ATHLETICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3016, 3 January 1912, Page 63

ATHLETICS.

Southland Championships, at Riverton. — January 24. New Zealand Championships—February 21. at Invercargill. NOTES B¥ AMATEUR. The results of the Australasian amateur atliietic championships, together with full comments thereon and the report of the conference, will he found on pages 8 and 9 of this issue.

The retaining of the shield by New Zealand as a result of the recent Australasian championship meeting occasions no surprise. With the Victorians weakened by the absence of Whcatly, Davis, and Voight, it was recognised that Victoria and the other Australian States had practically no chance against Now Zealand’s strong side. With Opie, Harding. Hill, Keddell, and Kerr in form there was only one team in it. as, the fact that New Zealand won 10 out of the 15 championships clearly demonstrates. A good deal of disappointment was occasioned by the non-appearance of J. 1... Davis at the Australasian championships after the cable had informed us the world’s quarter hurdles record-holder had decided to make the trip, or rather was available. The fact that Davis was unable to undergo prejjaration possibly was the reason why he elected to remain in Melbourne.

It was very pleasing to Now Zealanders to see Krddoll put up suc J h a good performance in the 120 Yards Hurdles (says “Sprinter”). 1 am afraid some of our Australian friends had previously refrained from accepting him as a top-notcher, despite his Australasian record in February last, and It must have come to them as a painful surprise to see Kcddell making hacks of their' best. Since appearing in Christchurch Kcddell has wholly devoted himself to improving his style, which is that adopted by the best hurdlers in the world, the Americans. It is hard to realise when one secs Kcddell gracefully and' easily topping the obstacles that all his stylo and grace have been learned through the medium of reading articles on hurdling by some of the most famous exponents of the art in bygone days. Yet such is the case. Kcddell has read much in this direction, and, adopting the world-renowned Kraenzlcin’s stvlo, has endeavoured to perfect himself in the Same manner. That ho has worked wonders with himself none can deny, and it is safe to sav that in Keddoll New Zealand possesses a hurdler who, over 120yds, will hold his own with the best in the world to-day. The quarter is rather beyond him. and ho would bo well advised to stick closely to his favourite event. Frazer, the New South Wales champion, was not, in the same class as Keddell. while Russell, of Victoria, who liked his chances, was not as good as Frazer. Compared with Keddell, their style was

awkward and ungainly, and they lost ground at every jump. With Keddeil there is no perceptible stop when jumping; he strides j over the obstacle as if it were only just a matter of taking a bit longer stride, while the others put in an apparent stop, and j made each hurdle more or less a jump. Several members of the Victorian team, including Murray (walker) and Troup (sprinter!, together with Hart (sprinter) and Gourlay (middle distance), of Tasmania, passed through l>unedin on Saturday by the Manuka, en route for their respective I homes. While in Dunedin they took part ' in the Dunedin Amateur Athletic Club’s 1 meeting held at the Caledonian Ground 'on Saturday, but, with the exception of i .Murray, who won the mile walk, were unsuccessful.

R. Mitchell, the New Zealand highjump champion, who was selected to represent Nc\v Zealand at the Australasian championships at Wellington last week, was unable to make the trip. The form of Troup, who is credited with, having once run 100 yards in lOseo in Victoria, was most disappointing at the Dunedin Athletic Ciub’s meeting on Saturday. He started with EggleStone, of Otago, and Hart and Gourlay in the 120 Yards Invitation scratch race, but could get no nearer than three yards to Egglestonc, who, promising sprinter though he be, io not in the lOscc class, of which, under proper conditions and accurate timing, there arc really few in the whole of Australasia. Troup may have slackened off after his preparation for the Australasian championships, but at the top of his form I cannot believe he is in the lOsec standard.

Egglestone ran really well. Getting off the mark with the gun, he was never troubled, and finished strongly an easy winner in the good time, considering the heavy going, of 12 2-ssoc. Egglestone, on prcecnt form, should bo selected to represent Otago ai the New Zealand championships at Invercargill in February. Murray, of Victoria, showed good form in the two walking events at the D.A.A.C. meeting on Saturday. He simply outclassed all opposition in the Mile, and would have annexed the Half-mile also but for the fact that the judges wore rather lax in “passing” Scott when ho spurted 20 yards from the tape. The two Tasmanians, Hart and Gourlay, were probably off form, for they did not shape in the least like champions, and were easily beaten by the local athletes, who, instead of being conceded handicaps, as they wore, might have stood the start to the Tasmanians.

