ATHLETICS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19809, 28 November 1919, Page 2

ATHLETICS.

ns mo e«os if spcbt. NOTES FROM ALL QUARTERS. (By QUIDNUNC). BOXING, Published reports of the bout at, Hastings between .1. Heeney, of Gisrtj borne, and Jimmy dabby, the American | middle-weight, leave do doubt that it | was a very one-sided affair. The experienced dabby got all over bis younger opponent, who never bad a chance, and who was counted out in the tenth round. The supporters of Heeney will no doubt be very disappointed at bis showing, as he bad returned to New Zealand with the record of having earned high praise from 1 English experts on great improvement, and their favourable expression as to his future prospect R, Mr G. Baillicit, who wont to England, via, America, to secure suitable boxers' for Australia, writing from New York to the Sydney “ Referee” says:— "l saw Benny Leonard box Soldier Barthold in Philadelphia last Monday, and am now more convinced than ever that wo have the light-weight champion of the world in Australia, and as soon as Mow is through with his lights there, I will have, him hero in America., as there is a lot of money awaiting him hero. Eor instance, Benny Leonard boxed twice in Philadelphia, within n few days, one tight they drew .'EißOOdol, and the other they drew 20.(X)0rlo1, so yon see it is asking the champion something to leave, the States just at present. Billy Gibson told me personally they were making- over lo.OOOdol per week and not taking any chances on losing the title.” Jimmy Wilde, the famous English fly-weight, arrived in New York early in November Ho will lour the United Slates and Canada for four mouths. Jack Dempsey lias failed miserably as a vaudeville attraction (writes W. F. ( orbett. in the “ Sydney Referee ’"). Mr Tom Andrews showed me a letter from 1 1 is manager at Milwaukee, to the. effort that, during throe nights in the big beer town ” of the United States, the champion of the world failed to draw enough motley to pay rent. The first night’s returns totalled 77a101. On the second night the receipts were, a little better, and on the third the show played to a gate of a little over JOOdol. 1 have a photograph of Dempsey and Kearns signing for that lour in the -Morrison Hotel. Chicago. There was a large gathering, mostly Jewish people. The persons supposed to he remunerating Demp-ey for his services could not. I am informed, produce oOCOdol among them. Yet it was alleged that, thov wore paying Dempsey 22.i,000d01s (IMo.OOO) for a fifteen weeks’ engagement. “ The largest, amount of money ever paid m vaudeville” is part of the. information on the photograph. What an awful mess that syndicate would have been in had they really pledged tliem«elves as stated. Quite a mystery surrounded the appearance of the French “ hope” in the ring of tiie Nouveau Cirque, Paris, ou Sept ember 19, against the Scotch [ heavy-weight Dan M’Goldrick. The hills posted about Pa ids gave no name, just a big X . . . and it was stated underneath that the youngster was the French Fred. Fulton and a. future Georges Carpenlicr. The sporting Press declared that the. mysterious X . . . was no other than Paul Jouruet, a splendidly built athlete, still but a: novice, and who in tho Inter-Allied: games at Pershing Stadium had been knocked out in one round by Bob Martin, the American who beat nil comers) in the army competition. 11, was slated that lie had greatly improved, and his performance was awaited with interestlu tho ring Journct towered over M'Goldrick, who compared with the. Frenchman appeared like a middleweight. In the third round M'Goldrick landed a right on the jaw. Journct smiled blandly, hut before hei could recover himself another right caught him on the. point, and down ho wontJoiimet struggled to his feet at tho count of nine, hut was helpless, and at the first punch from M'Goldrick the “hope” crumpled up, heat to tho world, the referee interfering. Tim conduct of “Alf” Mansfield in his contest with Doyle at the Blackfriars Bing on July 21 having been considered by the British Boxing Board of Control, the ovldoimc of Loth parties and their witnesses having been taken, and a representative of the management having hocn heard, it was decided by the hoard that Mansfield ho suspended for three years. Eugene Con i comments on Iho case in this way: “I am sorry for .Mansfield; I am sorry for any boxer and anybody when they have, to take on a load of trouble, hut something bad to ho done, and that something by tin- Boxing Hoard ol Control if if were to justit' its existence. Carious people have kiiu, ol laughed and scoffed, and ridiculed Ibis body, but they have done so because they have not, known. It i« a body that lias for its one object flic heliermcnt ol the game in the wav of controlling and regulating it in the same way as all our big sports arc controlled and regulated. The suspension of Mansfield, which, if it is not removed or spread: over fewer than threi years, will nu’iin that he has done witr tlie ring, for lie is. gelling on. and if. as 1 assume lie will, not he aim to light lor three years, lie will in that time forget all about lighting. llis iifl'cuee was one whHi lie was allege) to have committed al the Bing. Blic-l; friars, in a match with Doyle, the Sal I ford youth. It was held that. he. hai '(been guilty of a foul so had that, ii ’| could not lie passed over.”

The following cable message appears in Australian papers:- Dempsey, the world’s champion boxer, lias signed ail agreement to box Heckelt at New Orleans on March 17 next. The Pont ’s: rondil ional on Ber-keit defeat mg Carpenlier in bis fnrthennpng contest with the French ehampion. MrC. H. Coehran, the London promoter, has offered Pdo.OtX) for a pontes! between Dempsey and the winner- of the t'arpentierReekelt contest. A cable message published in Australian papers reports that Leonard and Tlnffv met in a contest fn rtho lightweight championship on November 17, Duffv being knocked out in the second round. The first of a series of matches arranged for Bombardier Wells hv the well-known T-’.nglish promoter-. Air- C. 11. Cochran, took place on November 20, Townley. who was reeeritlv knocked mil in the first round hv the big American. bred Fulton, was Wells's opponent and ho was beaten in the ninth round.

