GENERAL ATHLETICS.

Waikato Times, Volume 94, Issue 14820, 7 December 1921, Page 9

GENERAL ATHLETICS.

(By "The Scout.") { The second, game of the world's chess championship al Havana lias ended in another draw after 40 moves. There is a proposal on fool to shift the venue to Sydney, and give the barrackers a chance. The Christchureh Amateur Centre has decided that no athlete who lias not, trained to the satisfaction of the selection committee will be nominated by the centre to compete in the NewZealand Championships at Lancaster Park on December 9 and 10. The New York State Athletic Commission, which has control of wrestling, has issued an edict which bars three big holds in wrestling as used by S. Zbyszko, who relies upon the toe hold; Joe Stechner, the scissors merchant; and Strangler Lewis, who uses the headlock to win matches. These were thrilling holds, says an American sporting writer, and, without them, wrestling will lose much of its drawing power. In this year's Timaru-Christchurch road race the Christchurch rider, P. O'Shea, who finished third, also secured the fastest time. This is the fourth occasiop on which O'Shea has secured fastest time, while he was first on two occasions. He has also secured the fastest time in the Mel-bourne-Warrnambool road race of 165 miles, his time being Bhr. 8 min. No one had a greater fund of amusing anecdotes than the late Lord Charles Beresford, and some of his best were about Irishmen. One concerned a certam son of Erin, who described his first, day's shooting in the following very Hibernian way:—"The first bird I ever shot," he said, "was a squirrel, and the first time I hit him I missed him altogether, and the next time I hit him I hit him in the same place. After that, I took a stone and dropped him from the tree, and he fell into the water and was drowned, and that was the first bird I ever shot." Arthur Saxon, whose obituary paragraphs have filled a column or so of leading sporting papers at Home, made the present world's record in weight-lifting— 3711 b. He had many great lifts to his credit, particularly his two-hand anyhow lift of 4481 b. He bent-pressed 3361 b with one hand, and wilh the other raised a kettleweight of 1121 b, holding the two aloft. One of his star turns was the huge support lift of a plank placed on the feet, with 16 men seated on it; then a barbell weighing 1501 b placed in the hands, with his two brothers, weighing approximately 12.0 each, seated on it —the whole structure weighing considerably over a ton. Saxon never, visited ,Australia, but he gave exhibitions in nearly even,' other country. His height was sft lOin, and his weight 14.4. His challenge to meet any man in the world aj, feats of strength remained unaccepted. Recent attempts to swim the English Qhannel revise the memory of Captain Webb, who, 46 years ago, set out on his successful crossing. In 21] hours he swam 50 miles between England and Prance. His refreshment consisted of coffee, ale, brandy, cod liver oil, and beef tea—in separate doses. After several hours' swimming, the captain was stung on the shoulder by a jellyfish, and exhaustion almost overcame him in the rough seas that for some hours baffled his efforts to lsnd. An attempt made by him about a fortnight before proved a failure.

The South African Team. The team of South African athletes, which is to' tour Australia and New Zealand, will reach Adelaide on December 23, and after competing at the Australasian championships will come across to New Zealand. The cyclists will remain in Australia while ;he Dominion tour is being undertaken by the others. There is every prospect of seeing these Olympic champions in Hamilton in early New Year. The performances of the members of the team are:. J. K. Ayres-Oosterlaak.—Was a member of the 1920 S.A. Olympic team, and also a member of the British Empire team against America. He is the present holder of the 100, 220, and 4-40 Transvaal championships and the 100 yards S.A. championship. Since returning from the Games, Ooslcrlask has been credited with and recorded with 100 yards in 9 4-ssec, and 220 yards in 22sec. Owing to an accident sustained while in Capetown Oosterlask could not compete in the quarter-mile. In the Transvaal championship Oosterlask was given i 9 l-ssec. for the quarter, but two official watches and two unofficial timepieces recorded it as being 48 4-ssec. The chief timekeeper made it 49 1-5 sec, and this was accepted. J. W. Bukes,— Was a member of the 1920 S.A. Olympic team, and is the exSouth African 100 and 200yds champion. He lost his title this year to Oosterlaak, and ran second in both the 100 and 220 yards championships. On several occasions this year Bukes has clocked'lOsec for the 100, and on one occasion did 9 4-ssec, for which he has been officially credited. Bukes also did 22sec for the 220 yards. He is a powerful runner, and a typical fighter. 11. P. Kinsman.—This runner is the youngest member of the team, and is Hip "surprise" packet. He was unknown a few months ago, but on his first outing won the 100 yards Natal championship, and capped his performance by winning the 22 yards S.A. championship in 22 l-sseo on a very dead and bad track. Mick Terry, the Australian professional, had this boy in hand, and to use his own words, is of the opinion this boy will he the finest sprinter S.A. has yet produced. D. A. R. Leathern.—The present holder-of (he half and one mile Natal and S.A. championships. He won the half-mile in Nata] in Imin. -58 4-ssec, and the mile in 4min. 37soc. —both on the same day—and the; half-mile in 2min. 2 3-ssec, and mile in 4.36-—the track being extremely bad, and militating against fast times. Leathern is a fine type of middle-distance runner. and will, it is expected, be the best performer over these distances S.A. has yet sent out of the country. He has not yet been thoroughly extended, and on the occasion of the'recent S.A. championship, he beat the holdier with apparent ease. Leathern is also a fin'" 000 yards runner, and will perform well over any distance from the 600 to the mile. R. Johnston.—The second middle distance runner is perhaps the most versatile runner in the team. He runs partioularjy well any dislanees inclusive from the 220yarris to the 880 yards. Johnston recently ran I tin .",00 yards in a shade outside Til sec, and will attempt any distance /or record over the 300 lo 600 >nrds. I In will also be the 880 yards runner with Leathern. O. R. Thursfield (cyclist).—Essentially for the sprint events on the track—quarter, half and mile—bat will compete in five miles and 'io miles events with Kaltenbrun, who is the stayer. Thursfield has put up some wonderful performances since returning from the Olympic Games, and out of 19 scratch events he has ridden\ in during the past eight months he has won 13, second in five, and third In one. This on all occasions against the pick Of the Soufh African cyclists. Twice, durum May of this

