ATHLETICS

Southland Times, Issue 20044, 4 December 1926, Page 19 (Supplement)

ATHLETICS

(By “Mercury”) FORTHCOMING EVENTS. Invercargill A.A.C December 8 Amateur meeting (Riverton) December 11 Tahakopa sports .. .. December 22 Edendale December 25 Mataura December 28 Limehills December 28 Orepuki .. .. ►. December 29 Tuatapere January 1 Tokanui January 5 The professional athletic season will open on December 22 with the annual sports at Tahakopa, the Catlin river sawmilling township. The meeting will be of special interest to Southland axemen as the greater part of the programme is given up to woodcraft events. The underhand Plumb hanlicap carries with it £46 10/- in prize money as well as a gold medal given by Messrs F. A. Plumb and Company (America). The 12-inch standing chop and the 15-inch underhand championship are each worth £l5 and gold medals. The prize money for the Sheffield totals £l2 while the 440 yards and 880 yards also carry good money. Kam ahi blocks are to be used for all chopping events and birch for the sawing contests. The only Southland meeting at which kamahi logs are used is that at Tokanui. A familiar name on the Tahakopa society’s programme is that of Mr “Mick” Dowling, formerly of the Western District, who used to take a prominent part at Southland meetings. He is now acting as secretary to the Tahakopa society. Mr Tom O’Byrne will also officiate at the meeting. From Christmas to New Year will be a busy time for professional runners, as most of the big sports meetings are being held between December 25 and January 1. On Christmas day the Edendale sports, always popular in the past, are to be held. The prize money totals £136, the most important event being the President’s Handicap (135 yards), which is worth £25 and Mr J. Eades’ gold cup. Three cycle events will also be staged at distances of one, tw’o and three miles. A 440 yards amateur event is also on the programme. Three axemen’s events, in which the total prize money is £27, are also to be staged. An addition to the programme is a tug-of-war contest (5 men a side), for which the first prize is £lO. For several other meetings T have not yet received programmes, but will be pleased to review them when they come to hand. The Limehills Athletic Club’s sports are to be held on December 28 and an attractive programme of running, field events and dancing has been prepared. The Sheffield prize money is £lO 10/- and a cup valued at £5. Eleven events for school boys and girls are included in the programme. The Victorian A.A.A. has cabled an invitation to the United States for Jackson V. Scholz and Lloyd Hahn to tour Victoria, or, failing these stars, two others of similar athletic capacity, the visitors to reach Melbourne by the middle of January. Reports from the Wairarapa show that Randolph Rose, New Zealand and Australasian one and three miles champion, is only indulging in light practice. His appearances on the track have been averaging one a week. He is working extremely hard on his farm, which, of course, is assisting him materially to regain his lost form. He looks in the pink of condition, and his action, obviously, has improved by knowledge gained on his European trip.

Two world’s records by women athletes were beaten at the London Olympiades meeting at Romford. E. Edwards won the 220 yards in 25 4-ssecs, three fifths of a second inside the record, and the Olympiades team, of which Miss Edwards was a member, returned lmin 17 4-ssecs for the 660 yards relay, beating the previous best by 1 3-ssecs. The Manor Park team, who were second, were also inside record. WOMEN ATHLETES Women athletes seem to be taking an increasingly prominent part in sport in New Zealand. Locally girls are talcing a keen interest in the meetings of the Invercargill Amateur Athletic Club and one or two performers of merit appeared at the evening meeting at Rugby Park recently. Lord Decies, vice-president of the British Olympic Association, makes the following plea for recognition of the girl athlete — "I know there are many who have no good word for women’s athletics and are continually doing their utmost to discourage

such sport, but to them I would say, Tlave you ever attended one of their meetings? If not, do so before you criticise.’

“My opinion is that women train themselves most thoroughly before they compete in running events. They give up a good many pleasures of life to get themselves fit, and will hold their own in this respect in comparison with men athletes. So fit, indeed, are most of them, that it is very rarely you see a girl unduly distressed at the end of a race. When- competing on the track they are invariably turned out in a neat and business-like costume, and when walking about the grounds are very suitably attired. I am not at all in favour of women going in for the rougher games, which only men )can play, nor am I in favour of long-dis-tance races, but I believe relay races fur girls are excellent. They teach them that they must lead clean and healthy lives or else they cannot be fit. I think the movement has come to stay, that it deserves the fullest possible support, and that gradually we shall see thousands of the sporting public attending to see their contests.”