EMPIRE GAMES

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 70, Issue 101, 11 February 1950, Page 2

EMPIRE GAMES

ENGLAND’S SEVEN WINS MORE RECORDS MADfi (P.A.) AUCKLAND, February 10. England gained seven victories in the Empire Games competitions to-day and is now in second place. Australia gained two more firsts, and is still 11 victories in the lead. Wales gained her first placing to-day with a second in the men’s 110 yards backstroke. South Africa moved ahead of Canada into fourth place with three wins in swimming and boxing events. Placings gained by the competing countries in the finals of all events up to to-night are :

With the victory to-night of the heavy-weight, F. Creagh, in the Empire Games boxing finals, New Zealand has now won nine Empire titles —wrestling 2, lawn bowls 2, rowing 1, athletics 1, swimming 1, weight lifting 1, boxing 1. Creagh became the first New Zealand boxing represenutative to win an Empire Games title. This is only the second occasion on which New Zealand has won a boxing title in international competition. The first was Ted Morgan’s welterweight Olympic title won at' Amsterdam in 1925. Of the other boxing titles decided to-night, two went to Scotland tty-weight and featherweight; South Africa took the bantamweight and the light heavy-weight. To-night’s programme concluded the boxing events. New Time Figures A striking feature of the concluding swimming fixture to-day was that in four races four Empire Games records were broken, three of them by youthful swimmers not yet 21 years old, who all confess to ambitious of representing their countries at the 1952 Olympics at Helsinki. Two titles were taken by South Africans—Joan Harrison, who lived up to her reputation as a “wonder girl,” and Jack Wild. The third went to Garry Agnew, of Perth, Western Australia, and the fourth to the English relay .team. It was England’s only swimming title, just as the men’s BSO relay on the opening night was New Zealand’s sole swttrnrriing victory.. The Englishwoman, Edna Child, however, took an impressive “double,” winning the tower diving with the same accomplishment which brought her the springboard title earlier in the week. Peter Heatly, of Scotland, who won the tower diving title and had prospects of a double similar to Miss Child’s, had to take second place today to the magnificent performance of the Canadian, Dr. George Athans. Just as yesterday was one of outstanding successes for Australia, so England “scooped the pool ” to-day with a tally of seven titles—one swimming, one diving, two fencing, three boxing. Australia, on the other hand, had her least successful day since the Games began, Agnews being the only title won during the day by an Australian. With the setting of four new swimming records to-day, the number of Elmpire Games records broken since the Games opened less than a week ago is more than 30. Particularly praisworthy is the achievereent of Joan Harrison in reducing by more than 13 seconds the Empire Games record for the 440 yards freestyle. &he pruned several seconds off the record in a. heat on Wednesday and made a similar improvement to-day on her own fresh record of two days ago. Of the six girls in to-day’s final, all but one swam faster than the record as it existed before the present Games began.

Weather Breaks To-day for the first time since the Games began Auckland’s vaunted perfect weather for outdoor events broke decisively. Rain, which was falling lightly as latecomers arrived at the Omlypic pool, developed before long into a steadily worsening downpour. With no shelter for officials or spectators, the events continued as they had to under conditions which became atrocious. The crowd remained good humoured although discomforted while the diving was completed, but when the water polo match between the Australian and New Zealand teams vas staged as scheduled there were many criticisms at the long lapse of time before the swimming titles were decided. Thousands of people went home without waiting for the last events. The rain ceased early to-night but has set in again steadily, giving Auckland its first really wet day for some weeks. To-night’s forecast is for dull, warm, humid conditions with some drizzle or rain. Conjecture now centres on the likely effects of the rain on the track for the final events at Eden Park to-morrow. The rain which has already fallen is enough to soak the track, which is sure to be holding, and if the fall continues during the night conditions may become unpleasant and unfavourable for the breaking of further records. Results were: — ;• BOXING Fly-Weight

Final. —H. Riley (Scot.) beat K. Edwin (Cey.), on points. M. Temple (S.A-.) took third place by default from Gower (Aust.). Bantam-weight Final. —-J. van Rensburg (S.A.) beat Perera (Cey.), on points. L. Walters (Can.) took third place from M. Barrett (Aust.) by default.' Feather-weight Final. —Gilliland (Scot.) beat Vercuil (Rhod.), on points. Brander (Eng.) beat Fisher (Aust.), on points for third place. Light-weight Final. —Latham (Eng.) beat Barber (Aust.), on points. Haddard (Can.) was awarded third after Branden (N.Z.) Avas over-weight. Welter-weight Final. —T. Ratcliffe (Eng.) beat W.

