ATHLETICS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23705, 12 January 1939, Page 4

ATHLETICS

By Amateur FIXTURES January 21.—Meeting a: Brighton. February 1,8, and 15. —Caversham and Civil Service Clubs' championship? at the Caledonian Ground. February 25. - Otago Championship Meeting, at the Caledonian GroundMarch 10 and 11.—New Zealand track and field championships at Napier. March 23.—Caledonian Society's annual sports. VICTORIAN ATHLETES TOUR The following is the tentative itinerary of the tour of the two Victorian athletes G. Backhouse and E Best:—. January 14 (Saturday).—Compete at Dunedin January 16 (Monday).—Compete at Invercargill. and depart from Bluff. INTERDOMINION CONTESTS Boot's Triumph Over Backhouse V. P. Boot, the brilliant Canterbury middle-distance runner, has won the first contest with G. Backhouse in the interdomlnion meetings, and the stage is now set for a great race on Saturday, when the two men will meet over a special invitation mile at the Caledonian Ground. The meeting of these two runners and W. A. C. Pullar attracted over 6000 people to the Basin

Reserve —an attendance reminiscent of the hey-dey at amateur athletics in the Capital City. The ground was in great condition. In fact, the Australians considered the surface little inferior to that of the Sydney Cricket Ground. There was, of course, a Wellington wind—a stiff, gusty northerly that made conditions difficult for the competitors. ■ The mile was the classic event of the meeting, and the crowd waited with keen anticipation for it. Backhouse,Boot, and Pullar were on the scratch mark, and three Wellington runners— E. Mostyn, A. Bourgeois, and A Mac-, kay—were on 50 yards. As a spectacle, the event must have satisfied everyone on the ground. It was an extraordinarily fine race from every point of view, and Boot's performance fully justified his reputation as a. runner of world class. The time,.4min 14 3-ssec, easily the fastest ever recorded on the Basin Reserve, speaks for itself. Boot's, time, in fact, was the second best ever registered in New Zealand. It was only one second outside Randolph Rose's figures of 4min 13 3-ssec. Had the circumstances been more'favourable, the record would have gone. Pullar, too, who finished some *0 yards behind Eoot, ran almost up to his best form. The former New Zealand champion, once he is wound right up, will go even better. To Pullar actually went much of the credit for the fast race When he headed the scratch men in the second lap he set a torrid pace. Pullar's time was 4mm 17£sec. Backhouse ran gallantly, but he just could not hold on to Boot and Pullar over the last furlong. He struggled valiantlv. but he was a spent force 100 yards from home. He finished five yards behind Pullar. WITH HONOURS EVEN Boot and Backhouse's Meeting At the Empire Games last February, G. Backhouse beat V. P. Boot for second place in the mile. At Wellington last Saturday, Boot beat the Victorian very decisively over the same distance, so that when these two brilliant runners meet at the Celedonian Ground on Saturday, they will be more or less deciding who is the outstanding miler in Australia and New Zealand. Boot won very comfortably at Wellington in time a second outside . the New Zealand record, but Backhouse has been improving with every j run he has had in this country, and a thrilling contest should be witnessed Although the Caledonian track is recognised as a slow one, the time for the race should be outstanding if conditions are favourable. At any rate, the public should witness one of the best mile races ever seen in Dunedin. It is to be hoped that the attendance is in keeping with the excellence of the fare the Otago Centre is offering. Besides the mile race, another attraction should be the appearance of E Best, the brilliant Victorian sprinter whose times have been so remarkable on this tour. He has consistently won the 100 Yards in lOsec since arriving in the Dominion, has broken the New

