ATHLETICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3102, 27 August 1913, Page 54

ATHLETICS.

CHAMPIONSHIP FIXTURES. September 22 and 23 —Suggested dates tralasian Championships at Dunedin. JOT US HY AMATEUR There is no.hing to report in local athletic circles, but going away irom home for news I learn Irom a Sydney paper that •). Beatson, the Otago and New Zealand crosscountry champion, is to compote in the New South W ales Cross-country Championship on September 6, and will then journey to Melbourne to take part in the Victorian Cross-country Championship on September 20. Now, this is all very well, but it is not correct. In the excitement of victory after the recent Now Zealand Cross-country Championshp. a suggestion was made to despatch Bcatson to Australia, but nothing is likely to bo’ further hoard about it. The fact is that the proposal was made on the spur of the moment, but after due consideration it was realised that to send Beatson to compete at a State championship in New South Wales and Victoria was doing precious little honour to the New Zealand champion, and would be of no benefit to the Dominion. To send Bratson to compete in the Australian Cross-country Championship would he an entirely d tferent matter, and might bo the means of promoting an Australasian cross country championship, to ha Held, as in the case of the track and field championships, in each of the competing States alternately.

news concerning the proposed tour of New Zealand and Australia by an American team cf athletes should bo hoard shortly. The arrangements so far as the guarantees arc concerned are practically complete at this end, and this advice has already been cabled to ’Frisco, where the organiser of the American team is now gathering his forces. It is anticipated that the Americans will arrive in Auckland in mid December, and take part in the first meeting about Boxing Day. With the Auckland Exhibition in full swing there should bo a large attendance at the gathering at which the champions make their first appearance.

The next big function in local harrier circles will be the Port Chalmers to Dunedin road race. This has always been a popular event, and there is no reason to suppose that there will be any lack of interest in this year’s race. Mick Fitzpatrick, once amateur champion harnmer-thrower of New South Wales, and a leading man in tugs-of-war and boxing, died at St. Vincent’s Hospital, Sydney, recently, after an illness extending over a few weeks. The cause of death was gastric fever.

The day following the English Championships—i.o., on Sunday, July 6, the French distance marvel, Jean Eon in, made a new world's record for one hour, replacing not only Shrubb’s 11 miles 1137 yards, made in 1904, but Watkins’s professional record of 11 miles 1286 yards, made in 1890. Bonin ran at Stockholm, and his miles took 4min 52sco, 9min 57sec, , ISniin, 20min 6sec, 25inin 13sec, 30min 21soc, 35min 25scc, 40min 31sec, 45min 40scc, 50min 46scc (10 miles), 55min 54scc (11 miles), and 11 miles 1421 yards in the hour. After his first mile his slowest was smin 9scc, and fastest smin 3sec—truly, a running machine. Ho finished as fresh as a daisy, and ran his last 440 yards in 67scc.

A. Shrubb, who has l>ecn coaching the Harvard distance runners, threatens to visit England next month, fcsnrubb agrees with J. E. Sullivan that, had not J. I*. Jones had a halt-mile race to run after his mile, and had lie gone out on the second quarter, and so brought the first half-mile down to about 2tnin 4soc, he would have beaten W. G. George’s world’s figures of 4min and might have done close to 4rnin lOscc. ’’How 1 would like to take that man to England,” said Shrubb. “ The only troub.e would bo they would handicap him to do 4rnin lOscc, as they did me.. I was beaten in a one-mile race by a long-mark man in 4min 10 l-ssec.” Commenting on the form of Appleganb, the English sprinter, at the recent English championships, an English writer says: r iho Hero of the day was the game little winner of the Harvey Gup (for- merit), W. R. Apple-garth. A year previously ho had chased Patching m the hundred, and had beaten the latter in the furlong; on Saturday he won both events with eclat, all but equalling British amateur record, even to the official watches for the shorter journey, and setting up fresh figures for the 220 yards. What a different runner he is from the speedy yet unfinished sprinter who ran in our great races of 1912. Then the pace was there, but the application was not correct The action was not the spontaneously casv result of natural effort. He was inclined to light against himself with his arms. The deficiency was observed by a keen hand, Mr S. A. Mussabm, who undertook to remedy it. I have beside me a senes of action photographs taken in the various phases of training, showing the Yoikshirem.au moving in ttic oid style with the arms swinging across the body; with the aims down, but awkwardly earned; and then with the arms borne low with the natiual easy carriage of the great professional of the long ago. Ft is a fact that he did not master the new stylo m a day. Ev on n his races Applegarth used to mix the old and the new, and the result was sheet loss of pace; but he stuck m, and suggested (1) tlhat ho is a tip-top sprinter and L). that ho should run still faster. Wo have never had a cleverer amateur in this countrv—at either distance. The pity was ho did not convince the official timekeepers that he had done two inside in the hundred. The most attractive field event from he mecta tors’ viewpoint is undoubtedly the hurdle race, as it combines witn excitement ci a race the pleasure of watching the nractice of an exact science, lor many years it was thought that the best way to negotiate a hurdle was the English sty oth d was by gliding prettily ovoi the obstac. c i h the log neatly bent; but K aonzlein, in 1900 taught the English hurdlers his famous “straight eg method, which was rapidly taken up by the \ arsities and other athletes, including ForrostSmithson, who has since established a world’s record by covering 120 yards over 3ft bin hurdles in 15soc. The hurdle should not be jumped, but should, so far as is possible lie taken ni one’s stride, and the fact that the Australasian record for the sprint hurdles—--15 3-KEcc—and all the New South Males, Victorian, and New Zealand sprint hurdles championships arc held" by nupi who have adopted this style should ho sufficient proof that it : s the fastest way of negotiating the obstacles in the sprint events. However, it is not conducive to fast limes in the 440 yards hurdles, where the men have to run

