NEW ZEALAND ATHLETES

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXIX, Issue IX, 30 August 1902, Page 533

NEW ZEALAND ATHLETES

CLOSING PERFORMANCES IN ENGLAND. (From Our Special Correspondent.) LONDON, July 18. To cast doubts on the correctness of the timing when G. W. Smith ran 120 yards over hurdles in 15 1-5 would be, of course, to bring down on my devoted head a shower of angry remonstrance, but without aspersing the watches or watchholdcrs on the occasion in question I may at least be permitted to say that Mr Smith has never exhibited any form at Home that would lead us to believe in his ability to live with the American wonder, Kraenzlln. Our climate, of course, tells on importations from Australasia more than on those from the States, and Smith’s failure to reproduce his best Antipodean form or get anywhere near it is doubtless due to this factor. People are now saying that he was lucky to gain the championship, even though he did 16 dead vithout being hard pressed. This is simply because he failed at Birmingham last Saturday to give three yards to the American, S. S. Jones, in the 120 hurdles. Smith, owing 16 yards, won his heat comfortably in 18sec, and in the final had to meet Jones (owes 13), E. \V. Gould of Newport (owes 13), and A. Trafford, Birmingham A. r C. (owes 14). Jones never gave Smith a look-in, and won in handsome style by four yards in 17 l-ssec from the New Zealander, who beat Trafford a yard and a-half for second honours. On this showing Jones should be good enough to do 15 3-5 for the 120 yards at his best. That he was in form at the championship meeting Jones’s high jump of 6ft Sin showed.

Smith afterwards turned out for the Quarter-mile hurdle race and qualified for the final by running second in heat 1 to €*. McLachlan of the Herne Hill Harriers, to whom he was giving 16 yards. In the final these two were opposed by G. W. Orton, Radnor, 17 yards; and T. Paddison, Harborne Harriers, 17 yards. From the start it appeared certain that Smith could not give 16 yards to McLachlan, but he made a grand effort and got within w yards of his man, who won in dashing style in 56 4-ssec, the New Zealander doing 57 4-ssec, and beating Orton three yards for second honours. Smith came in for a splendid reception from the crowd, who greatly admired the vigorous fashion in which he ran his stern chase right through to the tape

W. F. Simpson was also competing, and chose the mile for his effort. He was virtual scratch at the 50 yards mark in a field over 50 strong, and for three laps made but little impression on his field. In the last quarter, however, he got well among his men, and an electric sprint in the last hundred carried him fifth past the post, T. Poole of Small Heath (142 yards) winning a desperate race from C. Bullock of the same club (178 yards) by a yard, barely two feet separating the latter from Mills of Harborne Heath (142 yards), who was barely a yard in front of Simpson, several others finishing in a bunch. The winner’s time was 4min 20sec, so Simpson was doing about 4min 28sec for the full distance. Had he made his effort a little earlier he would have been "among the prizes.” From Birmingham Smith went on to Stourbridge in Worcestershire- to compete in the Cricket and Football Club sports. So did Jones, who once again proved too good for the Now Zealander in the hurdles, the pair being once again set to owe 13 yards and 16 yards respectively. Smith won his heat v • •«<

did Jones and Gould of Newport, who aiso owed 13, but in the final the American without strenuous exertion beat Smith by a yard in 17 4-ssec. Smith also competed in the 229 yards fiat handicap, and off the 12 yards mark won the fourth heat comfortably in 22 1-5 sec, but he failed to get a place in the final, which was won by Hinton of Small Heath (17 yards) in 21 4-ssec.