ATHLETICS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 20073, 9 October 1920, Page 10

ATHLETICS.

ODDS AND ENDS OF SPORT,

(By QUIDNUNC.) _ .News conies from America oi ilio death, early in July,-ot Uliarlos E. Courtenay, who was one of the leading scullers in the world ja the TO’e, and who had coached the Cornell University crews, since 18SS, earning the reputation ot the greatest of American coaches. Courtenay was a speedy sculier, and it was his misfortune that, when regarded as being about the - beat man in America, he should fifty a been compelled to meet the greater! single sculler ot the time,' the Canadian, Edward Uanlau. .They met twice, ami Hanlan won on each occasion. Afler proving his rigid to he regarded as champion of the United Slates and Canada. Haninn secured a match with Edward Tricket.t for the world’s championship. I'hey met on Iho Thames on November H>, J3BO, Hainan winning, and he held the title until .Beach lowered his colours on the Parramatta on August 16, 1884. Courtenay, who was seventy-one years of ago at the time of his death, in his racing days stood a shade over bit an dweighed a pound or two over list. Amongst, his contemporaries' were such first-class men. as Gaudaur, tlosmer, Ton .Eyck (who lias been a college coach for many years, and is regarded as lively to succeed Courtenay nt Cornell), George Buboar (the .Englishman;, 'Wallace Boss, Leo and Plaisted, men who made sculling one o{ the most popular of sports with Iho public, but whose names are quits unknown to the. present generation of wetbobs. In those days regattas were held all over the Slates, and the prizes were of a most substantial chiiraciti. Tor instance, the first lime Courtenay and Hanlan met a purse of £.1200 was at issue. In. those days most of the racing was at regattas, and”.the mdse money was found by local committees.

The sporting insi,nct is reviving in England now .that the business of war is over, and the Sunbeam Company pas built, a 350 h.p. twelve-cylinder V type engine, which has been-fitted into a Sunbeam racing car, with the intention of attacking world's records. The car is not yet ready for the road but u may be rolled upon lo uphold the'.Sunbeam reputation for racing cars when pul on the track. The fact that the Sunbeam Company were engaged in. the production of very high-powered aero engines during the war has naturally led them to adapt one of the engines for this work. •

First blood” iti the recent Olvmpio Games weiil lo Finland, whose representatives filled the first four places in the javelin , and mxtii places were filled by Esthonian and athletes respectively. Ihc first three Finns surpassed the previous world’s records, 60 metres e-l centiMyna, the winner, threw 65 metres 7S centimetres. The Finns threw with grace and style, following through their powerful motions without donating a bit from period balance, and their exhibitions drew "reat applause. ■ °

Sir Iheodore Cook, whilst the Olympic Games were in progress, wrote a letter of a column in length to “ The Times ” in whicli in , &a v 3 lllat there is a strong probability tpat the United Kingdom will not compote Hi the Olympic Games of 192-1, or on any subsequent occasion in the official Olympic cycle, while the present state of public opin- '? n continues as it is to-day. Sir Theodora Cook trusts that, whatever may bo mo result of a situation which should never have arisen, those who rejected their opportunity to, improve it by their subscriptions will not abuse the responsible authorities for " failure.” Our athletes, he says, in every event, will have done their best under a handicap which they never acknowledge, though it is suffered by no other competing country in the world.

Some idea of the “ international ” charaoler of American- golf may be gathered' from the fact that-Among the seventy players who have qualified for the final stages of the Open Championship at Toledo, Ohio, this week are such striking names as Jock Hutchison, Louis Tollier, Leo Diegol, Eddie Lods, Emil Loffler, Alfred Hackbarth, Mike Brady, G. Lormis, Pat Doyle, Tom Kerrigan, Walter Hagen and Pi, E. Knepper. Prohibition may do all that is claimed for it S3 a civilising force, but even in “ Pussyfoot ” America people still get angry and start throwing bottles about. Koto this extract from the “ New York Herald’s ” report of a recent baseball match: “A near riot occurred at the Brooklyn Ball Park dur« ing the 'Dodgers-Pirates game, when the fans became so enraged over the frequent disputed decisions of the umpires that they deluged the field with pop bottles. By a miracle no one was injured. The rally in the lato innings, which gave Brooklyn a. 2 to 1 win, however, put the fans.in good humour again, and they left the park without doing any further damage.” Apparently the custom of throwing bottles lo relieve their feelings is a popular one wilh the Yankee baseball devotees. In a further, and very picturesque', account of a baseball match, the “New York Herald” says:—“ The biggest baseball attendance of the year was recorded yesterday (August 15), when 33,000 fans crowded the polo ground to watch the Giants divide a double-header with the Braves. The first game was baited until the attendants were able to clear the diamond of .the pop bottles with which the Giant fans celebrated o, homer by Kelly. It was the first time bottles have been thrown without malice. The storm of prohibition containers only ceased after the police reserves had scattered through the stands.”

