ATHLETICS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 74, Issue 140, 16 June 1931, Page 4

ATHLETICS

THE PERFECT STYLIST MIDDLE-DISTANCE CHAMPION. LOWE’S OLYMPIC VICTORIES. I It would perhaps excite opposition it I set down D. G. A. Lowe as the greatest middle-distance runner Great Britain has ever produced, and anyway to ascribe such a position to anyone is invidious, if not pointless; but it is fair to say that he proved himself the most successful, and his dual victory in the 1924 and 1928 Olympic Games is without parallel in the history of that event (writes 11. E. Abrahams, in the Athletic News). Lowe won tho public schools’ halfmile championship in 1920 in comparatively slow time (2min. 6 4-ssecs.), and camo up to Cambridge in 1921, winning the 880 yards for the University against. Oxford in March, 1923. He also won the half-mile in the triangular international in July at Stoke in Imin. 57 l-usecs. A week later he ran the first really great race of his career, when against Yale and Harvard at the Wembley Stadium he returned Imin. 56 3-ssecs. In the Olympic year of 1924 Lowe started by winning both the half and the mile against Oxford at Queen’s Club in March, and was just beaten by H. B. Stallard for tho half-mile A.A.A. championship in Imin. 54 3-ssccs —a time which up to 1924 had only twice been beaten in England. At tho Olympic Games, however. Lowe turned the tables on Stallard and won tho Olympic 800 metres in Imin. 52 2-ssecs., with P. Martin (Switzerland) only a yard away and Stallard fourth. Lowe also ran in the 15,000 metres, finishing fourth. Lowe was not a competitor in the 1925 A.A.A. championships, being away in America with the Oxford and Cambridge team. Ho won two events (tho half and mile) against both Princeton and Cornell and Yale and Harvard, and in the later contest returned Imin. 53 2-ssecs and 4min. 21secs. on the same afternoon —a truly wonderful effort. In 1926, a week before tho A.A.A. championships, Lowe set up a new world’s record for 600yds., returning Imin. 10 2-ssccs., which still stands. A week later came that perfectly wonderful race against Peltzer, when the latter beat the world’s record by returning Imin. 51 3-ssccs. Lowe was less than 3yds. behind. Many people have since expressed the opinion that Lowe did not show good judgment, in that race, but I do not think he could possibly have beaten Peltzer, whatever he had done. A year later, when Lowe had had more experience of quarter-miling, the issue might have ended differently, but in 1926 Lowe had not had sufficient real experience of quarter-miling to himself the superlatively consistent runner he was in 1927 and 1928. In 1927 he won both the 446 and 880 I A.A.A. championships, and hp retained both his titles in 1928. Followed the Olympic Games it Amsterdam and the victory in the 800 metres in Imin. 51 4-ssecs—a new Olympic record. What a race to watch —and what a victory over the world’s best by a full second. Lowe’s last race in England was in tho match against the United States. With a, flying start he returned Imin. 51secs. for the half-mile. Perfect Stylist. As a stylist Lowe was almost perfect. His leg action left nothing to be desir ed, and his body carriage would serve as a perfect model for anyone. His arm action was perhaps nor, (piite Ideal, and he was always a lit*ld 100 conscrous ol an effort to improve It when actually racing. But bis judgment in competition and] his “shoot” when passing an opponent' will live in the memory of those who, have witnessed it —so long as their memory exists.