for the national games next March will look forward to renewing acquaintances with the ex-Otago sprinter. NOTES Melvin Walker, the present American high jump champion and yet an-, other great negro athlete, tried to clear 6ft lOJin at Stockholm recently. This would have beaten his own so far un: recognised world record of 6ft lOJin. It is considered that he would almost certainly have succeeded if he had not had to uump at the moment of deepest ~ darkness before the floodlights went on. As it was, he failed only by a hair's breadth at his third jump. Given fine weather, an excellent day should be enjoyed at Logan Park ~ on Saturday, when the Otago State Primary Schools' Sports wilhbe held. Excellent entries have been received; and competition should be keen in.' all sections. The Christian Brothers . Boys' High School's sports will also be held on Saturday at the Caledonian . Ground.