ATHLETICS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 66, 18 March 1936, Page 4

ATHLETICS

■By

" MERCURY.”

Many enthusiasts will bt disappointed because the open electric light sports meeting to have been held at Cook’s Gardens to-night by the Wauganui Amateur Athletic and Cycling Club has been postponed. After consideration the club decided to cancel the fixture on account of the chilly events prevailing and the uncertainty of the weather. Three members of the Wanganui Clulb journeyed to Par kino on Saturday afternoon to compete in the athletic events. lu the 220 yards handicap L. Burgess was first, with Stephenson second. Stephenson won the 100 yards with Burgess second. Burgess was first in the broad jump, and was placed second in the high jump. He jumped sft. 3in., but wa® beaten for first place by G. Pukehika, to whom he conceded a handicap of four inches. The Wellington team exceeded all expectations on Saturday when it drew with Canterbury in the inter-association athletic contest at the Basin Reserve. Conditions were not conducive to fast running as there was a strong northerly wind, but many fast times were recorded. The most exciting race of the afternoon was the mile in which A. R. Wilson was pitted against V. P. Boot, the national 'champion, to whom he ran second at Dunedin. Boot appeared to be the winner in the last lap, but Wilson came to the front down the straight and won a desperate struggle in the last stride. The time for the race was 4min. 25sec. • * • ¥ Boot has a fine springy stride, and good chest and shoulder development, and is obviously a runner of the first water. He used a stop watch, snapping it at the end of each lap. h s times being 64 4-ssec., 66 3-sscc., 72 3-ssoc., 61sec. The last figure gives some conception of how solid was the pace over the final Wilson has run exceptionally well throughout the season in Wellington and his performance

on Saturday suggested that he may have been a little unlucky in Dunedin where he d’d not receive a clear passage over the concluding stages. Both athletes were accorded an ovation for their fine contest. One of the best performances of the day was that by J. Phillips, who won the 220 yards low hurdles comfortably from E. Newburgh, who was going so well at the national meeting when he fell at the last hurdle. J. D. Nelligan, the other Canterbury representative, fell when coming into the straight. He had a slight lead at the time hut it is doubtful if he could have defeated Phillips. The 440 yards went to the former New Zealand champion and record-holder, A. T. Anderson, who won from the present title-holder Nelligan. fn this event Phillips injured his ankle at the test hurdle and withdrew.* « • * ♦ M. V. Blake, the Now Zealand champion, gave a fine performance in the pole vault, clearing II feet 3 inches, but one and a-half inches outside the national record. Had the conditions been favourable he might have exceeded it. W. J. Fitzsimmons secure d a splcnd.id double in winning the ICO yards from W. D. Redpath, and the furlong from J. B. MacFarlane, a former national champion. TTp jumped to the f ont at the gun and was never headed. The local man has probably never showed better form. • • • • The 440 yarns went to R. McUaskey, of Canterbury, who just got home from E. Clarke, and P. Phillips in an exciting finish. Ten yards from the tape. Phillips was just shading his opponent and looked the winner, but he faded badly. T. G. Broadway, former New Zealand quarter-milc and half-mile champion, did not experience any difiicul'ty in defeating W. Ogg by five yards in the 880 yards, but. nevertheless he did not seem the great runner he was in 1934, prior to his trip to the Empire Games. There appeared to be something missing.

Starting on August 1 from the original scene of the Gaines at Olympia, the first group out of 3069 runners carrying flaming torches will start on a 2000 mil-os’ race. over the plains, rivers and mountains of seven countries to Berlin, where the last relay will light the Olympic fire of the eleventh Olympic Games, writes a London correspondent. ’Pho first torch will bo lit by the rays of the sun through a burning glass. Thus the light of ancient Greece will be brought ®ymboli•oally to th M centre of modern Europe, over which the war clouds hang so darkly. Germany, as host of the world, is doing her best to make the Games a success. She has already spent two millions on the immense “rcichsportfcldt” and Olympic Village outside her capital. As the finishing touches are put to the colossal stadiums, swimming pools and training fields, it is revealed that nothing has been spared to provide facilities for both competitors and spectators on a scale of unparalleled magnificence.

China has decided to send SO competitors with 20 attendants to the Game® of the Xlth. Olympiad in Berlin. The authorities have ailotte'l a sum of 172,000 Mexican dollars for this purpose. As at present planned, the Chinese competitors will sail from Shanghai in June. They will take part in seven branches of spo:t —foot-ball, field and track athletics, basketball, weight-lifting, swimming, boxing, and the marathon run. On the second Saturday of the amaieur athletic championships of Victoria Howard Yates (Victoria), and T. E. Hampson (New South Wales), deadheated in the 220 yards final in time that equalled Yates’ Australian record of 21|s0e. Ray Moffatt (Melbourne) finished two yards behind Yates and

