ATHLETICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2527, 20 August 1902, Page 49

ATHLETICS.

NOTES BY AM4.TEDR.

Mr Edgar Lough, well known in amateirc atlrletic circlcß in New South Wales, has sailed fos New Zealand, and will probably.settle in the Canterbury province. The Orepuki Athletic Club held their annual meeting c-n tho evening of Monday, August 11. The report and balance ahcoc showed the club to be in a. good nnan^al position, having a credit balance oi *64 odd. The secretary, in his report, suggested improving the recreation ground by placing a proper fenc& around the ring. There was great difficulty in getting off the events in consequence of the lack of this, and it was unanimously agreed to do the ueces*ary work after getting permission from the board. Th« amounts paid over to Lord and M'Manus as the- result of the race meeting held at fJrejroouth last week were £77 8s and £13 6» respectively. M'Manua an<l Cummins (his trainer) left for Sydney at the latter end of last week. They prornisH to vi*it >'e\v Zealand again a'>oufc C'hri-tma*

Tl!" N^v Zetland athlot#s Smiih (Aufltlai.d) ;vnfi Simpson (Christchxirch) are <^oiJieir uaj' back from England on t!:a I'.iparoa (v. ire.- my Auckland correspondent*, aid. arroriiing to a letter from the formpr. ■-ho.id arr \f af Wellicigton about the ond, of fhr iii-»t '.. tek in Hi-piem sr. Some c€the Komc. u:tper3 have expressed disappciiii'-mr-nt :i\ Smith's performances in *lie 120) l.* Hurdk-- at the English Amat«"ar Championship meeting That tlie Au&traiasian h cliampiou was not 6»en at his best ia •&.,

iffained in the course of * letter to a friend iiere. Smith says that since he has been

in England he has turned a great hitter, md. cannot feel certain of running over five or «Iz hurdles without knocking a couple of them down; consequently he was very careful in the championship event. This perFoTmaaoe lacked the boldness and confidence nith whioh we here were accustomed to ccc iiim approach hi 9 tjtslt over the fences. He it *Iso credited by one writer with being llow off the mark, whereas when performing here he was always off the mark -like % startled deer, and invariably quickest to the first hurdle.

