BRILLIANT OPENING

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18468, 6 August 1934, Page 4

BRILLIANT OPENING

i 1935 EMPIRE GAMES | N.Z. COMPETITORS FAIL AUSTRALIAN SUCCESSES (Blue. Tel. Copyright United Press Assn.) LONDON, August 4. j Five hundred men and women athletes, representing 16 Empire countries, paraded at White City this afternoon, Led by their own national emblems and colors, and headed by the Guards Band, they marched round the track, opening, the second Empire Games. Canada, as the first hosts in 1930, leu the procession, with the other countries in alphabetical order. J. E. Lovelock carried the New Zealand Hag, leading a stalwart' little com-' pauy with black blazers and a silver feruleaf on the breast. A crowd of 50,CG0 waruily welcomed tlie eoinpclititors, wild arc of all ages, • from girl swimmers, some of whom are in their early teens, to grey-haired ; howlers.

; R. Howland, captain of England’s '.athletes, t.ok the following oath on' behalt iof the competitors: ‘We, loyal subjects of the King and Emperor, will participate in the games in a spirit of true sportsmanship for the honor o! the Em'piro and the glory ot sport, j The Guards’ trumpeters sounded a fan- * fare and the Union Jack'was hoisted to 'tlie flagstaff. Three pigeons, one red, one white, and one .blue, were released, .after which 50,000 racing pigeons, valued at £200,000, emblematic of doves, rose : from baskets round the track to take a message of peace to various Homes j throughout the country. 1 Lord Lonsdale read tlie Prince of Wales’ reply to the loyal message the atiu I letes sent after their visit to St. James, and also a message from the King, wishing success to the games. Lord Lonsdale then. ' introduced Sir ! George Truseott, deputy-Lord Mayor ot .London, who declared the games open. Following are the results of the finals:- ■ • , ATHLETICS 100yds.—A. W. Sweeney (England), 1; N. \\. Thounisscn (South Africa,) 2; L V. Young (Scotland), 3. Time, lOsec. I Sweeney won his heat in 9 9-10 see, j equalling the. British record. 440yds hurdles. —F. A. R. Hunter (Scotland,) 1; G. P. Reilly (Australia), 12. Won by three yards. Time, 55 1-5 sac.

Three miles.—W. J. Beavers (England) 1 ; G. Iv. v\Jlen (England), 2; •). A. Burns (England), 3. Time, 14min 32 3-ssee. Hop, step and jump.—Metcalfe (Australia), 50ft. 3£in., a British record, 1; N. Richardson (Canada), 48!t OK in., 2; H. K. Braiusby (New Zealand), 47ft 11J,in., 3. Discus throw;—ll. Mart (South Africa) 136 ft. 3iu., 1; B. ,R. Bell (England), 2; l l ' L. Prendegast (Jamaica), 132 ft 3iu., 3. Women’s relay race, 600yds.—Canada (Misses Palmer, I White, Meagher, and Dcarnley), 1; England (Misses Hiscock, Walker, Halstead, and Johnson), 2. Time, lmin 14 2-sscc, a- British record.

The Australian athletic sprinters were handicapped owing to lack of recent racing. Dempsey and Horsfall were eliminated in their heats in the 100yds, but Yates entered the final, in which lie was left at the start, and unable to make up ground. In the heats of the quarter mile, the New Zealander, Broadway, and the Australians, Reilly and Lander, were eliminated. ' ~ ! - SWIMMING or : 1500vds. free style (first heat).—RPirie (Canada), 1; Ryan (Australia), 2. Time, 18.45 2-5. . 220vds. breaststroke (second heat); —N. Hamilton (Scotland), 1; Higginson (Australia), 2. Time, 2.24 2-5. The New Zealander, Smith, did not qualify in the first, heat.

Women’s 220vds. breaststroke (second heat). —Miss Claire Dennis (Australia). 1; Miss P. Ha slam (Canada), 2. . Time, 2.62 1-s—a British record. < The New Zealander, Whareaitu, was unplaced in the 100yds. Women’s high diving (final). —E. MacReady (England), 30.74pt5., 1; Thompson (Australia), 27.64pt5., 2; C. Cousins (England), 27.36pt5., 3; L. Adams, the 13-year-old Canadian, 27.20pt5., 4.- , The Australian, Miss Clark, did not qualify for the final of the. 100yds. backstroke. Most of • the Australians were below their best form as a result of lack of proper trainin'*.A brilliant finish enabled Miss Dennis to lower the British breaststroke record by 1 4-ssecs.

Ryan in the 1500yds. made a plucky effort, but Pirie’s form was superior. As tho time is insufficient for Ryan to roach top form before the final, he can hardly expect to turn the tables on the Canadian. Pirie’s time was lOsec. better than when Ryan won in 1930. AN IRISH PROTEST REFUSAL OF ENTRY DUBLIN, August 5. The Irish Amateur Swimming Association’s protests against the Empire Games Council’s “absurd, illogical and entirely unsustainable” refusal to accept an entry for Irish swimmers because the Free State;and Ulster are different political divisions, and, therefore, (lie council could not consistently accept, the entry, as it must keep, to the political style and title of the various territories.

The association'declares that there lias been a campaign to discourage Irish entries, and adds that the council accepted an Ireland team from the Irish Bowling Association, while all-Ireland jurisdiction prevails in Rugby, golf, hockey, and cricket.