The outstanding features of the handicap events at the Australasian championship meeting wore Hill’s two-mile run and Kelly’s wonderful high jumping. In the championship event on the previous day the youthful Victorian was quite expected to top 6ft, but the beet he could do wap sft Biin. This jump, however, was quite good enough to win the championship. Competing from scratch in the handicap event on Wednesday, Kelly established new figures for Australasia by clearing 6ft I 3T6in. It was a wonderful jump, and should stand as a record until Kelly himself improves on it. He subsequently attempted to top 6ft -3in, but failed, although in his record jump he cleared tho bar by fully 2in. 1 In the Two-mile Flat Handicap tho bril--1 iant Aucklander, Hill, was responsible for another great performance. Giving away starts up to 260 yards, lie was in front at a mile and three-quarters, eventually winning by over 200 yards, and incidentally lowering his own record for the distance by 6 2-ssec. Tho first half-mile was covered in 2min ISsec, and tho mile in 4min 37soc. Over a similar distance at the Port Nicholson Club’s sports on Friday last Hill’s time was 9min 36soa As he is not yet 21 years of age, it can be confidently expected that ho will improve on even throe wonderful figures. “It was in 1886 that I endeavoured lo form a New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association,” eaxi Mr R. Coombes, president of tho Australasian Amateur Athletic Union, at a social gathering in Wellington last week. “ I found, as I wandered through the country, that there was not such a body in existence. The formation and cstab.ishment came one year later. In Victoria, afterwards, I called a meeting to form an Amateur Athletic Union there, but we were not successful; but friend Parkinson (the manager of the present Victorian team) came along, and a year suba bpoits Association was formed m Victoria. Proceeding on to New South Wales, I started the harrier movement there, founding the first harrier club in Sydney. Immediately afterwards I succeeded in establishing tho Now South Wales Athletic Association. A few years later I had the good fortune to bo able to assist in the reformation of the Queensland Athletic Association at Rockhampton. Then I thought why not a colonial athletic meeting? I suggested sending a team from New South Wales to the Now Zealand chamnionship meeting at Dunedin in 1889. A little band of us went ovei, and the New Zealanders, as they have just succeeded in doing again, knocked the bottom out of ns. But. we were not disheartened. The object we had striven for had been achieved. In 1890 a return meeting came off at Svdnev. j New Zealanders travelled across, and made a big showing. Tho battle was won for Australasian amateur atldeticism. Follow- ' ing came meetings in Victoria. New South Wales—intercolonial meetings they wero called. Still, the-e was something wanting. Wo required an Australasian Union. 1 There are some of von. no doubt —and it. is a proper, natural feeling, who think that Now Zealand should stand alone. Well, as T said, it, is a good natural pride to 1 hold on to. However, it appealed to mo then as strongly as it does now that in j the athletic world, at all events. Australasia should stand as one shoulder to shoulder. I therefore suggested the for- ■ nintion of an Australasian Amateur Athletic Union. That Union was fofmed.” THE LAST AUSTRALASIAN TEAM. FOREDOOMED TO FAILURE. __ WELLINGTON, December 28. The New Zealand Festival of Empire Committee last night entertained Mr R. Coombes, of Sydney, who was its representative in London with the Australasian team. It the course of his reply to the welcome. Mr Coombes said the team that went Homo was foredoomed to failure. Members of tho team reached London one by one, and were located in different parts of the city, consequently it was difficult to deal with them an a team. The men were left to their own devices. Whenever a team went Homo again tho members should go together, bo in the same quarters when

they got to England, and be bound to do as they were toltt by the representative in charge of the team. “ The team was hallmarked with defeat before it loft the shores of Australia and New Zealand,” added Mr Coombes.

Ono feature of the recent visit of the Australasian athletic team to England, upon which the manager of the team (Mr R. Coombes, of Sydney) has been laying great stress, was the want of cohesion and the lack of recognition of authority. This, although the manager did not say eo in so many words, was particularly the case in regard to the New Zealand members of the team. The Australian representatives bad signed a bond to implicitly obey instructions, but the New Zealanders apparently recognised no such authority. Mr Coombes s comments upon this phase of the visit are interesting. “It is to me.” he says in his report submitted to the Australasian Amateur Association, “ quite apparent that wo cannot hope for any marked success in contests of the nature of the Empire games unless there be more cohesion, more thoroughness as to detail, and more system as to procedure. Force of circumstances had admittedly much to do with what I may call our haphazard attempt to “lift” the Lonsdale Cup (won by Canada), but the experience gained by my trip to London impels me to affirm that it would he far better not to be represented at such gatherings than to be represented by a team, the component parts of which are more or less on their own, owing to force of circumstances. It is, of course, impossible to command success, x but we must try to earn it by thoroughhes of system and minuteness of detail, as is clearly demonstrated in the case of the Canadian team. In my opinion it is absolutely imperative that in future all members of teams should travel together and remain together' at least until the games to be participated in are over. Certainly the members of the team should be together and under the immediate control of their manager or director during their stay in the country visited. Furthermore, it is absolutely necessary to hay© a captain or director of the team quite apart from the manager or secretary off the track.

