PARKER JOINS UP WITH PRO. RUNNERS

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18380, 4 February 1928, Page 7

PARKER JOINS UP WITH PRO. RUNNERS

QUEENSLAND CRACK WILL MEET BANNER. WORLD TITLE SERIES BEGINS MONDAY NIGHT. (Written for the "Star" by W.R.K.i L. C* Parker, the crack Queensland

amateur runner, who toured New Zealand with distinction in company with Norman Grehan and two cyclists two seasons ago, has foral champio n saken amateur ranks for professional pedestrianism. His chief object is to meet Tim Banner, professionsprinter of the world, in a series

of events over 75yds, 100yds, 130yds and 220yds. The decision of Parker comes as a great surprise to followers of the amateur sport in New Zealand. He was a fine runner and one who preferred honour, glory and medals to hard cash. His performances while on this side of the Tasman in the 1925-26 running season drew favourable comment from New Zealand athletic critics, and the tour was a most successful one. As recently as the Australian and New Zealand championship games, held in Wellington on Boxing Day, Parker ran a great hundred to dead heat with the Canterbury crack, Malcolm Lc.adbettcr, four feet behind Jimmy Carlton, the Sydney wonder runner, in 10 l-ssec. He won the sprint title in the two previous years of the games, while he holds in conjunction with Leadbetter, Jackson Scholtz and others the New Zealand and Australian record of 9 4-ssec for the distance. Can Parker Beat Banner? The question, now that Parker has forsaken his amateur status, is, can he beat Banner, undoubtedly the finest professional sprinter of this generation? '■ This is what he will have to face if Banner runs right up to his very best form. The present title holder has covered 100 yards in three yards better than evens. 130vds in 9.lyds under evens, 110yds in lOasec, while late last season he covered 220yds in 22sec. These are grea*t performances and rank Banner as a brilliant runner, and Parker will have to go faster than ever be has gone before to beat the Sydneysider.

The promoters of the championship carnival, which commences on Monday evening at the Melbourne stadium, tried unsuccessfully to persuade Charlie Paddock, the crack American amateur, to enter the lists but he could not be tempted, possibly on account of his chances of a trip to Amsterdam in the big Yankee team at the end of the year. Not Starters. Pat Chester, who was runner-up to Banner at Glasgow in the world’s championship in September, 1926, and C. J. Brittee, champion of Scotland, were written to and tentative arrangements were entered into whereby they would make the trip. In spite of the fact that they were offered return fares and expenses to meet Banner, they refrained from making the trip. Nominations were then called and Don M’Lennan, the Canterbury crack, and probably the most brilliant sprinter the Dominion has ever seen, entered the ranks of the elect with a fervent hope that he would be able to regain his wonderful form of the Dunedin Exhibition year. M’Lennan was not pleased with his efforts and he resolved to stay at home.

Class Runner Absent. Thus Melbourne Carnivals. Ltd., is left with no outside attractions in the way of reputed international cracks to challenge Banner. W. Darby and C. K. Yeatman were invited, but by no stretch of the imagination could they be truly called rerepresentative of the Dominion’s best professional sprinters. Yeatman has made a gallant attempt to.come back this year, and although he has been running well, lie has never at any stage touched world's championship class. Darby is an unknown quantity this year, and in any case would be out of his class against Banner and Parker. Other entrants are Tom Miles (Queensland) who won the Stawell Jubilee Gift), Jack Curran (Victoria* and “Mick” McCarthy (New South Wales), who finished second and third respectively to Banner in the Australian sprint championship at Horsham two years ago. Then there are men like E. E. Goode (New South Wales), L. Stevens (Queensland), third in the Stawell Gift, F. H. White (South Australia), “Bob” Gardiner (Tasmania), and C. J. Milliner (Queensland). Is there a runner in this list to beat Banner? With the exception of Parker, who should shine over the 100 and 130 yards events, there is no one. These two runners should be in one of the four championship places right through

the series of events, and Banner should collect enough points on the seven for first, four for second, two for third and one for fourth basis to win just as easily as he did in Scotland eighteen months ago. M’Lennan's Chance. Had Don M’Lennan been his old self Banner would have known he had been racing over all the distances except the 220. An English athletic enthusiast who saw M’Lennan running at the Dunedin Exhibition and who saw Banner win the world’s title in Scotland, told the writer that the New Zealand crack would beat Banner over the 75 and 100, but that he would have some difficult}*- over the 130 and 220 courses. It is a pity the Christchurch man could not compete, but he is young and in the next two years he may have his chance. If the North Canterbury Cycling and Athletic Union would like to give the English Park devotees something thrilling, they should leave no stone unturned in arranging for Banner to compete at the New Zealand championships next rear.