Sporting and Athletic Review

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17877, 19 June 1926, Page 22 (Supplement)

Sporting and Athletic Review

New Zealand’s representative. R. A. Rose, made his second public appearance in England at Stamford Bridge, London, on Saturday last, in a special mile handicap, having a limit of 80 yards. The track was heavy, and after covering the first quarter in < 00 4-ssec, Rose eased off, making no further effort to catch the field. He finished last, his time being 4min 32 3-ssec. The winner, Driver, of Woolwich Polytechnic, off 75yds, finished in 4min 17 4-ssec. There are numerous runners in England capable of doing from 4min 24sec to 4min 30sec for the full mile, and Rose is likely to have a bad time in handicaps, as he is pretty sure to be handicapped on something near his best time of 4rnin 13 3-osec. He has gone to England widely and, one is inclined to think injudiciously, advertised as capable of extending the mighty Nurmi. He may be; that remains to be seen. But in the meantime it looks as though English handicappers will be inclined to set him impossible tasks in handicaps. Letters received in Wellington from J. W. M’Holm, who is Rose’s companion, tell of the journey from Suva to New York, and happenings by the way. At Winnipeg, “We got in touch with a Mr Neilson, of the Athletic Association, also a Mr M’Yicor, who took us in hand, and we went to the track at Sargent Park—a cinder track which was very soft, not having been fixed up yet, as the frost is still on it,'’ writes M’Holm. “Rose had a run on the grass baseball field, and it did him good. We were fortunate in having the principal Canadian coach with us, and he also gave Rose a rub-down. I asked him particularly to have a look at Rose for style of running. lie was very well pleased with Rose’s style, and considered his shoulder and arm action excellent. I wished him to look at this, as some people in New Zealand had told me that they thought it was faulty. ‘Good body action, and puts his feet down correctly,’ was the coach’s summing up. There was just one little matter which he thought might be improved when Rose was running slowly, but when Rose speeded up the fault disappeared.'' At Montreal (writes J. W. M’Holm, who has accompanied R. A. Rose to England) we went to M’Gill University for a run out. The track is a cinder one, but there is grass in the centre of the field. I am beginning to understand why they produce champions. There were quite a number of high schools boys working—running, jumping, pole vaulting, discus throwing, shot putting, and hurdling. Most of them were crude, but were learning The high jumpers try to turn over the bar in some way. They are not always successful. One or two were doing the ordinary scissors jump. All the boys who tried the pole vauit turned when going over. They did not jump high, but tried for style. After practising for a time they give way to another team, and so it gees on. The fact that teachers exhibited a tendency to discourage hockey as a game for girls on the grounds that it was over-strenuous was deplored by Mr W. A. Curteis, of Stratford, when speaking after the presentation of the Taranaki championship ladies’ hockey cup at the conclusion of the provincial tournament recently held at Hawera. He said that statements made by teachers and others, to the effect that hockey was too strenuous a game for girls, were unfair to the game and incorrect. In furthering this point. Mr Curteis pointed out that the girls who had played in the tournament during the day had exhibited fine physique. He thought that teachers should encourage girls to play hockey, it being a good and healthy game. The majority of the present players came from secondary schools, and if the primary school children were given to understand that the game was not beneficial, it would result in a decline in the number of players. He thought that it would be a great pity if the game were to die out entirely. At a meeting of teachers as delegates to the Taranaki Primary School Sports Union, held at Stratford, the opinion was expressed that hockey was too strenuous a game for girls, and several teachers expressed themselves as proposing to abolish hockey at their schools, in favour of basketball. Our recent visitor, Jackson Scholz, on arriving at San Francisco, dec : ded to stay over and compete at the Pacific Association championship meeting on May S, although he had only about a week in -yvhich to recover from his sea voyage. In the 100yds he was beaten by a foot by Phil Barber. University of California, in the fast time, of 9 5-10 sec, but he reversed the positions in the furlong, which he won by four, yards in 20 9-10 sec, one-tenth second worse than Paddock's world's record At this meeting all the crack athletes of the Pacific Coast were competing, and some splendid performances were put up by the representatives of the Olympic Club, University of t ali-, fornia and Stamford University, especially* in the field events. In the long jump. G. Martin (Olympic) made a new Coast record with 24ft lin: Ross (Stanford) cleared 12ft Sin in the polevault; our former visitor, Merchant (Olympic) who was in New Zealand with Kirksev and Krogness, won the hammer throw with 159 ft 9m. and King (Stanford) cleared 6ft 4 1-Sin in the high jump. Two races for girls were on the programme, the 100yds falling to Elsa Cartwright, who won on the tape in 11 4-10 sec. which is said to equal the world’s record. Charles Hoff, the famous Norwegian all-round athlete, at present in America, had not succeeded in lowering his world’s pole-vaulting record of 13ft 11 13-16 in. up to the time of latest advices. At Des Moines on April 24 the bar was placed at 14. ft, and he cleared it with a few inches to spare, but when the height was officially measured there was a sag of 2?in in the crossbar, making his leap 13ft 9Hn. One of the supporters of Australian sculling for many years, Mr John Spencer, died at Sydney on May 23. He and his brother Thomas were behind Trickett when he went to England and won the championship from Sadler. Amongst others he supported were Neil Matterson and the late Harry Searle, the latter being regarded by Mr Spencer as the greatest sculler the world has ever seen. , In our issue of June 5 mention was made of a wold Marathon record having been made by J. C. Miles, when he won the thirtieth Burton Marathon race on April 18, in 2hrs 25min 40 2-5 sec. Details of the race are now to hand, and show that the event was con- ■ tested by many of America's best long distance men. including De Mar, who i represented the country in the last Olympic Marathon, which was won by A. O. Stensons, of Finland. The Finn was also a competitor on April 18, and finished second to Miles, while De Mar : occupied third place. Stenroos finished 4min 2-ssec behind Miles, who is but : eighteen years of age, and a native of Nova Scotia, Canada. De Mar won the