Zealand record for the 120 Yards with a brilliant run of Iljsec, and has equalled the Dominion record of 21 3-ssec for the furlong. He should be in great fettle foi* Saturday’s meeting, when he will compete against Otago's best sprinters including A. R. Duff, the promising New Zealand Uni- ;* versity 220 Yards champion. '' Other features of the meeting' that should appeal to the public will be the first appearance of A. A. Cameron in the discus and shot putt, the display of high .lumping by Miss Betty Forbes, the Empire Games athlete, and the appearance of R. J. Watson, New Zealand’s champion walker. , i Although the meeting proper will not be commenced until 2.30; there will be a 20-mile race, in which threeof the Dominion’s best marathon runners —G. L. Austin. C. G. Gibbons, and G. R. Colston—will comnete. It is to be hoped that the Otago. Centre will be given good weather for the meeting and that the Dunedin lic will turn out in full force to enjoy a first-class exhibition of athletics. NOTES The English Amateur Athletic As- ■ sociation has decided to give the fullest support to the application made'by the City of London to stage the 1944 Olympic Games. The application-will be considered at a meeting of the International Olympic Committee in June. London will meet with opposition in its desire to stage the Games, since the American Olympic Committee is supporting the-request from-De-troit City, .v-; There are still a few people: with! - the idea that the performance of T. P. Lavery (South Africa) in winning the 120 Yards Hurdles event, in, 14- - seconds at the Empire Games last Feb-, ruary should be recognised as a record.. They want to forget all about it, even if no definite action has yet been taken ,s-S in Australia regarding the adoption or rejection of Lavery’s time. The referee . ruled rightly or wrongly that the windassisted Lavery and whatever might be said this decision is final. In any: event, the South African’s time, -even, ~ if it had- been recognised, could.-mot. have stood as a world's record. Forrest Towns, the American, has the record at 13 7-10 sec, and he made this performance as long ago as 1936, although it was not put'on books until 1938. At the most (Lavery’s time would have been an Empire l Games record. ■ ' ; LAST MONDAY’S;MEETING There was little that was outstanding at last Monday’s evening meeting, but the unpleasant weather experienced certainly calls-for comment. The Otago Centre - has been, particularly unfortunate , this . season in the weather experienced for its evening . meetings, and although Monday night was fine, conditions . were far from pleasant, a cold southerly . making things very trying for competitors and officials alike. . If is to -be, hoped, that . the centre will be mote fortunate .for • its ..'emaining evening meetings as . Otago athletes can do with plenty of competition in the next few weekp, after the lean time they have had so . far this season., ». ; - : A feature of last Monday s meeting was the success of two Wellington athletes—Miss J. McGrath, of the Wellington Club, and E. W. Thomson, of the Olympic Club. Miss McGrath showed thatahe is a promising sprinter by winning the 75 Yards'from scratch in 9 4-ssec.- Thomson was successful in the Junior Quarter, which he. won -j in .55 4-ssec from the 15yds mark. ; It is pleasing to see visiting athletes turn-' ing out as did these two, as it certainly improves the relationship between the centres and helps the sport along.- - ' ‘ . H. J. Tyrie showed improved form to fill second place in the furlong off 3yds, the event being wop in’23 l l-ssec by I. L. McLennan (Anslican), whowas on the 13yds mark. Tyrie is definitely better over the quarter, but his best distance should be the half. R. J. Watson, the New Zealand champion walker, showed Up well iri the ; ’ first mile- walk of the season. ' The .'■■■ event was won by the keen;Caversham walker, L. M. Gerne, off 270yds, in 6min 53 ' 3-ssec. C. McGregor (Anglican) was another runner to show improvement, but he" is still a fair way from top form! He Was second to J. D. Clements (Celtic United) ;m. the Junior 100 Yards, the time being 10 2-ssec. Others to gain honours were R. A. Wilson (Mornington), who won the Mile from the 190yds mark in 4min 31 2-ssec,' and R. Emerson (Caversham), who, off 20yds, Won the Quarter Hurdles in 63sec. CIVIL SERVICE CLUB Civil Service Club members are showing an increased interest in draining and racing at , present. With the club championships only a month away, to be followed by bigger events, this interest is more than justified. G. H. Billbrough has had a great deal of success lately, and is running very well at present, and should do well at the club championships. Bob McLachlan is coming on nicely. In the Mile last Monday night he ran very well for the first two . laps, and wisely f conserved his energies over the latter stages, when the wind -was having its effect. Morris Collins is as consistent as ever. Harold Tyrie should be in fine fettle within the next few weeks. The programme for the club championship meetings is as follows; February I—loo Yards Senior. 100 Yards Junior. 880 Yards Senior 880 Yards Junior. 120 Yards, Hurdles. Broad, . Jump. Shot Putt, and Hpp. Step, and JU ]?ebruary 8—220 Yards Senior. 220 Yards Junior, Mile Senior, Mile Junior, Mile Walk. 440 Yards Hurdles. Discus, and Javelin. , ... February 15. —440 Yards Senior. 440 Yards Junior. Two-mile Senior. Twomile Junior, 220 Yards Hurdles, High Jump, and Pole Vault. -.- ’• Bob Watson is out again, and walking as well as ever. His time last Monday night for the mile was 7mm lOsec. . -' v -; >