ATHLETICS

Otago Witness, Issue 3782, 7 September 1926, Page 54

ATHLETICS

FIXTURES. October 2.—Harrier’s Sports Meeting, Caledonian Grounds. “GETTING THE BEST OUT OF BOY ATHLETES.” It is good news indeed that the elementary schoolboys of Oxford are to receive experienced coaching from members of the Oxford Univeisity Club (writes H. M. Abrahams in the Daily Mail). There is an old Dutch proverb “Young boys will bend, but not old trees” and herein lies the inestimable value of such a movement as that organised at Oxford. In this country we are almost entirely without systematised instruction in athletics Cricketers and footballers are coached at schools more or less, but until quite recently in the individual sports — running, jumping, swimming, and lawn tennis—the young boy has been provided with competitions and left to teach them selves. The boy who is taken in time may have —most certainly will have—“natural” faults, but they can be cured. Let me take an illustration when training for Olympic Games. I found it impossible to make myself use my right arm properly in sprinting. It was always wandering behind. I never cured myself of it. The other day I turned up an old photograph showing me in a sprint when I was 10 years old. There was the right arm behind me. Coaching will not produce an army of experts; it aims at no such purpose. It will show by practical demonstrations how things should be done. Such movements as that inaugurated at Oxford should spread and the other universities. If they do we shall live to see a generation of athletes who get the best out of themselves, because they do the thing properly, and we shall probably regain some of our lost prestige in sport. TOUR OF NEW ZEALAND. The following athletes are under consideration bv the New Zealand Athletic Association for an invitation to tour New Zealand (the final decision being deferred) :—Willie Retola, distance runner: Phil Barber (U.S.A.), sprinter; Roland Loche (U.S.A.), sprinter Alan B. Heffrich (U.S.A.I, middle distances; Harold M. Osborne (U.S.A.), jumps and field games; Lord Burghley (Cambridge University), hurdles. UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS. (From Ocr Own Correspondent.) LONDON, July 13. Mr A. E. Povritt, th? New Zealand Rhodes scholar, was appointed captain of the Oxford and Cambridge athletics’ team which met the Princeton and Cornell team at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. The Americans came rear having their revenge for last year’s defeat, for only a rather unexnected last lap bv T. C. Fooks denrived H. Benson, of Cornell, the inter-collegiate fresh men’s cross-country champion of the two miles race, on which it was agreed every thing depended. The visitors succeeded in winning the 100 yards. 220 yards, long iump. pole vault, and putting the shot, while the Home team carried off two miles, the two hurdles, and the high jump. In the 100 vanls Porritt had to meet H A. Russell, of Cornel. The New Zealander was first :n his running, and a shade ahead at 40 vards, but Russell, coming away at 60 yards v/or. bv a good yard and a-half; time, lOscc. Again, in the 220 yard?. Russell was successful. Russell was quiqk in gaining ground, and led into the straight bv three yard? from J. W. J. Rinkel. of Cambridge. Porritt came up and beat Rinlcel, but Russell was four yards in front at the finish ; time, Sl^aec. The cud which King Alfonso of Soain has nresented for the match was handed to A E. Porritt. as Oxford captain, by the American Ambassador. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP MEETING. PERFORMANCE OF THREE NEW ZEALANDERS. (From Odb Own Correspondent.) LONDON, July 10. The Athletic Championship meeting at Stamford Bridge last Saturday was perhaps the most successful in the long

career of the Amateur Athletic Association. World’s record went iu one event and championship records in three others. As was expected, the dominion and foreign contingents quitted themselves with great credit. The foreigners captured five firsts, nine seconds, and seven thirds. The dominions, two firsts, four seconds, and three thirds. So that two less championships have gone abroad. New Zealand obtained one second and one third.

