ATHLETICS.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVII, Issue 1055, 26 May 1910, Page 11

ATHLETICS.

DONALDSON’S VICTORY OVER POSTLE. Full particulars are now to hand regarding the short sprint races between Arthur Postle (Queensland) and Jack Donaldson (Victoria), at the Johannesburg Stadium on April 2, In the Johannesburg “Sporting Star” “Pneumatic” sums up thusly: It was surprising to me that the Postle-Donaldson race on Saturday evening should have attracted s o little attention. Had such a series of races been run in England, the railway companies would have run special trains, yet the attendance at the Stadium on Saturday was exceptionally discouraging. I have heard it staed that this was probably due to the race, having been postponed owing to Postle’s accident, but I fear it was due to exactly the same cause that left our recent championship meetings so; poorly., attended—the lack of public interest in athletics; Nevertheless, those -who did go to' the Stadium witnessed a rare treat. It was : a series of races in Which the two best men in the world were running for the honor of victory. Had it been money they were after there was any amount of money ready to go on' Donaldson, and it would have been quite an easy matter to have arranged for Postle to win,

and without the slightest suspicion being aroused. But nothing of that sort occurred. Indeed, Postle sacrificed a great chance of success by running all out in the 75yds. test. He won the -50 yards all the way from the 10yds mark by about a foot. In the second race, the 75yds test, his best policy was to have reserved himself for the third test, instead of which he ran his rival to a great finish, being only beaten by about the same distance as he had beaten Donaldson in the first test.

His running in this second test proved conclusively that he had a big chance of winning the 65yds, the last of the three races, for at 70yds he was just a shade in front of his great rival. The race actually reproduced the form shown in the world’s sprint championship, in which Postle also led at the 70yds mark, but when it came to the 65yds race Postle appeared to have lost his dash. At 50 yards he was a shade in front, but was labouring, and at 60yds he seemed to have nothing left, whilst Donaldson, who gathered speed every yard, then drew level and won. It is true he only won by inches, but once he had drawn level the race was never in doubt. He was running on whilst his rival was failing. The times for each of the three races were good, but were not equal to the records for these distances held by Postle, unless Mr. John Macnamara’s time for the 50yds of ssec. dead is accepted. The official time was given at 5 % sec, whereas the world’s record for the distance held by Postle is 5 l-ssec. In his training spins I believe Donaldson had been clocked to do 5 sec. for the distance, but on his public performances one can only ac-

cept the official times. At the same time, I am of opinion that had Postle reserved his powers for the third race after winning the first he must have succeeded in winning the rubber. I mean no reflection uponCDonaldson, who is. to be heartily congratulated upon his second great victory, but 1 draw attention to the point by way of shoying what grand sportsmen these professionals are who have a' name to uphold. In each event both strove to win to the bitter end. The two shorter distances were more in Postle’s faVor, and the mbriey at stake was quite sufficient to induce him to throw'-no‘ chaiice away. <Yet he raced afi .out ,in the 75 yds event, the longest of-the series, though his chances of success were almost nil. In this he once again proved himself a sportsman,- and I think it lost him the match.

-The “Rand Daily Mail” speaks of the race as for “the dash championship of the world,” and ..has a headline of “Postle and Donaldson flying.” It appears that the races were judged by the judging machine, whilst Peter Naylor held the gun, and Jack O’Connell acted "‘as check starter for Postle—there is no mention of any check starter, for Donaldson. With Mr. Rufe Naylor at the head of affairs and Mr. John Macnamara holding a watch, it was -quite an Australian affair, for everyone named,, competitors and all, hail from the’ Commonwealth. Luring the evening there were other events, and T. Gascoyne.- . won

both cycle events—a half-mile handicap from scratch, and a half-mile championship.

Ellegaard, the Dane, and Poulain, the Frenchman, will probably race in the United States this year, with the avowed purpose of lowering Kramer’s colours.