STRONG TEAM FOR EMPIRE GAMES AT SYDNEY

Southland Times, Issue 23389, 22 December 1937, Page 14

STRONG TEAM FOR EMPIRE GAMES AT SYDNEY

Athletes Of Proved Ability

To Represent Dominion

(By-

SPIKE)

None could quarrel with the selections for the athletic section of the New Zealand team for the Empire Games at Sydney in February. The 15 athletes definitely selected make up the strongest team ever chosen to carry the Dominion’s colours at an overseas meeting, and their prospects are bright. It was almost a foregone conclusion that C. H. Matthews would be chosen, but whether it would be for the mile, three mile or six mile events was difficult to say. He put the decision beyond doubt, however, by his brilliant three miles at the Empire Games trials in Wellington. His time, 14min 7sec, was more than 20 seconds faster than the British Empire Games record for the distance, established by S. A. Tomlin (England) at Hamilton (Canada) in 1930. Compared with the winning time at the 1934 Empire Games it looks still better, for W. J. Beavers (England) returned 14min 32 3-5 to carry off the title. The world record for this event is 13min 50 3-ssec, set up by Lauri Lehtinen, of Finland, in 1932. Matthews’s performance was the best in any sphere of athletics ever made in this country by a New Zealander, and he has a wonderful chance of crowning it with a British Empire title. He has an ideal temperament for major contests, and with his experience at the Olympic Games to give him added confidence he should find lio great difficulty in coping with the three mile field. His two strongest rivals will be B. L. Ward and L. H. Weatherill, the English representatives. V. P. Boot must have won selection as the half-mile representative as much by the improved race judgment he showed in beating 'fheo Allen as by the fast times he put up for the event earlier this year. Boot has always been a fine runner, but it is only lately that he has shown much ability as a race tactician. When lu? won the mile and half mile titles at the Dominion championships in Duneiiin in 1936 his performances were marred, to a certain extent, by the lack of judgment he showed. This was particularly obvious in the mile, which he ran in spurts, at times moving up to the leaders, at others dropping to the tail of the field. It was only his magnificent sprinting powers that gave him the race. He apparently ran in much the same manner in the mile trial at Wellington, but on that occasion his sprint failed him. The half-mile must have seen him more settled down, however, or he would never have beaten Allen, who combines speed with sagacity. If he can run to a set plan, Boot will be difficult to beat in the half mile at Sydney. His New Zealand half mile record of lmin 53 4-ssec is two-fifths of a second faster than the winning time of Phil Edwards (Canada) at the 1934 Empire Games, and is only one and two-fifth seconds slower than the British Empire Games record established by T. Hampson, of England, at the 1930 games at Hamilton. TYRIE’S PERFORMANCES Those Southland athletes who have watched the running of H. J. Tyrie at Otago and Southland championship meetings would not be as surprised as some northern critics at his selection as the quarter-mile representative. Possessed of a remarkably long stride, plenty of speed and a powerful finish, he is one of the most promising quarter milers New Zealand has ever produced. The 1936 national track and field championships at Dunedin first brought him into prominence when he ran a brilliant field of quarter milers into the ground. He recorded 50 3-ssec on a heavy track in that run, but could run only third to A. J. Sayers in the national meeting at Auckland last March in a quarter which took 49 l-ssec. At the time, however, he had just been transferred from Dunedin to Auckland and was not at his best. Later this year he was transferred back to Dunedin and is now running at the top of his form. How good that form is would be realized by those who saw him beat Sayers in 49 4-5 at the trials in Wellington. That Sayers’s defeat did not cost him his place in the team was a tribute to the sagacity of the selectors. He can be expected to show better form in February, as he has probably arranged his training to bring him to the peak of his condition for the Empire Games. The selection of Graham Quinn, the Hawke’s Bay-Poverty Bay representative, for the sprints was well merited. For the past three seasons he has been challenging the supremacy of the established champions, and, although he beat Brian Tapley in the furlong at the 1936 national championships, his wins over W. J. Fitzsimmons at the trials marked the first real success that ha; come his way. The sprinting talent was not of the best at the 1936 championships, and he lost his title to Fitzsimmons in March this year. Quinn is a sprinter of natural ability and if he can turn on another lOsec 100 yards and 22sec furlong he will take • some stopping at Sydney. By defeating P. T. Boivie, the national 120-yards hurdles title holder P. F. Sharply (Hawke’s Bay) established beyond doubt his claims to recognition as New Zealand’s best high hurdler.