A world’s record was handsomely beaten Lv Dr O. Peltzer (Germany) in" the half mile, the time being lmin* 51 3-ssec. A new English record for the 440yds hurdles was set up by Lord Burghley, who covered the distance in 55sec. In the 120yds hurdles and two miles steeplechase new championship “bests” were achieved. Of tne six heats in the 100yds the Germans captured no fewer than five. In the fifth heat the New Zealander, A. E. Porritt, was beaten by the German, W. Wege (Leipzig), the time being 10 1-5 sec. The final was won by R. Corta (Stuttgart) in lOsec, Porritt being unplaced. Porritt, however, came third iff the 220yds, the race going to G. M. Butler (Achilles Club), with J. Bucher (Magdeburg) second; time 21min 9 1-10 sec. The epic of the afternoon was the half mile. The finalists went away to a good start with D. G. A. Lowe, Olympic 800 metres champion, and his fellow Cambridge Blues, W. G. Tatham and B. Frer, close on his heels. Dr Peltzer, the German 800 and 1500 metres record holder, lay close behind them, while H. Houghton, the Midlands champion, and G. R. Griffiths, the 19*o English champion, tailed the field. On the back straight Peltzer went up to the leaders at phenomenal speed. At the bell for the last lap the German was right on Lowe’s shoulder, and coming into the back straight for the second time, Le challenged for the lead, Lowe, however, increased his pace, fighting off the challenge foot by foot. Then Griffiths took a turn, but the Cambridge Blue would not give way. Meanwhile Peltzer was lying off and resting as he ran. On the last bend his long legs shot out, his forward lean increased, while Lowe’s white face showed the effect he was making. Into the straight they ran level. Twenty yards front the tape Peltzer, unlaboured in his running came by Lowe, who was weakening, bv three yards, to win in the new world’s rcc d time of lmin 51 3-5 sec. Another fine race was the four miles in which J. E. Webster (Birchfield Harriers), fulfilled English hopes by wining in 19min 49 3-ssec. From the start he never let the leaders get away from him. He did, however, force the pace and make them run the race he wanted. It was a terrible gruelling race run under a hot sun, and yet Webster turned out again in less than an hour and a-half to defend successfully his two miles steeplechase title. tx. Rose was third in his heat for the mile on the previous day. In the final he drew the position of fifth from the inside track and before 150 yards were covered be took the lead. At the end of th-* first lap which he did in 6lmin 2-5 sec, he was still in the lead, with T. Riddell the Scottish champion, racing close at liand. Starr was in fourth position, from which he allowed himself to l>e d/ipped right down the field after the half-mile had been covered, with W. H. Porter, the Northern champion, leading, in 2min 8 4 ssec. With a third of the course traversed in 3min 17sec, Rose and Riddell were back in the lead, with Starr lyin'* third and G. Baraton, the French runner, right on his heels. On the back straight Starr went up to the leaders and raised the English hopes, but rounding tho bend, it was seen that Rose was finished, tor lie had no response to the challenge when Baraton rushed past him. closely followed by H. Bocher (Germany) who seemed to appear literally out of the blue, for he had -not been prominent throughout the race. Starr made a great effort, but Baraton went on full of running, with the German close up, to win a very fast race in 4min 17 2-ssec. When the finalists went to the marks for the 220 yards, O. Anderson, the Norwegian, was next to the pole, Guy Butler inside him, J Bucher (Germany) ntxt, and A. Porritt (New Zealand) outside. They got away well, with Anderson leading to the top of the ground, Butler being well content to keep his dangerous opponent in hand. Entering the home stretch, however, the big Cantab put on terrific pace, at the same time as Bucher made his effort to lake the lead. It was but a flash in the pan. The real race lay between Butler and Anderson. The Norwegian fought out the issued every inch of the wav, but Butler was too good for him, and again a fast time was returned, 21 9 lOsec. J. W. M‘Holm, the New Zealand hrmmer thrower, put up a good performance. He was beaten only by M. C. Nukes (Achilles Club), who threw 159 ft 6in. The New Zealander accomplished 138 ft 4in. Third place went to A. Poggioli (Modera, Italy), who threw 137 ft 3in. SYDNEY. September 3. In the ten miles running championship of New South Wales A. Gainsford won the third year in succession. Time, 56min 4sec. Victoria, beat New South Wales for the teams' championship. MELBOURNE, September 4. A. W. Lamb, competing in the Amateur Cycle Forty-mile Race from Geelong to Melbourne, made the fastest time, lhr 26min 23sec. which is a record for the distance. M. Jones, with 11$ minutes start, won the event in lhr 32min 46sec.