ATHLETICS

Southland Times, Issue 20939, 23 November 1929, Page 19

ATHLETICS

(By

“Bystander.”)

COMING EVENTS. This afternoon: Invercargill Amateur Athletic Club’s sports meeting in conjunction with the Oreti Beach Carnival. November 29: Invercargill Amateur Athletic Club's first evening sports' meeting of season. December 25: Edendale Sports Society’s annual meeting. December 26: Limehills Athletic Society’s annual sports. December 27: Mataura Athletic Socity’s annual sports. December 28: Balfour «and Longridge Caledonian Society’s annual sports. December 30: Orepuki Athletic Society’s annual sports. December 31: Lumsden Athletic Society’s annual sports. January I: Tuatapere Axemen’s Athletic ' Society’s annual sportsDipton Athletic Society's annual sports; Waikaia Athletic Society’s annual sports. January 2: Riversdale Athletic Society’s annual sports. 1 February 19: Canadian Athletes visit Invercargill. January: Caledonian Society of Southlands sports meeting. GENERAL JOTTINGS BAD WEATHER HOODOO AGAIN? With the postponement last week through rain of the Oreti Beach Carnival and the afternoon meeting of the Invercargill Amateur Athletic Club to be held in conjunction with it, doubts have arisen whether the club has shaken off that bad-weather hoodoo which dogged it last season. It will be remembered that nearly every time an evening meeting was arranged the weather conditions proved most unfavourable with the result that a postponement was inevitable. Still with such a large growing and and enthusiastic membership it certainly appears that it will take much more than rain to dampen the ardour of the rising athletes. Athletic Club’s Meeting. The Invercargill Amateur Athletic Club’s first meeting of the season is now set down for next Friday instead of Tuesday, this decision being arrived at by the executive at a meeting during the week. The change in date was brought about by the postponement until to-day of last Saturday’s meeting, so as to allow a reasonable interval < between the two. meetings. In addition to two motor cycle events the following attractive programme has been arranged: 100 yards, 880 yards, Relay Race, One Mile Cycle, Three Mile Cycle and High Jump. Otago Championships. The Otago Centre’s championship meeting will be held on the Caledonian Ground on March 1, a fortnight before the New Zealand championships. A. W. Findlay. A. W. Findlay, the present holder of the New Zealand 440 Yards Championship, who is now at Arrowtown, is expected to return to Dunedin in the near future, states the Otago Daily Times. Findlay has entered for the 100 yards at to-day’s sports meeting at Rugby Park.— Bystander. Mataura Athletic Society. The Mataura Athletic Society held its annual this week when unfortunately the balance-sheet revealed a loss on the last sports meeting. A strong band of officials has been appointed this year •which is going to leave no stone unturned to retrieve matters and try to place the society on a better standing. The new president is Mr'J. W. Aitken, who had held office before in that capacity, and the new secretary, Mr Alfred J. Grant, will make his debut in that role. The new committee has reluctantly been forced to curtail the bushcraft events and this year there will be two events, viz., 12inch underhand chop handicap and 15-inch underhand chop handicap, both carrying the same amount of prize-money as last year. The Mataura Sheffield' Handicap, 135yds remains the same as last year with £l2 and President’s Gold Medal for first, £4 second, £3 third, and £1 fourth. An additional bicycle handicap (11 miles) has been added to the programme. An alteration has also been made in the 220yds handicap in which the winner of a heat unplaced in the final will receive 10/-. All the other events remain the same with the exception of the dancing events for which cash prizes will be given instead of medals. Road Race, A road race for riders under the age of 18 years, to be known as the New Zealand Derby Road Championship, will be held on December 11, starting and finishing at Halswell (says the Christchurch Sun). The race will be controlled by the North Canterbury Centre of the New Zealand Athletic and Cycling Union. Nurmi a Draughtsman. Paavo Nurmi, the Finnish long-distance crack, holds a position as draughtsman in a Government office. The Government of Finland gave Nurmi a house, as some token of appreciation of his decision to keep his 'amateur status, so that he could represent his country at Olympic meetings, instead of accepting the munificent offers to turn professional which were made to him in America. “NOT A FREAK” THE GIRL ATHLETE. MEN “BEATEN HOLLOW.” When H. M. Abrahams, the world-famous athlete, stated that women athletes were unnatural and girl long jumpers freaks he was, I think, allowing his feelings to overcome his judgment (writes Muriel Gunn, British women’s long jump record holder.) When, a few years ago, I first saw womln competing in races I thought that athletics for women could never be. Since, however, the regulation costume has become universally worn and girls have taken their training seriously, improvement has been so marked that modesty alona prevents me saying that for grace and ease of movement the girls beat the men hollow. I think it advisable for girls to take up athletics quite early—i.e., about the age of twelve—train seriously, but not strenuously ; then, by ■ the time they have reached maturer years they will be ready for competition in open events without fear of strain. Whilst in Germany recently I was greatly impressed by the extraordinary interest taken there in women’s athletics. The Charlotteburg Club has a membership of over 500, including even little girls of eight years, and to encourage these youngsters and get them used to a crowd they hold nursery relay races. As many as ten girls run in a team, each covering about 40 yards, the first funning with, say, a pram, the second with a hoop, the third backwards, the fourth skipping, and so on, thus encouraging the team spirit early, without imparting strain in these youthful competitors. The question has arisen of girls and men Competing against each other, but to this, I say emphatically no, because men are on an average, 25 per cent, stronger than women, and no benefit could possibly result to either men or girls from racing together. Even from a spectacular point of view mixed racing would not be a success, as the girls would require a very big start, and once they were caught it would be no longer a race. In regard to long jumping, I have found it absolutely necessary to be a good sprinter, as the more speed attained in the run-off the greater will be the impetus at the board.

When the take-off board is reached one must be travelling at full speed, and yet have sufficient control to place one’s jumping foot immediately on this board. To go the fraction of an inch over the board is. to have the jump disallowed, and nothing is more disheartening than to

break a record, only to find one’s toe has just gone over the- board, as happened to mo in Sweden last year. I am afraid the English public do not know how high their girls stand in this field of sport. In the International Games at Gothenburg, England won the Prize of Honour, beating France by 23 points, ahd recently our team of seven again won the Prize of Honour at the Berlin meeting, although in some events the Germans had as many as ten girls to our one. If anyone (including Mr Abrahams) still thinks that women athletes are freaks, he or she should go to a meeting such as that under the auspices of the Middlesex Ladies’ A.C. at Stamford Bridge, and see girls like Miss Edwards in the hundred, Mias Hatt in the hurdles and high jump, Miss Proctor in the quarter, Mbs Trickey in the half, to mention only a few. The doubter will surely go away convinced that the British girl athlete is a credit to her country and her-sex, and not by any means a freak.