Seewitz (Aust.), on points. A. Obeyseskere (Cey.) was awarded third, after J. Mcl'vor (N.Zt) was withdrawn as unfit. Middle-weight Final. —van Scliakkwyk (S.A.) beat Beal (N.Z.), on points. Pinkus (Canada) was placed third as there were only three contestants. Light Heavy-weight Final.—Scott (Eng.) beat Rollinson (N,Z.), by a retirement in the first round. Taylor (Aust.) was third. Heavy-weight Final. —Creagh (N.Z.) beat Cousins (Aust..), on points. SWIMMING Women’s Tower Diving (From the five or 10-metre platform; points awarded on an aggregate of the first section yesterday and the second section to-day.) E. Child (England), 70.50 .. ..1 G. Fawcett (Australia), G5.G4 .. 2 N. Mac Lean (Australia), 59.03 .. 3 E. Buchanan (Canada), 54.95; L. Hunt (Canada), 46.21, 5. v t 110 Yards Backstroke J. Wiid (South Africa), G7.7sec (breaks Empire Games record) 1 J. Brockway (Wales), 68sec .. 2 A. Kinnear (Scotland), 70.6 sec • 3 P. Mathieson (New Zealand), 73.65ec 4; F. Stevens (Australia), 73.55ec, 5. 440 Yards Freestyle D. Agnew (Australia), 4min. 49.45ec (breaks Empire Games record) 1 G. Johnston (South Africa), 4min 51.3 sec .. .. .. .. 2 F. Lucas (New Zealand), smin 2.5“ sec .. .. .. ... 3 B. Kellaway (Australia) smin 3.ssec 4; M. Amos (N'ew Zealand), smin B*l sec, 5; D. Bland (Englaful), smin 14.5 sec, 6. Men’s Springboard Diving (Three metre board; aggregate points are on yesterday’s and to-day’s dives.) G. Athans (Canada) 169.21 .. ~ 1 P. Heatley (Scoland), 168.80 .. 2 J. Stewart (New Zealand), 168.17 3 J. McCann (Austi’alia), 159.76, 4; R. Faulds (Australia), 148.86, 5; I. Grace (Rhodesia), 148.57, 5; D. Norris (Australia), 140.20, 6; A. Smith (Ceylop), 135.36, 7.

Water Polo Australia (5) beat New Zealand (2), in the third test. Australia won the two previous tests and thus wins the title, beating New Zealand by 3 tests to 0. 440 Yards Women’s Freestyle Miss J. Harrison (South Africa), 5 min 26.45ec (breaks Empire Games record) .. .. .. 1 Miss M. O. Wellington (England), smin 3.7 sec (also breaks record) 2 Miss D. Norton (Australia), smin 33.8 sec .. .. 3 Miss W. Griffin (New Zealand), smin 39.45ec; 4; Miss J. J. Davies (Australia), smin 39.45ee, 5; Miss L. Preece (England), smin 46sec, 6. 330 Yards Medley Relay England (J. I. Hale, R. Romain, P. H. Kendall), 3min 26.35ec , (breaks Empire Games record) 1 Canada (L. Beaumont, P. Salmon, A. Gilchrist), 3min 29.45ec .. 2 New Zealand (P. Mathieson, J. Shanahan, L. Barry), 3min 30.1 sec .. 3 Australia (F. Stevens, R. A. Sharpe F. T. O’Neill), 3min 32.45ec .. 4

Wins. 2nds. Thds. Australia 27 22 14 England Hi .12 . 12 Now. Zealand h 1!) * 14 South Africa S 3 8 Canada 0 S 13 Scotland 4 3 2 Malaya 2 1 1 Fiji .. 1 1 2 Ceylon 1 2 .1 Nigeria - 1 - Wales .. — 1 Rhodesia - 1 -