A cable from London states that S. Ferris, of the. Royal Air Force, Uxbridge. has again won the “ Marathon” from Windsor Castle to Stamford Bridge, London, for the Sporting Life” £SOO Challenge Cup. He covered the distance (20 mil os 385 yards) in 2hr 42 min 24 l-ssec. A. R. Mills, of the Leicester Harriers, finished second, his time being 2hrs 46min ll&sec. W. Maleedy, Pilkington Club, was third in 2hrs 51min 50sec. Last year Ferris established a record for the course, winning in 2hrs 35min 58 l-ssec —8 2-ssec better than the previous best, put up by A. Ahlgren, of Sweden, in 1913. Ferris also finished second in 1924. More imposing, however, is the record of A. Mills, the Leicestershire farmer. The latter won the race in 1920, 1921, and 1922. He finished second in 1923, third in 1924, sixth in 1925 and second this year—a wonderful sequence. Cycle-racing as a sport for women has been sanctioned by the National Cyclists’ Union. No “mixed” races will be allowed (between men and women). The costume decided upon includes dark stockings or tights, dark loose knickers, and a loose blouse fastened at the neck, with elbow sleeves. Women competitors must be registered in their various centres after their first year of racing. Separate and adequate dress ing accommodation must be provided by sports promoters and women officials shall act as track stewards only during races confined to their sex Starting and other attendants shall be appointed by the promoters. England and Australian critics are asking whether important boat races are not too long. We don’t need to ask this in New Zealand, for our longest course is two miles. ’But in Australia the big race of the year—the interstate eights—is over three miles, and in England the Oxford-Cambridge race is over four miles. There appears to be an opinion in Australia and England that distance racing is more a test of physical endurance than of oarsmanship. In this connection an English writer says of the Oxford-Cambridge race“ Except to satisfy tradition, I am sure it is more a test of physical endurance than one of oarsmanship. When he got out of the boat, Hamilton Russell, the Cambridge stroke, said he never wanted to 'take part in the race again. He will no doubt change his mind, but his remark truly expressed his feelings at the time. The very fact that the crews take so long to reach concert pitch indicates how terrific is; the strain they have to bear, and I am sure that every man runs a risk of gravely impairing his constitution. This may be a grandmotherly view to make, but it is a sound one.” Still, the majority of great rowing events the world over have always been contested over long courses, and it is hard to say whether the custom will ever be departed from. Recent American files contain reports of some very fine athletic performances. At Laurence, Kansas, on April 17, Roland Locke, of Nebraska University, won the 100yds in 9 6-10 sec. Locke has been running so consistently that critics regard him as likely to win the 100yds National Championship at Philadelphia next month. A week later, at Des Moines, Locke was timed to do 9 5-10 sec for the “century,” under adverse weather conditions, but having a wind behind him. On the same day, on the other side of the Rockies, at Los Angeles, Charles Paddock equalled the world’s record of 9 6-10 sec for the hundred. A fortnight later, at San Francisco, our recent visitor, Jackson Scholz, was defeated by a foot in the hundred by P. Barber (California University) in 9 5-losec. Here, again, the runners had a slight wind behind them. If the time credited to Locke and Bar ber is accepted it will supplant the. former world’s record of 9 6-10 sec, which was first set up by D. F. Kelly in 1905. It was tied by Howard Drew, the noted negro sprinter, in 1914, then by Charlie Paddock in 1921, Coaite in 1922 and by

