ATHLETICS

Otago Witness, Issue 3754, 23 February 1926, Page 18

ATHLETICS

BY

AMATEUR

american’sltinerary. February 24.—Invercargill. February 27.—Christchurch. March 3.—Masterton. March 6.—Wellington. March 10.—Rotorua. March 13.—Auckland. LOCAL FIXTURES. March 6.—Otago championships. March 19, 20.—New Zealand championships. April s.—New Zealand University championships. THE FIRST TEST. At Masterton Lloyd Hahn opened his account by defeating the redoubtable Rose on his own track in 4min 18 3-ssec. In the matter of judgment Rose was not lacking, and he ran the only type of race whereby he could hope to defeat Hahn. That is a gruelling run with the pace on from the word “go ” Rose realised that the American was a faster sprinter than himself. Therefore he chose to make it a match of stamina. The fact that Rose failed was not through any lack of lung capacity—the New Zealander was the less distressed at the finish—but sheer muscular exhaustion in his all-pre pared legs. Through no fault of his own Rose has l ad to keep his attention and his energies closely devoted to his farmstead for the last few weeks. Time that should have gone to training was spent working with the result that Rose took the field with only about seven runs in him, including races. It speakß volumes for his great courage that under these trying circumstances Te ran the mile in faster time than he has ever before done. He also got within 10 yards of one of the greatest milers in tho world. For three hard laps Rose made the pace such that the Ameri can was forced to hang on and conserve his energies. Then, when Hahn began his

paralysing run a whole lap from home, Rose took up the challenge, and hung on grimly to within 40 yards of the tape. Here his heart was willing but tired nature could move his legs no faster. For the first time our champion had to acknowledge himself beiten on his own ground. Hahn’s time was 4min 18 3-sscc, and Rose’s 4min 19 4-seec. The news that in the second test Rose managed to turn the tables, raises his supporters’ hopes that in the third test at Christchurch he will once again head the American. OXFORD v. CAMBRIDGE. From particulars of the inter-varsity cross-country race, which arrived by the last mail, I note the course was, as mual, that at Roehampton, and seven miles in extent. Cambridge won by 23 points to 32, with T. C. Fooks (Rugby and Christ’s, Cambridge) an easy first. He won by 250yd8 in 4min 34sec. Oxford supplied the second place (W. A. M. Edwards and I. Thomas ran a dead heat in 45min 20sec) and Cambridge was the fourth to finish. L. A. Tracy, the well-known Wellington sprinter, who recently definitely announced his retirement from the running track, has put up some fine performance® in his time, and that ho cannot train on just now in view of the Americans’ visit and the New Zealand championships is to be regretted. Tracy first commenced ru ting in 1912 while attending the Lyttelton School. He represented the school for two years, and then went to the Otago Boys’ High School, where he registered many good performances. He was transferred to Wellingtoi in 1918, and 6ince then has been a consistent performer on the running track. He has won many championships in "New Zealand, and two years ago represented the Dominion at the Australasian championships, which were held at Hobart.* At that meeting Tracy was fourth in the 100yds, second in the 220yds, and first in the 440yds, in which he established the Tasmanian record of 50 3-ssec. In all, Tracy has won 40 championships, was second in 12, third in 10, and unplaced in eight only.