year Thurefleld was officially recorded with riding the quarter-mile—stand-ing start—in 29sec. Thursfield is the present holder of the quarter and five miles Transvaal championships, and second in the half and one-mile. He did not compete in the South African championships. H. Kaltenbrun. —This rider is the most phenomenal performer South Africa has ever produced. He is a magnificent distance rider, as will be evidenced by his performances whilst in England, when attending the 1920 Olympic Games. In |he 100 miles race at Antwerp he won the event, but was subsequently placed second by the officials. The whole of the sporting world knows the circumstances Of the case, and they need not be referred to. Kaltenbrun is undoubtedly the finest distance rider of this country, but he astonished his followers and the public by entering in the track championships in the Transvaal. He won the mile and 10 miles, and then proceeded to Capetown where he won every cycling championship from the quarter-mile to the 10 miles. Such a performance has never been recorded before in South Africa, if in any other country where there are class cyclists.

BOXING. (By "Left Lead." Carl Calloway and George Thomas, the welter-weights, will meet at Watiganui on December 17. Charlie Cann (Wanganui) find Harry Gunn (Timaru) will meet al Stratford on January 2 for the New Zealand banlam professional title. Gunn is the champion, and his opponent the exchampion of the division. The French Boxing Federation, as a result of its inquiries into the Balzao"Batlling Siki match, has disqualified Balzac for "unjustified abandonment." He is deprived of his title of champion of France and of Europe, and suspended for three months. A competition will be. held to decide the championship of France on the expiry of his period of disqualification, says Router. Balzac will have priority as regards a match with Ihe new champion. In connection with the foregoing, it should be stated that Balzac had no European champions-hip to lose. Ous Plaits, of Sheffield, deprived the Frenchman of that title, and subsequently lost it to Johnny Basham. The Frenchman was in Australia eight years ago. Eugene Crirjui made short work of Grassi at Paris in the contest for the featherweight championship of France. Criqui fhokier) floored Grassi a few seconds after the start, and repealed the performance twice in quick succession. Half-way through the. first round Grassi was counted out anil taken senseless to his comer. This Is the sixth meeting of those two boxers, and each, time since the first contest, which was a draw. Criqui has proved the winner. Always a hard puncher, he seems to have developed in hitting power by his Australian tour, in which he put up quite a string of knock-out victories, three of his victims beins Vince Blackburn, Jack Gr6en, and Ben Spar go. The curious spirit of the crowd which compels us to develop an interest in something which we should otherwise avoid is no doubt responsible for the pripantic growth of gate money. It has all happened within the last 15 years. Twenty years ago. when Corbel t. heal, Sullivan, the modest purse of £SOOO was thought to he colossal. Before that time the- world's best.

boxers wore content to batter each 1 other for anything from £lO to a couple of hundred. Sullivan himseif only drew £lO for defeating Steve Taylor, and he was then said to have been at his best. Old fighting chroniclers record with wonder the "enormous" stake-money of £2O0 —the first authentic record—in the contest in 1750 between Jack Broughton and Jack Slack. That, however, was too good to last, and Slack had to be content with half, the money in his later battles. World's champion Jack Dempsey, in a recent interview: "Ever since 1 whipped Willard in Toleda, the Ms fellow has been asking for another chance. He can have it —I'm willing. He thinks he was whipped by accident, or something else that was fluky. He figures he can turn the tables next time. I know that if there's one bird in all the world that I can 'take' without much trouble, it's that same Witlard. So he can start, operations against me any lime that a promoter ; says the word. I've whipped Bill Bren- j nan twice with knockout wallops. No . use discussing Frank Moran—he's far j past his prime. They tell me Bob I Martin, champion of the A.E.F., who j has been doing so great work since I he turned pro., is working along with ! the idea of taking me on some day. Whenever he's ready, I am,» too. I'm not overlooking Tommy Gibhons. ! There's a boy who has been doing some wonderful things within the last year. His accomplishments in the way of knockouts—ls in a row—is about the best record any fighter in recent times has written into the records, l imagine Tommy will be waiting a chance at me soon. His handlers think he's a little too light, now. When Tommy's ready he'll find me in a similar mood." Said .lack Dempsey recently: "Whether I ever fight a negro, espcci- j ally Wills, depends largely upon the I public. I haven't drawn the colour- I line. Wills is reckoned by many to be a wonder of wonders. I'll admit he's big—and that he can hit; but, J think I can take him in a hurry if ever we gel together. He's too slow and too awkward to be dangerous on the offence. And if I can drive a few home to that bulky body of his, I guesfc the danger of a negro again holding the heavyweight championship will be at an end. Chuck Wiggins, of Indianapolis, cleverly out-pointed the old master, Mike Gibbons, of St. Paul, says the Grand Rapids (U.S.A.) Herald, in the Olympic Club's las! show of the winter season in the Armory in 10 of the fastest, and most interesting rounds / ever fought in a Grand Bapids ring. | There Avas not a dull moment, in the entire contest, and the roferoe was not once forced to step in between Hie men.