NOTED FIGURE IN ATHLETICS

Wanganui Chronicle, 27 January 1948, Page 4

NOTED FIGURE IN ATHLETICS

MR. G. A. BENSON, WANGANUI. Life Membership recently conferred on Mr. G. A. Benson, of Wanganui, by the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association recalls that he has been associated with amateur athletics in Wanganui for 45 years. Mr. Benson is a former president of the N.Z.A.A.A. and is president of the West Coast (N. 1. of the N.Z.A.A.A. and a life member of the Wanganui Amateur Athletic and Cycling Club. GREATEST RACE EVER ON COOK’S. He has seen in action all the great athletes who have visited the Dominion from the turn of the century, but it remained for the night of Saturday, January 25, 1947, to see the greatest race in New Zealand’s athletic history run on Cook's Gardens, Wanganui, when D. M. Harris, the New Zealander, beat J. Fulton (America) in the 880 yards, clocking Imin. 49 2-ssecs,. only one-fifth of a second outside the world record. Incidentally Mr. Benson was starter of this event. Interviewed at the week-end Mr. Benson recalled the first New Zealand Championship Athletic meeting held on Cook's Gardens in 1898. An outstanding Wanganui athlete at that time, said Mr. Benson, was Arthur Holder, who is now living in Wanganui after some years farming in the King Country. While Holder is but a name to the present generation of athletes, those who were privileged to see him in action still recall his prowess, both on the track and over hurdles, which, in those days were 3ft. Gin. In 1897, at Auckland, Holder won the national titles in 440 hurdles, 250yds. and 440yds, flat events and finished second in the 100 yards. GREAT SPRINTERS. Among great New Zealand sprinters Mr. Benson has seen are Arthur Holder, G. W. Smith (Auckland), who won AU Black honours In 1897, 1901 and 1905, W. Woodger ( Wellington), R. Opie (Canterbury), Henry Martis (Wanganui), G. Davidson (Auckland), A. E. Porritt (Wanganui), Malcolm Leadbeter and D. Parris. Middle distance men who held the spotlight of former years include: W. F. Simpson (Canterbury), H. G. Burk (Otago), G. N. Hill (Auckland), A. W. Dormer (Auckland), Randolph Rose, W Savidan (Auckland), Don Evans (Wanganui), who beat Lermond, the American star on Cook’s Gardens in 1932 and won him selection for the 1932 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, W. E. Darby, C. E. Gibbons, Gordon Bayne, V. P. Boot, W. Pullar and D. M Harris.. Noted overseas sprinters Mr. Benson has seen on the track are Parker (America), Slip Carr (Australia), L. C. Parker (Queensland), Jim Carlton (Australia),' M. "Kirksey (America), Scholtz (America), Simpson (America), Treloar (Australia), J. K. Ayres-Oosterlaak (South Africa), and G. Golding (Australia). Middle distance men include Power (America), Leatheran, Krongness, Greghan (Australia) and Lermond (Amerca). MEMORABLE 100 YARDS. One of the most memorable 100 yards races seen by Mr Benson took place at Athletic Park, Wellington, at the New Zealand Championships in 1923, when M. Kirksey (America) won by inches from Slip Carr (Australia), with A. E. Porrit (Wanganui) third. Porrit was the first New Zealander to the tape and won the national title that year. Porritt, who is an old boy of the Wanganui Collegiate School, came third in the 1924 Olympic Games 100 yards final. He is now a member of the Olympic Games Committee and revisited Wanganui in 1946 and one of the first people he looked up was Mr. Benson. In 1925 when the New Zealand Athletic Championships were held in Wanganui they were attended by the late Mr. Richard Coombes, of Sydney, a world authority on athletics, and he paid a high personal tribute to Mr. Benson’s starting, stating that he had never seen it more eliiciently performed anywhere aboard, which included Olympic gatherings. J. E. LOVELOCK. Representing Otago at the national athletic meeting held on Cook's Gardens, 1930, was J. E. Lovelock, who contested both the 880 and one mile events, but it was Ddn Evans, of Wanganui, who won both those events that year, said Mr. Benson. Lovelock finished in the ruck. Six years later , he was to win world lame at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin. Mentioning all-round athletes, Mr. Benson said that so fa>- as Wanganui is concerned the palm goes to A. J. “Mick” Darby. After 45 years, Mr. Benson still retains the keenest interest in athletics and has attended New Zealand cham pionship meetings continuously for more than 30 years.