ATHLETICS.

Observer, Volume XXXVII, Issue 36, 12 May 1917, Page 11

ATHLETICS.

The annual contest'for the Victor Ludorum Cup took place last week. The '.management- committee decided to run two evening;. meetings,, which on the whole proved-a dismal failure.

W. O'Connor, a young runner, carried off the valued trophy with 13 points, with G. Davidson next with 11, and N. Cantell close up with 10.

Davidson, scratch man in the sprints, and Cantell, scratch in the distances, both performed very well under the circumstances, the hitter's win in the half mile being.-a really fine race.

The events were not well, contested, the competitors .in several events failing to put in an appearance. The bicycle races attracted only two entrieSj and were therefore en lied off.

The events were late in starting, with the result that most of them were. ■. run in semi-darkness, in whicii the. judges .had a>job to find who crossed the line first. To add to this discomfort the grass was long and the track very heavy after the rains. '~..':'

We think that, a Mi/things considered, it would be as : well to call this contest off till after the war. Wfhihe fully recognising the Amateur Club's effort- : to "keep 1 the home fires burning," the-results of this last meeting are so!; 'disappointing that to again run the'-meeting;-under. like circumstances woulcly.be degrading the name of this once''famous' trophy.

Last year the meeting was ..decidedly a success, but then it was held in the daytime, and attracted several prominent athletes. Arthur McNeish, the winner, proved himself more than an ordinary runner when he romped home with the three sprints in g<x>d time, his hundred being. Avon easing up in 10 sees, on a heavy ground off 4 yards.*- McNeish, who hiad then just returned from Samoa, is now with the New Zealand Wireless Corps in Mesopotamia.

The running the whole of this season has been confined to about half a dozen runners, most of whom will not be available next. We do not know who was responsible, but the arrangements' at the Domain were no credit to those in; charge. Even the gas in the dressing, sheds was not available, and the 'cdnipetitorS were in a bad way for finding their own belongings after the'meeting-