ATHLETIC TITLES

Taranaki Daily News, 15 September 1934, Page 4

ATHLETIC TITLES

FOREIGNERS LAUNCH ATTACK.

BRITAIN HOLDS HER OWN.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) London, July 12.

A formidable attack had been planned on the English athletic championships by foreign competitors, but to a large extent it misfired, and on the whole it was a satisfactory day for the home entrants. There was, however, the usual weakness in • the field events, in which we must improve before we can hope to hold our own, but the majority of the running titles were kept in the country. No fresh records were set up, but there were many fine performances. I think the best was by J. Kusocinski, of Poland, in the three miles. He went out to lower the record of his rival, L. A. H. Lehtinen, the Finn, and, running with a watch in his hand, he timed himself at the end of each lap. The task which he set himself was to beat 14m. 9 l-55., and the fact that he failed by only 41s. indicates how well he ran. •He finished 17s. in front of the second man, W. J. Beavers, a Yorkshireman, and he outclassed the rest of the field.

The old tactics came back in both the half mile and the mile events. That is to say no one was prepared to make the pace, the mep waiting on each , other till the last stage of the race, and trusting to-a quick burst to take them to victory. This suited J. E. Lovelock in the mile because he is not yet quite fit, and his rivals erred in their judgment in allowing him to run as he preferred. He won safely enough in the run in, but the time of 4m. 2G 3-ss. indicates the absurd pace at which the race was run. As a matter of fact there was not a man who could not have easily beaten 4m. 20s. Much the same tactics were pursued in the half-mile. J. V. Powell led most of the way, and then, when the end was near J. A. Cooper “shot” him so effectively as to steal a lead of fully six yards. Tire Marathon went to the Scotsman, D. McNab Robertson, for the third year in succession. He did not go to the front until 17 miles had been covered, but he then forged ahead, and had finished the two laps of the White City enclosure before the second man arrived. Robertson’s time for the 26 odd miles was 2hrs. 41m. 555.

Good Sppri. After the wrangling that spoils $o many other sports (writes the News’ London correspondent) it is good to read the glowing tribute of all the foreign rowing men at Henley, to the fine sportsmanship and splendid fraternity of that classic festival. Rowing and sculling are the most arduous and exacting of outdoor sports, yet somehow they still pr?r serve best the courtly tradition of the knightly tourriey. Curiously . enough, too, they are the sports at which our old puissance can still best , meet all international challenge. No other sporting assembly is quite like that at Henley. There is nothing peevish about it. Grim foemen up 1 the racing reach are sworn brothers elsewhere, and even on the course are chivalrous enemies. It is the fashion nowadays to sneer at the public school spirit, but it is that tradition which inspires Henley’s good sportsmanship and good fellowship. - -■

Literary Tennis Star. A good many of our lawn tennis stars' are, we know, journalistic... (says, the London correspondent of the News), but Roderick Menzel, the chief hope. in the Davis Cup fight of go-ahead Czechoslovakia, is the only literary one I can recall. This geritleman .is tennis expert to the leading Prague paper, writes novels, and is about to have his~ first play produced in Prague. He has writf: ten one story about the theft of the Davis Cup, which may or may not be an augury for the forthcoming zone final of the cup competition, in which Czechoslovakia is concerned. Menzel is a finely built athlete, a testimony to the Czechoslovakian passion for physical training, arid a very strong man on a tennis court. His country will sooner or later begin to make things hot for the Wimbledon and Davis Cup champions of other nations. A country where everybody takes ' sport seriously must get there sooner or later.