“NEVER AGAIN”

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 143, 20 June 1939, Page 7

“NEVER AGAIN”

WOODERSON WILL NOT RACE IN U.S.A. WRITERS' CAUSTIC COMMENT ALLEGATION OF JOSTLING (By TelCKHirh—Pic-'. AhHociation -Copyrlsht) Received June 19. 11.50 p.m. NEW YORK. June 19. Wooderson is returning to England on June 23. He declined to compete in the national championships on July 3. "i will never race in the United States again." he declared to-day. "H it hadn't been for that bumping which threw m- off my stride, I would have won the race. I was feeling fine and waiting for the final straightway to uncover my finishing run. Remember that the rules requre two yards of racing room." Wooderson will possibly get a chance for his revenge at White City in August, as an American team is going to the Continent shortly. The American Press agrees that Rideout and Wooderson were shoulder to shoulder at the turn, but some contend that the Englishman merely misjudged his step. The New York Herald-Tribune comments in an editorial: "It is the exception when an English athlete lives up to advance publicity. We are not very good at fencing, driving automobiles around sharp turns or tossing flags in the air, but for the most part our track and field individuals, swimmers, rowers, polo ployers, goiters, tennis players and prizefighters are a bit better than the best of the rest of the world. We feel our guest can do better when he is less frightened, when the weather is cooler or if he isn't humped at the last turn, but Saturday's race was properly Fenske's, with Wooderson last.” . , The athletics writer ol the New York Times says that Wooderson could not have won. He played into the hands of the Americans by setting the pace for all but the last 220 yards. The Times quotes an unidentified competitor as saying that he saw Rideout a foot ahead at the bend and I Wooderson run into him. I Jack Miley, writing in the New York Post observes: "The English don't need any help in defeating themselves. They have got what it takes to wind up as losers. The British polo team was beaten in two straight games in ignominious fashion which is as it should be. as the English play popo as they do everything else—sitting down." “All runners bear wide when they feel someone sprinting up to pass them" says the athletics writer of the Daily'News. "A European beat Hill in 'the Los Angeles Olympic Games with the same finish. The American did not holler foil., be a champion one runs with the head as well as the feet. Writing for the Daily Mirror Considine says_: 'There '_ hasn't been a first-class mile in y •>'’ that did not have a ccrtam amount of elbowing and "Gangway, buddy, it It is unfortunate that it should have happened to Wooderson, whose appearance British writers invested with as much unfair importance as the German journalists heaped on Schmeling's second bout with Louis. Our milers are too self-centred to have 'ganged' on Wooderson. 3 here isn’t, one of them who would spike ni-s mother if the old lady got in the way of his winning."