AMATEUR SPORTS IN AUSTRALIA.

Otago Witness, Issue 2538, 5 November 1902, Page 50

AMATEUR SPORTS IN AUSTRALIA.

Mr William L. Hooper, vice-president of the Otago Rowing Association and tihe EhA.B.C, who has just returned from a trip round the Commonwealth, reports amateur sport in an exceedingly healthy condition in Australia. In Sydney, aquatics seemed in an especially flourishing state, the University Jubilee regatta, at Lane | Cove River, to which he had a special invitation, being highly successful from both a rowing and an attendance point of view. The weather was simply perfect, and the [ 'harbour steamers accordingly were crammed with spectators. St Ignatius College Grounds, which run down to Lane Cove waiter edge, were most kindly thrown open to the public, and as they were looking their best, with spring flowers and trim green lawns, it can scarcely be imagined how bright the scene looked, what with neatly-uniformed carsmen, brightly-dressed ladies, and the beatttiful grounds for a background. There was not much actual hard-and-fast racing on the programme ; in fact, only one event — a maiden fours, with .;ix entries, which produced a fine finish ; but most interest was centred on the exhibition of eight-oar racing, judged by Mr G. Upward, fche famous Melbourne oarsman. From seven entries, Glebe Club, who won. the Sydney championship last season, scored, a papular win. The form displayed 1 by every one of the seven crews was very fine, nd Mr Hooper only wishes Mr J.- James, the father of eight-oar racing in our local waters, could have witnessed the exhibition with him. The comic element was aleo well supported by four university crewß, representing Arts, Engineering, Law, and Medicine ; and right well did the exponents of these facultiescarry out their function?. Of other sports in Sydney, Mr Hooper only saw the Public Schools Athletic Championship. Some fine performances were registered, and a big crowd rolled up to encourage the boys. There is no possible doubt but that our recently-formed Otago 'Athletic Association are on the right track in their projected Otagc Public Schools Championships this coming Season. Swimming was very dead, both in Sydney and Melbourne, it being too early in the season, but the swimming men were already drawing up mighty schemes of welcome to Messrs Cavill, Lane, and Reade, who are shortly returning to their homes in Sydney, after beating the best swimming talent in the Old World. In Melbourne Mr Hooper seemed rather early to see much rowing or athletics, but he had a good look over the Mercantile and Albert Park sheds, also Messrs Greenland* and Edwards's building slips. They were to open theii season the Saturday after he departed. He seems much impressed with the sports clube in both Sydney and Melbourne, and considers they do more < keep the various athletic bodies in touch with one another than all the rules and regulations in the world. They are well patronised by athletic men, and many a good scheme for the advancement of athletics is hatched in their spacious rooms. i ' SHRUBB BREAKS THE FOUR-MILE RECORD. The principal event on the Reigate and Redhill Harriers' sports was the Four-mile In- ! vitation Team Race, Shrubb (the four and ten- I mile champion) having been advertised to attempt to break the grass-record, which stood to the credit of T. P. Conneff, who covered that distance in 19min 44 l-ssec. Shrubb was in the piuk of condition, and succeeded in his task amidst the greatest enthusiasm, as he not only beat ConnefiTs time, but E. C. Willer's fiJAdaC. Jtt&a^L ZStfad ££aftfav_tfflM>

ing the distance in 19min 26 4-ssec. It was a magnificent performance and s magnificent finish, as the champion sprinted all the way home for the last 100 yards. Shrubb also turned out in the mile flat, and when amongst his men retired, nursing himself for the more important event. The race is thus described in London Sportsman: — Shrubb started off at. a high speed, and was "twelfth on completing the first lap, but was sixth the next time. Running the third quarter in 61sec he assumed the lead and increased it to the finish. The first mile w»s reeled off in 4min 36 l-ssec, Shrubb then leading F. Jarvis, his club mate, by 40 yards. In the next lap he gained quite 30 yards on Jarvis, and the field became spreadeagled. At the completion of a mile and half in 7min 5 l-ssec, the nearest man to the champion was Jarvis, 120 yards in the rear, and Aldridge was third. He continued to gain and lapped his men, doing the two miles in 9min 32 l-ssec. Aldridge, at two and a-half miles, was second, Jarvis hiving dropped behind. Shrubb in the next half mile increased his speed, and was nearly half a lap ahead of Aldridge when he had completed three miles in lfanin 36sec. Cheered on by the crowd he continued to overhaul runner after runner, and in the last hundred yards he showed "remarkable form by sprinting .all the way to the tape. Aldridge was nearly a lap behind, and Jarvis, who picked up the ground in the last lap, was in tile rear. A. E. Saunders and A. Williams ran a dead-heat for fourth place. Time, 19m in 26 4-ssec. The Horsham Blue Star Harriers won the: gold medals and Kent A.C. the silver medals.