“The captain of the Canadian team was a doctor, who also holds the position of director of physical culture at Toronto University. This officer stayed with his team, and practically directed and supervised their every movement. His word was a law unto them, subject to no appeal whatsoever. He was to bo seen in tne dressing rooms at Crystal Palace with his sleeves rolled up poronally rubbing down and massaging as well as daily making a close study of the physical condition of each member of his team. It can therefore be imagined how the Australasian and New Zealand team fared with but two officials directing, or endeavouring to direct, affairs and the widely scattered team.” Mr Coombes added: “ The Canadians went to England as Canada, and it was Canada all the time. States or associations wero never mentioned. There was one common fund for the whole team. I believe I am correct in saving that the Dominion Government paid the whole of the expenses of what was considered a national affair.” When this report was read before the Beard of Control, Mr J. 11. Pollock a member of the board, said he felt called upon to remark that, in comparison with the size of New Zealand, our Government was equally liberal. It had been approached, and had been farseeing enough to recognise that the trip was likely to I be of groat value to the Dominion, and i had offered a subsidy of pound for pound I up to £SOO. He hoped the amliated unions in other States would be as fortunate in ! the future in this respect as New Zealand j had been.

AUSTRALASIAN AMATEUR ATH LETIO UNION.

MEETING OF DELEGATES. WELLINGTON, December 26.

A meeting of the delegates to the Board of Control of tho Amateur Athletic Union of Australasia was held to-night. Mr R. Coombes. of Sydney, president of the union, was in the chair. Sydney was fixed upon as tho headquarters of the union. Mr R Ooomheo was re-elected president, Mr Marks (of Sydney) hon. secretary, and Mr Rowley (of Syolney) hon. treasurer. Tho Executive Committee of the union submitted an appeal by tile iiedforri Harriers (New South Wales) against Queensland’s award of tho cross country championship to the Toowang Harriers (Queensland). Tho board decided that unleso the appeal was consented to by both parties it could not be considered.

The West Australian A.A.A. applied for affiliation. The application was deferred for inquiries to be made a« to whether thj association is of a representative nature. Tho question of the amateur status cam.* in for discussion in connection with a request by tho New South Wales police and fire brigades’ athletic sports body tliat the union should allow a combined sports meeting of police and fire brigades lo come within the .scope of the rule providing that at sports meeting held by army, navy, and Volunteer services amateurs may compete with professionals.—-It was decided that the rule in question could not be applied to the meeting, but that the New South Wales A.A.A. be recommended to favourably consider an application by j>ersons wishing to compete at tho meeting for reinetatement as amateurs. In connection with this matter it was pointed’ out by Mr Parkinson (Victoria) that unless the rule of exceptions was revised now that they had compulsory military training in Australasia th© way would be opened for a practical break-down of Ihe amateur status.

In connection with the fifth Olympiad, to bo held at Stockholm in 1912, the union resolved to give permission to the various State associations to tako such steps as they may consider proper with a view to representation at the /fathering. Records passed by the association during 1910-11 were adopted by the l>oarcl in accordance with the rules. Tho .South Australian Association was fined £5 for failing to be represented at ffte championship meeting. but on the motion of delegates from New Zealand, to whom the fine is payable, the penalty was remitted, einco the South Australian Association is in a parlous financial state. OLYMPIC COUNCILS WELLINGTON, December 28. A conference of different Olympic Councils of tho States of tho Commonwealth and of New Zealand was held to-day. Mr A. Marryatt presided, and there were present — Mosers Parkinson (Victoria), E. A. Brooke (Tasmania), A. G. De L. Arnold (New South Wales), and B. A. Guise (hon.