Locke himself, as mentioned above. Scholz was timed to do 9 5-10 sec, at Greensboro, North Carolina, short!v before leaving for New Zealand, but the time was not accepted by the Amateur Athletic Union's record committee. The fifth annual South American Athletic championship meeting took place at Montevideo, Uruguay, on April 21. The Argentine representatives scored an easy victory, registering 86 points to Chile’s 44, and Uruguay’s 8. Peru failed to score a point and Brazil was not represented. A radio message received from New York some three weeks ago stated that Charles Hoff, the noted Norwegian pole vaulter, had been “barred from further amateur competitions in Armorica because of his exorbitantly expensive accounts and other irregularities.” Files to hand by the last mail throw some light on the trouble. It seems that the A.A.U. authorities arranged for Hoff to compete at the Pacific Coast Championship meeting on May 1, at San Francisco. On arriving Hoff said that he was stale and out of condition. and asked to be relieved of the engagement. This was refused, whereupon Hoff refused to compete. The A.A.U. was advised and Hoff was in formed . that if he failed to keep the engagement it had been decided to cancel his permit for further competition in the United States. In an interview Hoff expressed his resentment in connection with the statement that he had been padding his expenses account. “This totir is costing us plenty of money,” his companion, Daan, stated, “and a few hundred dollars more or less does not make any difference. Hoff comes from a well-to-do family, and we do not intend to fuss over expense money." When informed that his permit would probably be cancelled, Hoff said: “It means nothing to us. We will go back to Norway.” One writer summed up the matter as follows: —The truth of the matter is that Iloff is probably tired, out and nature has simply asserted herself. And I can feel in sympathy with Hoff. It is true our amateur rules require that negotiations for the services of even a foreign athlete must be conducted through the A.A.U., which is the national governing body. All the same, Hoff has a right to expect a personal invitation to accompany the official communication. He shouldn’t be figured as simply so much of an attraction who has to compete whether he wills or not.

ATHLETICS IN NEW ZEALAND. THE VIEWS OF JACKSON SCHOLZ. Our recent American visitor Jackson V. Scholz is not only a famous athlete, but is a keen observer and has had a fair amount of experience as a newspaper writer of athletics. While in New Zealand he contributed articles on his experiences to a New York paper, and in one of them, forwarded from Christchurch, he wrote as follows: “ I suppose Lloyd Hahn and myself have practically dropped out of sight for the Jast several months, as far as the athletic world is concerned, because I don’t suppose that a great deal of news finds its way from New Zealand to New York. I can assure you, however, that as far as the New Zealand athletic world is concerned we have been more, than active, and athletics for the last couple of months have revolved around us like a whirlpool. . ~

“ Our . itinerary calls for fourteen meets altogether. We have completed ten of .these, and can truthfully say that the high standard of New Zealand sportsmanship has never for an di-

stant been in doubt. We have been received on all occasions with a sin* cere hospitality that has made us prc.tX. to be athletic representatives of thd United States. In every town and city we have been accorded a civic reception, presided over by the Mayor, ancl on several occasions we have been met at the station by the mayor as we got off the train. I mention this to illua* trate the importance attached to ama* eur athletics by the New Zealand people, and it serves also, I believe, afl an indirect expression of gratitude for your kindness in allowing us to mak-fl the trip. “ The Amateur Athletic Association here seems to be attaching a great deal of significance to our visit. We have been told on more than one occasion that we are serving as a much-neodccl stimulus to the athletes and the potential athletes of the country. To all appearances this seems to be true, because the boys here are all extremely keen to learn all we can tell them concerning our methods of training at home, and they take every opportunity of meeting ua and exchanging ideas. “ The athletic material here is excellent, and we have met several men who, I am convinced, with proper training, will be first-class material for the next Olympic Games. This, in itself, is remarkable, considering the comparative youth of this country and the population—about one-fifth that of New York City alone—from which it has to draw. It tends to illustrate clearly, I think, the high standard of living and physical fitness in New Zealand. “ The attendance at all the meets has been unusually good, judging even from our standards at home, and keeping in mind the population of the country. I feel safe in saying that the percentage of the population interested m amateur athletics is far greater here than at home. You will perhaps be surprised to learn that admission here is limited to one shilling, and yet the entire tour was entirely financed through the gate receipts before our itinerary was half completed. “Our competition has been rather # strenuous, particularly so because of all the travelling we have had to do. 1 was fortunate in striking form before Lloyd, which is not surprising considering the differences in our distances. They have no first-class sprinters here, with the result that I have conceded handicaps as high as 14vds in the 100 and 32yds in the 220 I have broken even time on several occasions, and in Gisborne the limit man on 14yds beat me by a couple of inches in. 9 3-5 sec. I have had to do 22 or better in every race to win the 220, which is a fair average, considering that all the tracks arc grass and all run on turns. “ Lloyd, on the other hand, has been up against a stiffer proposition. There is ci man here by the name of Rose, who is the best distance runner New Zealand has ever produced Rose’s real distance is three miles or ever, but he has recently been training for the mile, and has turned in some mighty fast times. They have only met twice. Lloyd winning the first time in IS 3-5 sec and Rose winning the second rac * in 26 4-ssec. There was a heavy wind blowing on the second occasion, which was all in Rose's favour, inasmuch as he is a big, powerful runner. They meet again to-morrow for the third ' time, but if the conditions are fair - Lloyd won't have the least trouble in winning. I’ll hold the letter open till to-morrow.” February 26. “ I gave away llvds in the 100yds yesterday, and won in 9 4-osec. I also won the 220 in 22 fiat around a curve. Rose turned out to be better than I expected, and won from Lloyd in a great race. Lloyd is very evidently not in shape yet, but Rose, nevertheless, is a great runner, and I am convinced is one of the world’s best at a mile or over. I believe his future performances will justify a visit to the United States.