THE 1912 OLYMPIC GAMES.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1144, 14 March 1912, Page 15

THE 1912 OLYMPIC GAMES.

DOMINION’S SCANT REPRESEN’ TATION. OTHER COUNTRIES' ENTHUSIASM. It is impossible to view New Zealand’s representation at the 1912 Olympic Games at Stockholm in anything but a disappointing light, for all prospects of getting together a strong team of athletes to represent the Dominion have now been shattered. The increased interest displayed by the various countries who intend sending representatives to this year’s international sports has been most marked during the past couple of months, Great Britain, America, Japan, Hungary, and Germany havingbeen particularly busy in their endeavours to secure the best representation possible. Under these circumstances it is all the more regrettable that New Zealand is to be worse off on the score of representative athletes than was the case last year, G. N. , Hill, long-distance runner and A. F. Wilding, tennis champion, being the only two> representatives chosen by the New Zealand Olympic Council to do battle for the Dominion at the Games in June and July next, for it is improbable Malcolm Champion, of Auckland, will make the trip to compete in the swimming events. Summed up, the position is that Hill will be our sole representative in athletics, for but little interest is attached to the tennis championship, which claims the Dominion’s other representative. New Zealand’s poor representation can safely be accepted as a general lack of interest in athletics

in this country, for there is no gainsaying the fact that there is plenty of good material still to be found competing at our athletic gatherings. Such fine athletes as G. P. Keddell (Southland), R. Opie (Canterbury), H. Kerr (Wellington), W. F. Harding (Hawke's Bay), and W. Woodger (Wellington) are capable of upholding the athletic prestige of any country. These men have been communicated with by the New Zealand Olympic Committee, Keddell replying that he was unable to make the trip to< Sweden, Kerr and Harding failing to reply, and Opie stating his inability to give a definite reply. In the case of Woodger the Council deemed it best not to send him.

It is thus seen that the New Zear land Olympic Council are in no way to blame foi' the unsatisfactory state of affairs which prevails regarding the Dominion receiving proper athletic representation at the Games. This body have done all in their power to cope with a most difficult situation, for, with limited funds at their disposal, combined with the fact that they received practically no co-operation from the athletes themselves, they have been greatly handicapped in carrying out their duties. It is therefore little wonder that the Council have deemed it fit to send but one representative to Sweden, and even in the case of this athlete it is; no secret that the funds in hand fall short of the amount required to pay the expenses of the trip. At the time of writing there is still a shortage of the necessary funds, but it is confidently anticipated the sum required will be forthcoming, and Hill will leave for Sydney to catch the Osterley Grange for London. The Australian representatives will proceed to London by the same steamer, and will on arrival on English soil join forces with the British team for Stockholm. Hill will undergo a special preparation for the 1500 and 5000 metres events, and should arrive in Sweden in excellent form for his engagements.

As mentioned in a preceding paragraph, New Zealanders have only themselves to thank for the absence of a strong team to do battle for them at this year’s Games, SO' trivial an interest have they taken in the matter of having the Dominion properly represented. The whole success of athletics in New Zealand lies in the natronage accorded sports meetings by the public, and we regret to have to say that, though some of the best athletic carnivals on record have been held in the various provincial centres during the past few months, the attendances have been of a most discouraging nature. Athletic bodies in New Zealand are faced' with a difficult problem so far as attracting the public is concerned, and it is a wellknown fact that one “star” event on a programme will go further towards ensuring a good attendance than all the rest of the events together. Until the real worth of athletics appeals more strongly to the average New Zealander we cannot expect the fame of our runners to spread abroad, and in being poorly represented at the world’s greatest athletic carnival a good opportunity of gaining further laurels in the field of sport is thus lost.

Whilst on the subject of this year’s Olympic Games it is worthy of note that Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and South Africa will not, as at previous carnivals, compete as individual nations, but will enter the Olympiad as one team under the title of “the British Empire

team.” This is all the more reason why New Zealand should have sent a strong contingent of athletes to unite with the Britishers, and thus assist Great Britain in making a bold bid for athletic supremacy against the other nations' of the earth. America intends to send a team of 150 men to compete in events, and as the. Americans carried off the palm at Athens in 1896, again in Paris in 1900, St. Louis in 1904, and London in 1908, they are naturally looking forward to wide success at this year’s Olympiad. G'ermany will be very strongly represented this year, especially in the field games and jumping departments. Hungary will also be well represented, for whereas the Hungarian team for the Olympic Games in London in 1908 numbered 40, the team for Stockholm will be 130, composed as follows:—Football 17, shooting 8 to 10, swimming 12, athletics 20, wrestling 12, fencing 12, lawn tennis 5, gymnastics 22, rowing 13, and cycling 6. The Hungarian Government has contributed 4800 kroner towards the expenses of the competitors. Japan intends to guard her laurels at this year’s Olympic Games, in which Japanese representatives will compete for the first time. The Japanese are reported to have, some remarkable long-distance runners in their team, Shize Kanakuri, who is credited with time over a Marathon course (25 mile) which has only been eclipsed by Tom Longboat, being looked to to give a great account of himself in the Marathon race.

Th© State Cabinet of Victoria evidently does not believe in the encouragement of athletics, for it has refused to contribute funds to send a team of athletes to the Olympic Games. The New South Wales Ministry, however, showed a more generous spirit, donating a sum of £5OO.

This year’s Five Miles Cross-Country championship will be decided at Wellington, the winter event being alloted to the different centres annually. The 1911 cross-country race, it will be remembered, was run in Auckland and was won easily by G. N. Hill. Owing to his trip to tfye Olympic Games, Hill will not be a competitor in the event this year.

Commenting on the Auckland Amateur and Cycle Club’s action in nominating A. A. Dormor as one of the New Zealand Representatives for the Olympic Games the “Otago Witness’’ says: —There is a suggestion to send Dormor, of Auckland, to the Olympic Games. This youth is the one “ discovery ” of the season of 1911-12. He has put up several good times in half-mile races, and won the quarter and halfmile races at the recent N.Z. championships at Invercargill. Dormor set the seal to his New Zealand fame on Saturday by running a half-mile at the Auckland Amateur Athletic Club’s meeting in lmin 58 l-ssec (equalling Hector Burk’s New Zealand record), Still, this performance is not good enough to justify his being sent to compete at the Olympic Games. Even allowing that Dormor can improve on this, Australia has unearthed a halfmiler who the other day at the Victorian championships did lmin 56 3-10 sec, beating Wheatley’s Australasian best of lmin 56 3-4 sec. If Australasia is to be represented in the half-mile at Stockholm, Watson, the now Victorian champion, is the man who should be sent.