on a circular track, as the stride does not always come in, evenly, thus making it necessary for the compel.tor to lengthen or shorten his stride. In America the straight leg is used for the 440 yards hurdles, __and their record for the distance is 60 3-csec. This time has been beaten in Sydney and Victoria on many occas.ons by men who utilise the old English method for the longer journey. Mr W. A. Low, the old Otago quartermile runner .'.nd New Zealand champion, who has been managing theatrical ventures, is a candidate for the secretaryship of the New Zealand Sports Protection League, tho position having been rendered vacant by tho resignation of Mr A. A. Paape, who has been appointed chief organiser of the Reform party. The Pacific Harriers held their Five-mile Cross-country Championship on Saturday. The weather and the track were all that could bo desired. The course was the same as that used for the Inter-club Championship. Nine competitors faced the starter, who got tho field away well together. On leaving the course Henderson led_ Tome and Orchard, with tho rest of the field not far away. Coming onto the course for the first lap, Henderson still had the lead, with Tome second, Orchard third, and Scott fourth. Those positions wore maintained on completing the second lap, Henderson winning by 75 yards from Torrie, with Orchard, a similar distance away, third. Iho result was as follows:—L. H. Henderson (28mm 28sec), ] ; R. Torrie (28min slsec), 2; E. J. Orchard (29min 19sec), 3; J. Scott (29mm 32sec), 4. In conjunction with the Championship, a Scaled Handicap was run, and resulted os follows:—G. Austin (smm 40sec), 27min 28sc-c, 1; W. G. Brown (2min 15seo), 28mm secc, 2; L. H. Henderson (20sec), 28min Ssec, 3; R. Torrie (20sec), .28mm 31sec, 4. Previous winners of the Championship were: —1909 and 1910, J. A. Bond; 1911, K. Swinney; 1912, J. Gaffaney. Henderson’s win was a popular one. Ho joined the club in 1910, and won the Novice Race that year. Last season he was reading in Christchurch and Wellington. Ho rejoined the chib at tho beginning of the season, gaining third place in the club s Three-mile Handicap, besides representing tho chib in tho Edmond Cup and Interclub. Torrie and Orchard also ran well, and deserve their places. . The Dunedin Harriers held their Jnve Mile Cross-country Championship and Sealed Handicap at Wingatui on Saturday, the course being the same as that for the inter-club race. A field of 16 faced tho starter. Micke’.son took the lead, closely followed by Swanson, Hogg, Hawkina, M’Laughlan. and Thomson. Crossing Gow’s paddock the loaders made the pace very warm, and at tho railway hne Mickelson, Thomson, and Hogg were in the lead with Swanson about 20 yards behind. 1 assing the stand the first time M - ckclson and Thomson were running together. Hogg, who seemed to bo running well, dropped out at this stage, leaving Swanson third, Smith fourth, Hawkins fifth, M’Laughlan sixth, and the rest of tho field well stretched out. This order was maintained until the course was reached, when Thomson came away from Mickelson, and, running strongly, won by about 20 yards, with Mickelson second, Smith third, Swanson fourth, Hawkins fifth, and M'Laughlan sixth in that order. Results :—Championship. D. R. Thomson, 27min 45soc, 1; M. Mickelson, 27ram 58sec, 2; T. Smith, 28min 39soc, 3; J. Swanson, 28min 54sec, 4. Sealed Handicap: F. Zaffer, 6min 1; T. Smith. Imin 30sec, 2; G. Bloy, Bm’in 15sec, 3. The winner of the championship ran up to his best doing "the d : stancc in tho excellent time of 27min 45sec. Mickelson, who ran second, put up a good performance, considering that he has done very little running this season.

N.Z. ATHLETIC UNION. AUCKLAND, August 21. The annual meeting of the Auckland Centre of the New Zealand Athletic Union decided to notify the executive that at the end of the financial year (July, 1914) the centre would secede from the present' union and form the nucleus of a union for the North Island. THE OLYMPIC GAMES. LONDON, August 18. Speaking at Westminster Earl Grey, Lord Harris, Lord Roberts, Lord Rothschild, and Lord Strathcona appealed for £IOO,OOO to adequately train a Britain team for the Olympic games. The amount is sought not merely for the purposes of the games. It is hoped to provide an athletic organisation, resulting in a permanent national benefit. August 19. Commenting on America and the Olympic games an expert asserts that the American amateur athlete begins hie preparations to compete in the Olympics when he is little moi'e than a child at school. Therefore, he does too much, and consequently it is a rare thing to see a man of 25 taking part in field sports in the United States. This accounts for the constant supply of new faces in American Olympic teams. The Duke of Westminster has given £IOOO to the Olympic games fund. In an appeal for funds for tiaining athletes for the next Olympic games it is stated that the results at Stockholm were not only a shock to everyone caring for British sport, but must not be allowed to occur again. The Times, in commenting on li e appeal, eavs that well-built boys and girls will not be demoralised or lose their better instincts, because instead of partaking in frames in a slouching and haphazard l way they are taught to use their muscles rightly. The work which the -committee has undertaken entirely deserves the eupport asked. The Times has donated £SJO to the fund. August 2U. Lord North cl iff© has given £2OOO towards the Olympic games. August 21. The King has approved the British Olympic Council’s appeal, and hopes that Great Britain will bo represented by her best athletes at the next games.