ATHLETICS.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XIV, Issue 854, 19 July 1906, Page 11

ATHLETICS.

The Auckland Provincial District Boxing Championships will take place on July 27 and 28. Entries close with Mr. Keenan, the secretary, on the 20th inst. The New Zealand Boxing Championships will be held on August 9 and 10. * * * * The New Zealand team for the Australasian Boxing Championships will leave Wellington on August 31. The competitions will take place in Sydney on September 8 and 12, and the return journey will be commenced on September 15. * * * * Nigel Barker, the Sydney runner, competed in the English Amateur Championships, but failed to run into a place in the 220yds and 440yds events. Like all Australians competing in England, the change of climate affected him greatly, and the form shown was much below what he has given evidence of in Sydney. * * * * George Edward Larner, a member of the Brighton (England) police force, is the winner of the English Amateur Athletic Association’s two and seven miles’ walking championships, and is holder of fourteen walking records. Nine of these are British amateur “ bests” and five —namely, the two, four, seven, and eight miles, and the one hour —are world’s amateur records. Larner holds all British amateur records, from one to eight miles, and his performance for one hour, made at Stamford Bridge last September, was a great one of eight miles 438 yards. The champion is thirty years of age, weighs list 21b, and is a fine specimen of physical manhood. * * * * The Brisbane Harriers are the first to institute a “ Marathon” road race on lines similar to the famous Marathon race at Athens. The “Marathon” is to be decided on September 8, the course being from Ipswich to Brisbane.

Commenting on the defeat of Nigel Barker in the English 220yds and 440yds championships, “ Prodigal,” of the Sydney “Referee,” says:—The arrival of the news simply paralysed followers of amateur athletics here. At the English Amateur Athletic Association meeting at Stamford Bridge, London, on July 1, 1905, the 220yds race was won by H. A. Hyman, of Pennsylvania (U.S.) University, in 22 2-ssec; and the 440yds race by Lieutenant Wyndham Haswell, of the Highland Light Infantry, in 50 4-ssec. In the 400 metres (437 yards) race at the Olympian Games at Athens, P. H. Pilgrim (U.S.A.) won in 53 l-ssec, Halswell being second, and Nigel Barker third. This year the sports were again held at Stamford Bridge, London, and as it was generally conceded that Barker only lost the 400 metres’ race at Athens through a mishap, it was confidently expected that he would nearly win—the furlong event, at all events. With the English championships decided on one afternoon, the man who goes for more than one sprint event has a severe contract on hand, as there are heats to be negotiated. By latest advices Barker had decided to let the 100 yards pass and devote himself solely to the “ 220” and “ 440.” This would mean, if successful in the heats, four runs, probably severe runs, in the one afternoon. I will not, however, attempt to make excuses. He would doubtless meet champions from several lands, and presumably they were too good. Still, I shall anxiously await details, because experience teaches the men who can beat 21 4-5 sec for the “ 220” and 48% sec for “ 440” (figures established by Barker) are not exactly as plentiful as leaves in autumn.