ATHLETICS

Southland Times, Issue 22508, 16 February 1935, Page 14

ATHLETICS

SOUTHLAND AND ABROAD.

(By

“Searchlight.”)

The season has now practically ran its course, and except for those who will be competing in cash fixtures at Easter, runners and cyclists have relaxed training. The Rugby Park Athletic Club will again wind up the season with a smoke social, which will probably be held about the middle of next month.

A general review of the season will be given in next week’s notes.

Empire Sprint Championship. The following report of the Empire sprint championship held at Melbourne at the end of last month is taken from the Melbourne Age of January 24:— Bounding along with lightening-like long, powerful strides, Austin Robinson, of South Melbourne, professional sprint champion of the world, defeated W. McFarlane, of Scotland, champion of the British Isles, very convincingly in the contest for the British Empire sprint championship at the Exhibition oval last night.

The famous Olympic coloured sprint title holder, Eddie Tolan (“the Midnight Express”), hero of the last Los Angeles games, won both the 100 and 200 metres’ events there, raced a special 100 yards challenge against Tim Banner, the ex-world champion, and won brilliantly. His attempt at the long-standing record of 9 3-sth sec. of the late Jack Donaldson (the Blue Streak), did not succeed, as the track was not conducive to fast times. His time was 9 14-16th sec.

T. L. Roberts, winner of the last Stawell Gift, was the sensation of the night, and in addition to winning the two elimination tests for the world championship over 100 and 130 yards, he finished first in his heat, semi-final and final of the special 100 yards’ handicap. He won the first test of 130 yards against R. Barker, S. G. West and F. A. O’Neal by 1J yards, easing up, in 12£sec., which was equal to five yards inside even time, and the 100 yards in 9 13-16 sec. against the same competitors. At the gun fire in the Sheffield distance Roberts rose out of his holes with the gun, and took the lead with rare dash. He increased his advantage as he streaked to the tape, and looked all over a champion as he finished well ahead of the field to receive an ovation. In the 100 yards test all of the runners got away together, but at 50 yards it was a duel between O’Neal and Roberts. With a last-second effort Roberts dashed in a comfortable winner by a yard. His win entitles him to take his place in the world sprint championship in March, and his times conclusively show that he will have a great chance of winning against Tolan and the title holder, Robertson. The race of the British Empire championship over 130 yards resulted in a runaway victory for Austin Robertson, the world champion, who outclassed McFarlane, the title holder, to win with ridiculous ease by five yards in 12£sec. In the challenge race of 100 yards between Eddie Tolan U.S.A., and Tim Banner, Tolan flew out of the holes full of running. He was never extended, and ran in a very easy winner by six yards in 9 14-16 sec. Much amusement was caused when the various bands led on the runners for their race. The Highland pipe band played national airs with McFarlane marching at the rear. St. Vincent de Paul’s Orphanage band of South Melbourne played the march Australia Fair as Austin Robinson appeared and marched with them. Sousa’s American march was cheered as the diminutive Tolan joined in for his part, and Sons of Australia greeted the favourite, Tim Banner.

Austin Robertson won his heat and finished third in the 100 yards handicap The Warnambool Gift runner F. A. O’Neal won his heat and finished second in his semi-final of the 100 yards. Roy Barker, 1932 Stawell Gift winner, won his heat of the 100 yards handicap. There was an estimated attendance of 12,000. On account of the unsatisfactory Press arrangements it was impossible to give correct descriptions of the racing, (the report concludes significantly). Revival in Australia.

Realizing that the time was opportune for a revival of foot-racing throughout Australia, the Maribyrnong Running Company (Melbourne), at considerable expense, contracted to bring to Australia the two fastest runners obtainable from overseas. The choice fell on Eddie Tolan, Olympic Games (1932) sprint champion, and Billy McFarlane, the “Flying Scotsman” and champion sprint runner of Great Britain.

Tolan, who failed in his attempt to lower the late John Donaldson’s exhibition track record of 9 3-5 seconds for 100 yards, equal to four yards inside even time, made on January 12, 1912, is said to be the fastest human living. The meeting of “the Midnight Express” with “the Flying Scotsman” must have been interesting indeed!

In some of the heats of the exhibition 100 yards handicap held at the Oval during the Empire Championships, on January 23, the winners broke 10 seconds despite running from back marks. Both heats of the 100 yards handicap hurdles were run in 12 2-5 seconds. SOUTHLAND BUSHCRAFT THE MEETINGS REVIEWED. (By “A.E.C.”) [With this article “A.E.C.,” the wellknown follower of bushcraft and a noted figure of the athletic circuit at meetings which cater for axemen and sawyers, concludes his review of the season’s sport.—" Searchlight.” ] BROWNS. “Last but not least” can aptly be applied to the progressive Browns Society, the 1935 gathering which was a record in the 40 years history of the Browns Caledonian Society. As Otautau so fittingly ushered in the 1934-35 season of cash athletics in Southland, where bushcraft is held, the curtain was rolled down at Browns. The society had a record gate, record aggregate in entries, and very fine competition in all sections of the big programme.