He has twice held the 120-yards titlein 1934 in 16 l-ssec and in 1936 m 15 l-ssec—and has been improving all the time. He showed this by winningthe trial in 15sec, one second outside the New Zealand record. LAY’S OUTSTANDING RECORD Stan Lay’s selection for the javelin throw marks the fifth time he has won New Zealand representative honours for this event. He first represented the Dominion in 1926 when he won the Australasian title with a throw of 198 ft 7-lin, and the following year he again won this championship with a throw of 218 ft 2|in. In 1928 he wore the silver fem to the Olympic Games in Amsterdam, and it was during that visit overseas that he set up a British record of over 222 ft. At the 1930 Empire Games he won the javelin throw with 207 ft 7Jin, which was a Canadian record and still stands as an Empire Games record. This year Lay is showing form which should bring him yet another victory in international athletics. He has been recording throws. of up to 196 ft without even removing his vest; when he c.oes remove it he should easily eclipse the winning javelin performance at the last Empire Games, when R. Dixon (Canada) carried off the title with a throw of 196 ft Ilin. J. G. Leckie, the former Otago athlete now stationed at Auckland, secured his selection for the hammer throw through M. R. Spillane, the New Zealand champion, being ineligible because of the fact that he is a reinstated professional athlete. Leckie has, however, ben recording throws of up to 145 ft and the selectors regarded his form as good enough to give him selection without his being required to show his paces. Like Lay, Leckie is approaching the veteran class but is still good enough to beat the majority of younger athletes in his class. J. Morgan (West Coast, North Island) should be a worthy representative in the discus throw, but, like Leckie, gets his chance through A. A. Cameron, the champion, being ineligible to compete at the Empire Games. Morgan’s best throw of 137 ft is over six feet short of Cameron s best, but should still be good enough to bring him among the place-getters at Sydney.

WOMEN REPRESENTATIVES Five women athletes have been included, and one of the most popular selections of the whole team is that of Miss Betty Forbes, of Oamaru, for the high jump. Miss Forbes has shown consistent improvement as a jumper, and since first establishing the New Zealand record four years ago, has improved on her performance each year, and twice this season already has improved her mark from 4ft lljin to sft OJin, which she cleared in Wellington. In every competition during the last two years this girl has cleared more than 4ft lOin, and with the Empire record standing at sft 3in, she must have a good chance of being prominently placed, for she may be expected to improve. A jump of sft gained third place at the last Games. Miss Forbes is trained by Mr R. E. Dimick, who. also had charge of A. A. Cameron. Miss Betty Mitchell, of Auckland, has only to reproduce her recent form in Auckland to stand a great chance in the javelin throwing, for she has already exceeded the distance of 105 ft 7|in, which won this title for Miss G. Lunn at London in 1934.

Miss D. Lumley, of Auckland, ran splendidly to win the 100 yards at Wellington last week, and gains selection for this event, in which she equalled the New Zealand record, and also for the 220 yards. Miss D. Strachan, the South Canterbury athlete, will contest both the long jump and 100 yards. With the assistance of the breeze, at Dunedin on November 20, she ran 11 l-ssec for the 100 yards, but had to be content with third place in the trial at Wellington. She has only to repeat her Wellington performance to show to advantage in the women’s broad jump. A similar jump would have gained her third place in the 1934 Empire Games, the winning effort being 17ft lljin by Miss P. Bartholomew (England), while the New Zealand record stands at 17ft ll|in to the credit of Miss E. R. Munro, who was defeated by Miss Strachan at Wellington. Miss Strachan’s best is 17ft 81in. Miss R. Tong (Hawke’s Bay-Poverty Bay) holds the New Zealand record for the 80-yards hurdles at 12sec, and in the 80-metres hurdles in 1934 Miss M. Clark won in the British record time of 11 4-ssec. In the 90-yards hurdles at Wellington Miss Tong returned the brilliant time of 13sec. Her selection was another obvious one on performances.