Hampson. These three athletes now share the honours, for Aloffatt holds the Australian and national 220 yards and 200 metres titles, and the Victorian 100 yards title, Hampson, te National Games and Australian 100 yards, and Y’ates the two quarter-mile titles. Now Hampson and Y’ates will share the Victorian 220 yards title and Australian; record. One of the finest performances of Che season was registered at the weekly points the Otahuhu Club. Running from scratch in the 880 yards handicap for the Mclver Cup, A. Bellingham, by far the .most consistent perfomer in Auckland this year, defeated a large field to win comfortably in the fast time of Imin. 58sec. These figures, recorded on a tra’ek which is only 350 yards round, represent firstclass running an-d place Bellingham in championship class. Very seldom is Imin. 59sec. broken by an Aueklandc, i the last occasion being at. the 1935 provincial championship meeting, when L. JI. Johnston recorded Imin. 58 2-s<ec, How different from our moder a methods of resuscitation were those employed 100 years ago! A Miss Baldry, Royal Life Saving Society representative of Berkhamstead (Eng.), has discovered a most interesting book entitled “Cottage Comforts,’* published in 1834, and among its many cures and treatments is one for the apparently drowned. It suggests that the bod’, when taken from the water, should be, if one is near, taken into a public house, and the wet clothing remove'!. “The body must then be thoroughly dried by vigorous rubbing with dry cloths, then wrapped in a blanket. Having placed the body on a bed or mattress made hot with a warming pan, rub it diligently with warm cloths or flannels, all over, but especially the belly, chest and arms.” After this operation it is advised to place the body in a warm bath of water, brewer's grains, sand, ashes or any other warming material. While these operations are going on. the pipe of a pair of bellows should be applied to one nostril, the other and the mouth to be tightly closed. “Now blow gently until the breast be a little ra : sed, then let. the mouth be left free and an easy pressure be made on the chest. This imitation of breathing should be kept up for a,® long as four hours if necessary. If bellows are not at hand, blow in the same manner with your breath through a quill, a reed, a small pipe, or a piece of stiff paper shaped like a. small funnel. When breathing begins, touch the inside of the nostrils with a feather dipped in spirits of hartshorn or sharp mustard, or blow some pepper or snuff into them.” These methods would be somewhat hard to carry out on some of our beaches on big days when life-savers are kent busy. * • * • Revenue from the Australian National Games held in January barely covered expenditure, but because of the guarantee from the Centenary Council, the Olympic Federation will receive £4OO from South Australia towards sending an Australian team to Berlin for the 1936 Olympiad. This position is revealed in the report of the garner organiser and secretary (Mr. W. E. Mackay), which will be presented at the final meeting of the 1936 National Games Council. The unusual circumstances which followed the death of King George are blamed for this di.®-' appointing return. The, report states that cancellations of some fixtures and altered arrangements consequent upon. Royal death, apart from the loss of public patronage, meant a. loss of £l6O to the games funds. According to tho report, the psychological reaction of the King’s death on the public resulted in an attendance at the opening ceremony of only 50 per cent, of that which might reasonably have been expected, in normal circumstances. x * • ♦ Appreciation of the enthusiasm and services of P. Munro, well-known New Zealand shot put, discus throw and javelin throw performer, was expressed at a meeting of the Wellington Centre o fthe New Zealand Amateur Athletia Association last week, when a letter from Mr. Munro waa read, giving his reasons for not being available to represent Wellington at the New Zealand championships. Mr. Munro also gave notice of his retirement from active athletics, though he wished to remain, a member of the Wellington A.A.C. It was decided to write to Mr. Munro, expressing the centre’s appreciation of his services, and to invite him to help with the coaching of field athletes. It; was also suggested that Mr. Munro might be appointed a judge of field athletics. “He has been a tower ofl strength to us over many yearr, ” emd the chairman, Mr. H. Rose. * * * • , Mrs. Esther Raven, mother of two schoolboy sons, won the Olympiades A.C.’s three miles women's cross-country championship for the third successive year at Wimbledon. Holder of the Southern Counties’ women’s title, Mrs. Raven covered the heavy course in 20rnin. 50sec., an improvement of 33sec. on her own club record for the event. She led all the way and won by over 2min. from Mies L. .Smith. * * * * F. A. R. Hunter, the British Rmplrfl Games 440 yards hurdles champion, recently won this event in the Indian athletic championships which were held, in England as Indian Olympic trials. His time of 58 8-10 sec. equalled the Indian record.

Tn the telegraphed announcement giving the names of the Canterbury nominees for the Olympic Games it was mentioned that G. R. Giles, winner of all the National cycling titles, would probably be second choice, ahead of V. P. Boot, the half and mile athletic champion. A perusal of the best times returned in the kilometre sprint event at the Los Angeles Olympic Games reveals that Giles’ winning effort at Wanganui bettered Van Esmond's time by l-10sec. Twelve seconds is very rarely reached b yeven the best Continental amateurs, so it must be conceded that Giles is fully up to international standard. It is understood that this year’s Olympic team will be domiciled in England for at least six weeks prior to the opening of the Games. The English track season usually commences in June, and if Giles were accorded the opportunity of six weeks’ hard training and racing with the best British amateurs it is certain that he would reach Berlin in peak form.