All the officials worked well, but special mention must be made of the president (Mr J. Smith). The Browns Society is lucky in the choice of its head man, who knows his job “from A to Z,” who sees to it that the other officials are doing theirs properly, and who is very obliging and courteous to patrons and competitors alike, and always firm when necessary. The Browns Society is without doubt growing yearly in importance and so far as bushcraft is concerned, there is no more comprehensive society in Southland; like Limehills, it caters for the young axemen and sawyers, and also the novices, who delight to have a cut occasionally. Quite a number are annually seen in action at Browns who seldom appear on other sports grounds. Among those present were the Hon. Thomas O’Byme and Tom Pettitt, exworld’s champion axeman and sawyer, from whom advice was freely sought by a number of young competitors. Pettitt’s advice is worth having. He is a brainy man and no man I know can speak with greater knowledge or experience and, as I have said previously in these columns—having known and even competed against nearly all the great men of Pettitt’s day, from Tom Rqeves onwards—Pettitt is the greatest all round bushcraft exponent of all times. He is the only one to hold the three world’s championships at the one time, as he has done on at, least three occasions: namely, the two foot standing championship, the double-handed

sawing championship and the singlehanded sawing title.

For the maiden 12 inch underhand chop, two heats of about ten in each competed, and quite a number were making their first appearance in public. In the final the winner was found in young “Bill” Donnelly, which now takes the four Donnelly boys out of the maiden class. Young Middleton was second and Kidd third. Kidd has competed several times before and got into the places, whilst Middleton, who has been coached by Geoff Blanks and, I believe, was making his first appearance shaped well. A new competitor in W. E. Brown, of Orepuki, who won the first heat, appealed to me as the most likely to be heard of in the future. The 15 inch underhand chop saw about 16 face the starter in the two heats, the final of which was won by that solid and consistent Orepuki axeman, Ralph Hogg. The wood was slow, which suited his stroke as he has a good one. He only, got home a couple of strokes in front of Geoff Blanks, who also has the punch for the solid stuff. VZattie Bone was third.

Who has slipped more than Bone during the past twelve months? Starting off 15sec, if Bone was up to previous form, it would have beep a “one-man” race. However, he is not too old and will probably come again. For- the maiden 18-inch doublehanded sawing there were about a dozen pairs started in the two heats, the final of which was won by Horrel and Harry Knowler, Middleton Bros, being second, and Riley and Brown third. There was nothing outstanding about any of the work, except the winners’ effort in their heat,' when they cut 21 4-ssec, but the wood was hard and slow.. This is not conducive to young sawyers to show their best, as invariably their training is done in good wood and they are not accustomed to the hard stuff.

The 18 inch ■ underhand handicap chop _ was worth going to Browns to see; it was the best chap the writer has seen for 20. years from a spectator’s point of view. Fourteen faced the starter in the one cut and the wood used was ribbonwood. Cut out of several trees, it was wonderfully even and the choppers soon found that a fast short stroke was no use here. The most of them were soon forced to slow up their strokes and with lengthened blows many of them showed fair form. Jack Swale, starting off 22sec, chopped very well from the first blow and should have won. He could have, as a matter of fact, but for reasons best known to himself, just near the fin-

ish, he stopped and sat down for a 15sec. spell and then went on to get third place. Arthur Hodge won by two blows from Geoff Blanks, who defeated Swale by three—quite a close finish in an 18-inch cut. Hodge and Blanks were the virtual match makers off three seconds and Hodge’s time, Imin. 59 3-ssec., was fair work. This would be a fine race for Tuatapere to feature, limited to say 12 of the best axemen available.

The 12-inch underhand handicap, open, produced over 20 competitors in the three heats, and some very close and exciting finishes were witnessed. Particularly was this so in the final. W. Tillard, who has been cutting into the finals at most of the meetings, was at last rewarded for his consistency. Starting off 13sec., he cut a good race for the fair time of 33 3-ssec. This, I think, is his first win since he represented Southland in Tasmania four years ago. The minor places were filled by M. Donnelly and Jack Swale.

There was a full field in the doublehanded sawing, cut in two heats and a final. There were wonderful finishes in each.

In the final Jack Lee and W. Collinson repeated the good work they did at Limehills, when they won the maiden. Starting off ssec. they sawed a fine race and just managed to beat Jack Swale and Wattie Bone by the barest fraction, the third place going to Knight and Anderson. Had Bone and Swale got home off 3sec. it would have been Swale’s fourth successive win. i

The single-handed sawing event brought out six competitors and the winner was found in a new young sawyer from Lillburn Valley in H. O’Brien. Starting off 20sec. he sawed a good race and won comfortably from Geoff Blanks, who cut a hard race to gain his third successive second place for the day. None of the others were impressive. If O’Brien can get hold of a right saw for this style, with a little coaching he will be one of the best we have in quick time. The final event on the programme was easily one of the most exciting events of the day. It was the ladies’ double-handed sawing event. There were only three pairs starting but it was a wonderful race and the issue was in doubt right till the finish. Mr Dowling made a great job of the handicapping. The Withington sisters (4sec.) got the verdict by half a stroke from the Tippet sisters (Bsec.) with • the Robb sisters (scr) close up. Reviewing the work of the competitors during the season, with one exception nothing outstanding has taken place. Notable performances were Arthur Wybrow’s effort at Tuatapere in the single-handed sawing, when he cut 48 ana a fraction in the 18 inch birch and the performance of Jack Swale and Tony Bates at Edendale. Sawing together for the first time they cut 18-inch Kamahi in Msec. At Tokanui they defeated Fraser Bros, and Donnelly Bros, with one sec. start by £sec. —and the wood against them. These two boys are the find of the year. Together for a month and properly coached, they are quite capable of repeating Fraser Bros.’ success if an opportunity is given them to saw for the world’s title.