secretary). Mr R. Coombes, the reprc tentative for Australasia on the Internes' tional Committee, was present as a gueeb Air Marryatt referred to the suggestion tC set up a central, council for the whole of Australasia. His committee, he stated, war opposed to this idea, and he suggested that the secretary might be appointed to ac£, for Air Coombes. In relation to the varh oils councils, Mr Brooke thought that it regard to representation no man should 'bt present who was not thoroughly fitted na a representative. Mr Parkinson thought that no man who was not considered by . the committee as good enough should by allowed to compete. In regard to Alt j Marryatt’s suggestion, they recognised that it was necessary to have some ootjiI municating medium. His council was not agreeable to a body of control being set up which would really control the different Olympic Councils. They thought that at present the time was not ripe tor that stage of thing®. The main difficulty had been that the men who were sent away i had to be financed by the State i whence they came. They were trending -, now towards a national spirit, which was j growing, though not very rapidly. They ; rccogn.sed, however, that the bulk of ,the j money must come from the States repfei scnteol. He was in favour of Mr MarryI att’s suggestion in regard to the appoinfc- : ment of a secretary. Mr Arnold thought ■ that New South Wales had tacitly admitted that at present a central council was not I advisable. The opinion of New South | Wales coincided with Mr Alarryatt’s idea. 1 In regard to representatives, they thought I (ho men should be chosen by the governj ing bodies of the sports Mr Parkinsoli moved that Air Arnold be asked ; to take the position of corresponding secrei tary for the Olympic Councils. Mr ! Coombes thought it absolutely necessary : that some secretary should be appointed, i It was advisable that an Australasian I Council Board should be formed , of the i gentlemen present at the council. The I council need not necessarily meet. New j South Wales had decided to send an eight- | oar crew to the games. There would be i an emergency man and a cox, making 10 j in all. There were also men at Home at- ' tending the universities who could bo 1 called upon if necessary. They had de- [ cided to send throe swimmers at least—i Long worth, Hardwick, and Healy, with j Wickham for the diving. West Australia had I decided to send Findlay for the King’s | Cup There were a number of shooting contests at the games, and they proposed to I request the Australian team to Bisley to visit Stockholm for the shooting. In Vic- , toria there would be N. Brookes (tennis), ; J L. Davis, and H. I*. Kelly. New Zea- | land had Hill, Wilding, ICeddell, and i Champion, while there was a runner in I London in J. G. Sheet. In Tasmania there j was O. APVilly (sculling), and W. A. j Stewart (sprint runner) was in London. He i had merely mentioned roughly those who | had been chosen by their respective States i and those who might be chosen. Austral- | asia could get up a team of, roughly, 20 j men. It was absolutely necessary that the I team should travel together. Organisation ■ was to be the main plank of the Empire I team, and it was laid down that the men j should travel together. It had been eug- { gested that a steamer might be chartered i to take the team from London, and that | they oould live on the steamer while {-.way. | The camping life while at the games had j also been recommended. It had been [ agreed that the oversea portions of the Empire team should arrive in London a fortnight before the United Kingdom team arrived there. In the interval all the trairy ing facilities of that team would be at the/* disposal. They would get a fortnight* training in London, and all would sail by the same .toamer to Sweden, whore they would he quartered together as far us possible. Air Arnold was appointed secretary to act as between the different councils. On the motion of Air Alarryatt, it was decided that each centre should contribute to a fund towards the secretary’s working expenses. Air Alarryatt ’moved —“That tha selection of members of the team be left to, the Olympic Councils of each State, and that they bo recommended to ask the governing body of the snort interested to make, tlie selection.’’ After gome discussion this motion was amended by the deletion of all reference to the governing bodies making the selection, and in this form ifc was carried, Air Arnold dissenting. The following motions standing in the name of Afr Parkinson were carried: —“That it be a recommendation from this conference to the Olympic Councils that a sum in proportion to the number of their representatives be provided to coyer managerial, secretarial, and general expense®.’’ “ That an immediate contribution of £2 2s per council be earmarked to cover the ordinary expenses of the secretarial and corresponding duties in connection with the next Olympia.’’ “That, from the time the team leaves, all finances filial.l be under the control of the manager, who shall have ouch powers as are hereinafter conferred.” The following motions by Mr Arnold were carried:—“That it bo *a recommendation that boxing and catch-as-catch-can wrestling bo restored to the Olympic programme.” “That it is desirable that the Commonwealth rifle learn visit England and Stockholm in IPT2 ” The meeting concluded with a vote of thanks to Afr Alarryatt for liis hospitalitv to the delegates during their stay in ’Wellington. The Tasmanian and some of the Victorian and New South Wales representatives left hy ths Af.-.nuka for the south this evening whiU I >e Queensland representatives went north, where, they will visit Rotorua before leaving New Zealand. Air G. P. S. Parka (manager of the Now South Wales team) expresses keen appreciation at the mannet in which his men have been treated during their stay hero. Nothing, he says, could have boon better.