ATHLETIC RECORDS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 19900, 30 March 1939, Page 10

ATHLETIC RECORDS

U.S.’S STATUS LOWERED WOODERSON’S RANKINGS The world's best track and field performances for 1938, compiled by the Amateur Athlete, official publication of the National Amateur Athletic Union, reveal that, for the first time in many years, American athletes, despite their achievements, do not dominate the list the way they did in the past. The Amateur Athlete .shows that other nations hold leading positions in 11 of the 20 events in the compilation. Events that formerly were almost exclusively the property of the United States have passed across the seas—--100 metres, 800 metres, 1500 metres and two miles in track events, and the shot putt, hammer throw and discus throw in field events. Sidney Wooderson, of England, is the only athlete to attain top ranking in two events. His world record of Imin 48.4 sec. in. the 800 metres run and his 3min. 49sec. in the 1500 metres give him the lead in these two events. Had the 800yds run been given separate attention, instead of being included in with the 800 metre .performance, Wooderson would have been first there, since .lie covered the half-mile in lmin. 49.25ec., a world record.