Some fast sprinting was seen at Wolverbampton sports on Saturday. June 28 — the amateur champion, A. F. Duffey, winning bhe. 100 yds Level Race and the Open Handicap from sorateh in lOsec. In one of his beats his time was returned 9 4-saec. H There was some heavy weight-lifting at jtho room* of the London Amateur GymSociety on Saturday, June 28, when bhe amateur weight-lifting ohampionships of the United Kingdom were decided. T. Pevier, the holder / of tlie heavy-weight •hampionship, successfully defended his title 'rom two opponents, and very easily esta'btished his claim to be considered the best wnatetir weight-lifter in the world. Winling' with «n aggregate of 6501b, bis leftband lift of 2101b -is" a new record, previous best -being 205i1b, by Mt Lancelot Uliott. r , Pevier with his right hand put up $201b, which ie also a new best', hie own il*ilb being the standard. Results: — I/ightprelghfc Class (lOst 41b and under) : W. Ca«ireIL<G.G.S. and L.W.L.0.), left hand 1521b. right hand 1611b, both hands 2051b, total >181b, 1; R Collins (Apollo W.L.C.), left land 1201b, right hand 1401b, both hands LBOJb, 'total 4401b, 2. Middle-weight Class 12«t" 41b and under) : J. liane (Apollo J.W.C.), left hand 1501b, right hand 1601b, »th hands 2051b, total 5151b. T; W. House Apollo L.W.C.), left hand 1501b, right hand 501b, both hands 2101b, total 5101b, 2. Heavyweight Class (any weight) : T. Pevier (G.G.S. md L.W.L.C., holder), -left hand 210lb,» •ight-htnd 2201b,» both hands 2501b, total >SO!b, 1 ; D. Cooper (Birmingham), left hand 1501b, right hand 1402b, both hands 1901b, otal 4801b, 2. * Amateur records, (.ten Hurst, the English distance champion, competed in -the 25-mil« race, the Prix Marathon, run in Paris on July 6, and was defeated by Charbonnel, the French runner, who covered the distance in 2hr 56min 20scc. Fhe race is thus described by the London (portsman's Paris correspondent: — Hurst, Jaarbonnel. and Thomas were in front after Ire miles had been covered, and the men appeared to be Buffering terribly from the leat. After two-thirds of the journey had jeen covered Oharbonnel, who appeared to suffer least, went to the front, and was lever caught. . At the Buffalo Velodrome fates he was clear of Hurst, who waa followed some 50yds behind by Thomas. Then oame Vauzorie, Neveux, Prevol, Langlois, Fheato, Martin, G»rm, and Volparti Caller. Fhe Italian champion, Charbonnel, beat lurst in the eamo race in 1899, whilo Hurst iron 7 in"1900 and 1901, on the latter occasion Mating Oharbonnel. The latter's time toSay for the whole distance was 2hr 56min IQsep, , against the previous record of 2br Somiix lOsec in 1899, when he beat Hurst. md 2hr 35min 19 sec last year, when eecond i to Hurst, who covered the distance on that ' Decision in 2hr 34inin S2sec. • R. W. Wadsley, the English quarter-mile champion, attempted to equal American sprinter Arthur F. Duffey's record of J 4-ssec for the 100 over the same course »t the Leicester sports on Saturday, June 18. There was a strong wind blowing, and Wadsley could do nothing better than .0 2-sseo, beating L. F. Tremeer by ljyds. ! At the Tee-To-Turn Grounds on Saturday, June 28, the long-distance crack Len Hurst tecured the Four-mile Invitation Handicap off the 55yds mark in 21min 37 4-ssee. F. B. Bacon was on the scratch mark, and at the three-mile stage the two champions were pn level terms, but Bacon fell away, and Jurat won rather easily. Commenting on New Zealander George Smith's win in the 120 yds Hurdles at the English Championship meeting on July 5, t> -writer in Athletic News says : —The 120 yds Hurdle Rao* proved a great dieappointment, »nd the much-lauded G. W. Smith, the representative of the New Zealand A.A.A., same very nearly losing tho race he had set lis heart upon. A quaint, old-fashioned figure is Smith. Not in tho least cut out or hurdle*, Smith looks what he is, a sheep fermer, and his sun-burnt skin would lead one to believe that he follows his vocation attired only in his racing costume. He was opposed by A. Trafford (Birmingham A.C). W. P. Phillips (Swan*©* A.C), and Denis Carey (Co. Dublin H.), and Irish champion. A. poor starter, Smith wae never in. the ea-rly cunning, of the race, Carey flying over his burbles in great style, and holding the lead when, half of the ■ journey - had beerr completed. H«re, however, he brought himsslf down, and this left Trafford with the lead at the" last hurdle but one. Smith, however, now showed his merit, and fairly outsprinting' the Birmingham boy on the flat, won by 2yds, but it was a very short W. P. Phillips being a similar distance away third, while the time was 16sec tlead; Phillips (16 4-ssec) coming in for a ■tondard medal. Among a section of New Zealand soldier boys, who gleefully called "Smithie" home, the victory wa3 popular, but I am convinced that had Trafford s health and business allowed him to have proper training he would have beaten the winner, who is, to cay the least, a disappointing hurdler. Style he lacks, aud h» has not too much pace. ( J. T. Rimmer, who was absent from the IL.A.A.' Championships on July 5, proved idccessful in several events on the same day it the Liverpool Police sports. He won the Half-mile Level Race in 2min 9 2-ssec, finished second in tho Level Quarter, and, running for the E Divifcion, finished first in the Inter-divisional Mile Team Race, which [lis division won. A new rule to govern the students of [American universities has been adopted by She athletic Conference at Philadelphia. (This provides that "a student who individually or as a member of a team has reprekented a permanent professional team, or lias taught athletics or physical training for tegular salary, is permanently debarred. A fetudent who has received more than his exIpenses for competing individually or as fc member of a temporary organisation may fee, restored to amateur standing providing £is offence has occurred two years previous lo his candidacy for a team. A student who has competed individually or as a member of » team for tlie whole or any part of his expenses shall be penalised by suspension for at least one year." Are athletics developing the waiting game •o deftly practised by cyclists' is a question asked by an English writer after witnessing ''% race at the recent English athlotio chamJpioDihifis. ft wm 4BBtf*at » $# &•»<•

and final of the Half-mile that nearly all the competitors waited until they were 150 yds from home before commencing to race in earnest. Joseph Binks' s performance was a revelation to everybody. For a man who, during six or seven years (if not more) runi ning, had never done better than 4min | 24sec, to come out and chip a fraction off the amateur record wa« nothing short of astounding. No wonder the people cheered. Lieutenant Hawtrey ran with cplendid pluck and judgment. His only game was to en deavour to neutralise Binks's finish, and he nearly succeeded. Tlie Royal Engineer it Eeveral years Binks's junior, and will some day, perhaps, beat the present champion's splendid time. One of the be*t races ever seen in a threemile handicap was witnessed at Gobiiam sports on Friday, June 27. The field which turned ouc was also one the like of -which is not often seen at a little country meeting. With the New Zealander W. F. Simpson, at virtual scratch. G. Still, A. Aid ridge, F. Appleby, G. Martin, J. G. G-.bb, and others competing and going at their best pace all tho way, the time accomplished was unquestionably fast. Unfortunately it was not taken. Had Simpson not been in too -much of a hurry to get among his men he would (says '"Veteran, in London Sportsman) very likely ha.ye finished in the first three. As it was, A. Aldridgo (130 yds start) ■was firer, F. Appleby (125) second, and E. R. Small (310) third.