TWO RECORDS BROKEN AT N Z. JUNIOR ATHLETIC CHAMPS

Wanganui Chronicle, 10 March 1947, Page 7

TWO RECORDS BROKEN AT N Z. JUNIOR ATHLETIC CHAMPS

(P.A.) Wellington, March 7 Two records were broken—the mile and the 220 yards hurdles—when six championship events and heats oi several others were decided on the first day of the New Zealand junior and women’s amateur athletic championships at ‘Athletic Park to-day. Conditions were periect, the track very fast. The sensation of the meeting was the brilliant performance ol all three placed runners in the mile, won by N. Bates (West Coast, North Island) by inches from G. W. Hoskins (Auckland) in 4min. 22 S-Ssec, This clipped 6 3-ssec. of the previous record. It was also only 2sec. slower than W. H. Nelson’s winning time m the senior national championships at Auckland. The other new record, 25 3-ssec. in, the 220 yards hurdles, was established by D. G. Steward (Auckland). In the same event, L. R. Smith (Wellington) equalled the previous record of 26sec. held jointly by A. R. P. Eustace and Steward. Much of the credit for the last time in the rrfle was due to M. Maddison (Hawke’s Bay-Poverty Bay), who set a strong pace and led the field till about 200 yards from home. At this stage Bates moved up quickly. Had Hoskins trailed Bates the result might have been different, but the Aucklander did not unwind his run till about 150 yards from the tapes. Steward appeared a class above most ot the contestants in the 220 yards hurdles in winning his heat in record time. He cleared right away from his opponents. His strongest test in the final should come from L. R. Smith (Wellington), who equalled the previous record.

SWISS PRODUCER’S NEW VENTURE With two hit pictures to his credit, Lazar Wechsler, the Swiss producer of “The Last Chance” and “MarieLouise,” is now preparing to establish his own film producing company in America. The productions will be financed by a public stock issue, the major portion of which has already been subscribed to by Swiss commercial interests. “The Last Chance,” which won a great deal of attention at the International Film Festival at Cannes, and which is being distributed by M-G-M, will be screened in Dunedin shortly as part of the “film repertory fortnight” jointly arranged by the Dunedin Film Institute and the distributing agencies. Wechsler’s first American production, a s yet untitled, is described as “purely American in theme,” and stems from impressions gathered by Mr. Wechsler on an automoblie trip from New York to Hollywood.