Great Athletes In Action At Stamford Bridge.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18544, 18 August 1928, Page 7

Great Athletes In Action At Stamford Bridge.

DOMINIONS’ REPRESENTATIVES COMPETE IN BRITISH CHAMPIONSHIPS.

Written for the "Star” fcv H. F. AULT. (Three-mile Canterbury Champion in 1924.) . r . ; LONDON. August 16. It is a thriiling experience to go to Stamford Bridge for the first time, and take a seat amid the thousands upon thousands that throng the embankments and grandstands to see the British amateur championships. It is still more thrilling to see the world's greatest athletes in action. I remember the words of a philosopher who said: “It is not the prize but the race that counts ...” It is certainly so here. Here are men who have been training for months, and are meeting for their final clash before Britain selects her final team for the Olympic Games at Amsterdam. And yet—it is the men from the dominions and colonies, and the men from Germany, who appear most prominently in these annual amateur athletic sports. I felt a thrill of pride as the fine young New Zealander, S. A. Lay, threw the javelin 222 ft 9in, establishing a new -world’s record. Ilis performance beat that of Weightman Smith (Cambridge) by nearly 20 feet. Seeing Lord Burghley for the first time was disappointing. lie lost the first place in the semi-final heat of the 320 hurdles by carelessly slowing up at the finish, and ran third in the final, which was won by Atkinson, of South Africa, who defeated Gaby, the bolder, in the magnificent time, of 14 7-10 secs. Weightman Smith, who looked like winning, fell at the second to last hurdle. The time was a British record, the previous best performance being 14 4-ssec, by K. J. Thompson, of Canada (who holds the world’s record of 14 2-ssec), and Lord Burghley. But Lord Burghley showed his true colours in the 440 hurdles, which he won in the amazing time of 54sec, breaking the existing world's record — that record, however, has since been beaten in America by an athlete who covered the distance in 52 3-ssec! D. G. A. Lowe showed wonderful form in the-half-mile championship, in which he defeated Englehart (Germany) in lmin 56 3-ssec, the first

quarter faking 60 4-osec. Dr O. Peltzer, who holds the world's half-mile championship, did compete in this event, and was unexpectedly beaten out of a place in the mile heats. • C. E. G. Green, who won .his heat in the halfmile in lmin 58 2-ssec, and 0. R. Griffiths, who annexed his in lmin 57 4-ssec, were unplaced in the final. The mile went to C. Ellis in 4min 20 4-ssec, with R. 11., Thomas second. and W.* M. Whyte (of the Australian Olympic team) third. The quarter-mile was won by* D. G. A.

Lowe, who defeated Rinkel in 50sec dead. Lowe, however, will not run in the 400 metres at the Olympia, startingonly in the 800 metres, .and in the re-, llav race. In the sprints, England was still less fortunate. At the Stamford Bridge championships Legg (South Africa) unexpectedly beat Kornig (Germany), the holder, and Wickman (Germany) in 9 9-10 sec. J. E. London (the African), who has been doing -wonderful things lately in this event, and who won one of his heats in 9 9-10 sec. was beaten out. cf place. Rongelv (England) also did not receive a place, although he had done even time in his heats. In the. 220yds, Wickman (Germany) was first, Kornig . (Germany) second and Rongelv (England) third, and Houben (Germany) fourth. The time was 21 7-10 sec. The Germans won the relay race. The two miles steeplechase proved an easy win for -J. E. Webster, who won it for the fourth successive time. Unfortunately, he is not eligible for the Olympic Games. The four miles was won by W. . Bearers (Northern champion), who defeated A. T. Muggridge (Sussex champion) by two yards in the splendid time of 19inih 41 3-osec. F. Light was third.

The putting, the weight performance was won by a Frenchman, Duhour (24), with R. S. Woods (University) second and H. Hart, the South African champion, third. Ilart won the decathlon. The long jump went to de Boer, who jumped 24ft 2fin. The holder, Dobermann . (Germany) was second, with a jump of 23ft Giin. The high jump went to the Frenchman, C. Meynard (6ft 3in), with van Geyzel (England) second (6ft 2in). ‘ A glance at these results will show the poverty of the English in the sprints and fields events. New Zealand has- reason to be proud of her representative, S. Lay, who seems the likely Olympic champion in the javelin throw. Germany seems very strong in sprinters this year. No one is representing Great Britain in the discus, javelin or hop, step and jump at the Olympiad and it is generally expected that there is not the remotest chance in the long jump, pole jump, hammer, weight and decathlon. Four British athletes are selected for the high jump—Van Gevzel, G. Turner, C. E. S. Gordon and a schoolboy, 11. A. Simmcnds. No. fewer than fifty-seven men will represent Great Britain at the games in athletes,- and it can be safely said that no worthy person has been omitted. The American team consists of eighty-three men. It is said that two men who can long jump over 24ft, three or four who can put the weight 48ft and two hurdlers who have done 14 4-ssec cannot even find a place in the team! Scholz, who visited New Zealand with - Hahn - two years ago, will again be competing, but Abrahams and Liddell, the English sprinters, have taken their place with Dr A. E. Porritt as men who have relinquished the strenuousness of Olympia. South Africa seems well represented with good men, but the Australian team has done nothing, in England so far. Carlton has been unsuccessful.