Relations between golfers and their caddies in America would appear at times to bo somewhat strained. Frank Hathaway, arraigned at Lynbrook, Long Island, on a charge of assault, stated that whilst playing on tho Salisbury course, at Weaibuvy, his caddie, Peter Catotana. aged fifteen “quit” when tho round was half finished. There wa* some dispute about his pay, and he went away using " language.” The boy, according to Hathaway, began to throw stones at tho player and his partner, both of whom were struck. Hathaway took,a wooden club and chased the boy, who at close quarters struck him <m.the: chest with .another stone. Hathaway let out with his club, aiming at the lower part of the boy’s body, but, stumbling, hit him on tho head, and felled him insensible. Imagine such a scene at Shirley!

Volaire and , Jimmy Hilt met'at the Brisbane Stadium on September 25, the result being a'draw.

Three French boxers and a Belgian have arrived in Australia. They are:. Eugene Crlqui (bantam), Andre Dupre (feather-weight champion, of France)., Francis Charles (welterweight champion of France), and IV. Wyns (feather-weight champion of Europe). An English team, consisting of S. Lewis- (Bst), K.id Doyle (Sat. Sib). \V. Merchant (Ost). and E. Merchant ■ (9sl Gib) is ready to make . the trip to the antipodes'.

The Walker Bill, which was passed hy tho New York Slate Legislature, is expected to be far reaching. Though its operation is confined to tho State of Now York, its sponsors fully expect that a Bill on similar lines aril] be-eventually passed in all ihe other. States, and thus bring about the complete reorganisation of the sport on new lines, removing it from political pull and putting tho control In, tho hands of reliable and disinterested persons. Efforts have previously been made to break up the ok] system in which managers, promoters and boxers all had a say in the rules and regulations governing boxers and boxing. Under the Walker Bill all those are cut out, and the aim is to have the snort controlled on the lines of other sports. The Bill puts control in the hands of a commission of three men, each of whom is paid an annual salary of £lOOll. Then there is a licensing committee, an honorary body, which has very extensive powers. This committee made no mistake about its intentions by vetoing the proposed match between Dempsey and Brennan, and Carpentier and Leyinsky, and its action is supported by the decisions of the Massachusetts Commission refusing a permit for a match between Dempsey and Moran. Evidently the old rotten order of things is on its last legs, and a good thing too. The wonder is that the sport survived tho hard knocks it received from those who lived on it.

The 1000 Metres Professional Cycle Championship of the World was decided at Aatwerp in July. In the first heat of tho semifinal Bailey (England) heat Scilliers (France) hy a quarter of a wheel, and third man was some distance away. In the second' heat Kauffman (Switzerland) beat Van Rover (Belgium) hy a wheel, and in the third heat It. (Australia) beat Matnpey (Belgium) by a wheel, third man being a qnarUr of a wheel further back. In the final Spears beat ■Kauffman hy a quarter of a wheel, thro»qu alters of a wheel separating second mgu from Bailey. The time was oOseo, and it is evident that Spears was not extended in his seim-imal, as his time then was 67sec. After winning the event Spears rode once more round tho course, wildly applauded hv the spectators.

In a letter to the Sydney “Referee” George'Parker, Australia’s champion walker has . the following to say about the cycle racing at the Olympic Games:— "l S aw things done here that would have the crowd hon oyer the fence in Australia., Our boys had to ride them and fight them both, I have seen some switching done in Australia but here they don’t try to switch you, they try to throw you oyer the fence, and the riders on the Continent, such as French Belgian, Dutch and Italians are just a little bit worse than the , Yanks. "Well, all I cau say is that our boys did very well, all things being considered.”