ATHUETSGS. The Now Zealand professional championships will be derided at Gisborne on January ] and 2. M hat appears a strong move merit is on foot in England in favour of holding a. purely English championship meeting shortly before the championships as at present held which are open to the world: At Celtic -Park, Glasgow,- in August, .in a. mile handicap, won in 4min 13 Loser. :A. G. Hill, the English champion, ran second from scratch in 4min 16 4-osee. which heats the. Scottish record (4rnm 18 l-ssec, hv P. E. Bacon), and equals the Pmitish record fj. Einks, 1D02). Later- the sumo dav ho ran a half-mile relay in Imln 57‘2-osoc. H L. .Mason, Zealander, won tiro half-mile handlers from scratch in inrin bo 2-ssec (first -140 yds .14 O-lsec)—an-other- Scottish | l i('or(l, displacing the linin oo T-nscc of Homer Bakor g an

American, made about six years ago. Hill, hr the way is well over thirty years of age and the father of four children. There is every indication that the now’ not far distant Australasian track and field championships will provide one of tho greatest athletic feasts evci witnessed in Sydney (writes “Prodigal” in the Sydney “ Peferee/'). When I last wrote on the subject, a few issues hack, I mentioned that it Formed probable there would be no Tasmanian or Western Australian team, whilst no word had come to hand from New Zealand. Since then 1 have gleaned some information about happenings in Western Australia. Thus there are indications of life and go in amateur athletics in W.A., although J cannot trace any sign of preparation for participation at the big games in Sydney- Although seemingly there, is nothing doing in Tasmania. Air ,T. Edwards is still holding the secretarial reins of the T.A.A.A. As a result of my interview with Air Harry Frost. (Auckland), wo now know Unit .New Zealand will be, represented—and the news has given great satisfaction, for no Australasian championship meeting would be complete, or representative, without ihe Dominion being in it. AVitii regard to New South Victoria and khieenslaml, preparations are proceeding systematically, whilst South Australia will surely _ make her second appearance at this big function.

AQUATICS. ■fudging by the cable messages which have been published during the week a return match for the. world's championship between Harry and Felton, on the Parramatta, has been arranged. The Englishman stales that alter rowing ! Felton he will be prepared to meet i H.addon, whom be defeated on the . Thames shortly before the war broke out. Felton has acted in a very sport- | ing manner over- the mailer. He rei cognised Harry's tine sportsmanship I when lie was approached lur a match, ! and has refused I’adtion's challenge in I order that Harry may have the oppori (.unity to regain the honours ho lost on ! the Thames a few weeks ago. ! Extracts from an interview with Fd- | ton are cabled from F.uglaml to AtlsI traiian papers. Felton said that when | lie enlisted be bad no intention of ciudj longing Harry, but when the lighting 1 finished he began several months et | steady work, including cycling, and I soon gut hack to form. It was not true j Hull the luck of the toss enabled him 'to win. He never saw a liner scientific , piece of sculling than Barry's. From 1 Ha rues Bridge onward numerous eights | were rowing ahead. This could not ; have occurred in Australia, where the : water police would immediately warn ■ any offenders all' and subsequently proI smile them. Une boat washed Inn., i Such practices must, be wiped out if j sculling was ever to regain its pre-war I standard. The courses in Australia, and I in New Zealand, and notably tho Wanganui Hirer, were, infinitely better than that on the Thames. Ho was particularly pleased to take the title, back to bis homeland. He hoped that England would support Harry, and enable him lo come lo Australia, whore he was assured of the. most wonderful welcome that be ever received in bis life. SWIMMING. The Sydney “Evening News” publishes an interview with the ex-cham-pion AV. Longworth. just back from setvico, abroad as a lieutenant. Longworth said that the American, Norman Hoss, was “easily the world’s greatest swimmer to-day over all distances. And the reason? Well, simply that Boss represented the new school, which had thrown aside the crawl for long dis- : tances. Ross is a. skilful exponent, of , a fine combination of Duke stroke and trudgeon. With the exception of the IOC) metres, the American never used anything else- His propeller-like fool •worik, and his .power in the kick-off, dud tlid length of his dive, make him a formidable opponent. Combined • with this he is a graceful swimmer, rarely breaking the water to any extent. 1 don’t think that Ross” would have any difficulty in doing the half-mile, for instance, in llmin. and as for the Duke’s 100 yards in o3 4-osec. 1 think the i American will show um that he is cpii/c capable of knoekinu something oil it, I swam second to him in Haris in both ; the 100 and 800 metres, I>;ti I never had any chance of beating him from

tlic word ‘go,’ After Feeing the AmeriU. enu I rum; tionio buck with conviction tliiit we arc entirely on the wrong track in Australia if we ever want to do anything big at the game. We’ve got to get clown to now methods. The day ol the_ crawl for distances has gone by. We’ve got to lose it or get left behind, hioss and the rest of the Americans, including Af'GilHvray and Longer, hava shown ns the way. Loss could nob do the ‘lO metres in Amin 40sec otherwise.” i.ongwortli aLo expressed the opinion that we. would have to get down to lona distances, and tackle more hack and! hreast stroke handicaps. “We talk about our juniors breaking tbe minnta over the 100 yards. 1 ' be added, “bub there arc scores of youngsters in America doing it. in .msec. After what T have seen on tbe other side I think we are hadlv in need of training tha juniors in the various clubs. Compared with the Americans, we have slipped hark.”