Sports Commentary

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26904, 16 October 1948, Page 4

Sports Commentary

By The Sports Editor ——

Pentathlon Winner To Retire from Sport

Captain William Oscar Guernsey Grut, of Sweden, winner of the Modern Pentathlon at the Olympic Games in London, established himself as one of the world's greatest athletes, and (according to Laurence Wilkinson in the Daily Mail) earned a certain right to sing “ Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better.” But he is a serious-minded young man and vainglory is a thing he abhors. In winning the swimming contest against 46 others, he became the first man to win three of the five events in the Modern Pentathlon, his previous successes being gained in riding and fencing.

Captain Grut took great care of himself in every way affecting his health. He walked away from an acquaintance after his swimming success with the remark: “ I will come back when you have finished smoking.” By such rigid adherence to health rules and by 12 years of unceasing training, he achieved his ambition to beat the world’s best. It has meant sacrificing much of his home life—at 33 he is a married man with two children —and that is against his principles. He has announced his intention of retiring from competitive athletics in order to devote more of his time to his home.

At 14 Grut won the Swedish 100 Metres Swimming Championship. At 19 he joined the Swedish Army because he was poor and could not afford a career which entailed an expensive education. It gave him the opportunity of practising for sport. A flrstclaiss scholar, he passed out as the best candidate of Sweden’s equivalent to Sandhurst.

In 1936 he saw Captain Handrtck, of Germany, win the Modern Pentathlon at the Berlin Olympic Games, and he made up his mind to win the next one. Since then Ills training schedule has been:— 6.15 a.m., rise; 6.30 a.m., riding for 45 minutes; 9.15 a.m., start work at the War. Office; 12.30 p.m., running for 30 minutes; 1 p.m., lunch with the regiment; 2.15 p.m., back at work; 5.15 p.m., fencing practice on alternate days; 6.30 p.m., dinner at home; 8.30 p.m., to bed. Sundays were free, and he took his family to church and had no exercise beyond a'walk or a trip in his yacht.

“ I shall be glad,” he told Mr Wilkinson, “ to be finished with it all. In Sweden an engineer who invents something beneficial or an agriculturist who increases the productivity of the soil gets only a paragraph in the papers, but a man who kicks a ball gets himself splashed over six columns. I do not approve of that. Too many people now want only the gay life. That is why I am retiring. I set out to do a thing and did it. Now T shall start on a new phase of my life.” A. Fagg and J. D. Robertson follow Compton in order with averages of 53.84 and 50.34 respectively. Fagg scored 2423 runs and Robertson 2366. W. J. Edrich, who scored 2408 runs, is eighth on the list. In 55 innings, six not-outs, he finished with an average of 49.14 and his highest total Was 168 not out.

J. Hardstaff, who has been engaged as coach to the Auckland Cricket Association this season, finished in nineteenth position. His highest score was 182 not out and his average for 34 innings, three not-outs, was 39.70. The New Zealander, M. P. Donnelly, was forty-first on the list. He had 36 innings, two not-outs, for 1149 runs at figures of 33.79. His highest total was 208 not out.

The qualification of ten wickets throws many of the leading bowlers down the list. J. C. Boucher, in .taking 18 wickets for 159 runs, heads the averages with figures of 8.83. J. C. Clay is second with 41 at 14.17 each. The New Zealander, T. L. Pritchard, had a very successful season. He finished in seventeenth position with 172 wickets at a cost of 18.75 each. He was only two behind the highest aggregate gained by J.' Walsh, the former New South Wales left-hander, who dismissed 174 batsmen at 19.56 runs each.

A. V. Bedser took 115 wickets at 22.88 and R. Pollard the same number at 22.92 The slow break bowlers, D. V. P. Wright and T. P. B. Smith took 77 and 92; wickets respectively at' 25.18 and 28.30 each. Saftball Prospects

The development of softball in Oamaru during the past 12 months has resulted in tire formation of a subassociation affiliated to the Otago Association. A strong band of officials is interested in the promotion of the game in Oamaru and there is little doubt that by their efforts the game should progress sufficiently to enable them eventually to form their own association. In the meantime, the Otago Association has pledged itself to do all it can to assist, and a club team has already made the journey north to meet the players in that district. The result of the game was a win for the Oamaru team by one run from a 2nd N.Z.E.F. team. From the interest being taken in the pre-season coaching course being conducted by Mr T. Allen, of the Physical Welfare Branch, it is evident that the standard of play this year should be higher than in previous seasons. The inter-club competition should be very open as Sargood’s t£am, last season’s winner, has not been able to enter owing to many transfers. The 2nd N.Z.E.F., Bears, Cardinals and Training College have strong combinations to contest the first division, while City United, Cubs, a new combination, and Hillside, the full personnel of which are not yet known, may upset any pre-season calculations. In the second division, there will be considerable changes in the personnel of Training College, last season’s winners consequent upon the entry of a team in the first division. Hawks, all of whom are together again, and A T.C., who are always well represented, should add considerable interest to the competition. It is expected that teams from Wellington, Canterbury and Southland will visit Dunedin this season. An Asset to Oamaru The appointment of W. H. Nelson, captain of the New’ Zealand Olympic team, to the staff of the North School Oamaru. should be of immense benefit to amateur athletics in North Otago. Nelson will be associated at the North School with Mr R. E. Dimick, whose enthusiasm for many years has been a powerful influence for good. Mr Dimick has achieved notable success as a coach of athletes, an outstanding example being Miss Betty Forbes, the best woman high jumper the Dominion has producer, who took part in the Empire Games in Sydney in 1938. Another of his charges w’as A. A. Cameron, recognised as one of the greatest all-round athletes New Zealand has produced. The presence of the O'lympic team’s captain should be of considerable assistance to Mr Dimick in his work. Nelson plans to do all the coaching he can in,Oamaru, and at Christmas he will assist Mr James Bellwood at the South Canterbury Centre’s coaching school at Timaru. There is to be a full gatherin,r of the Olympic team at Nelson in December, when the cyclist, Nick Carter. is to be married. Coaching for Coaches Cricket coaches and intending cricket coaches will undertake a course of instruction commencing next Wednesday at 8 p.m. Mr Lankford Smith, captain of last year's Otago Plunket Shield team and an officer of the Physical Welfare Branch, w’ill conduct the course, which will extend over four evenings The course will be comprehensive and will cover, from the teaching angle, batting (stance, grip, backlift, strokes, footwork, running); bowling (grip, run-up, delivery, follow through); fielding (ground, slip, catching, returns); fielding positions and wicket-keeping. The Otago Cricket Association has authorised the course, which will be held in the Chamber of Commerce board room. Clubs have been invited to nominate members to attend and notes will be supplied in each instance.