EMPIRE GAMES ATHLETES

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 70, Issue 107, 18 February 1950, Page 6

EMPIRE GAMES ATHLETES

€OGD PERFORMANCES AT DUNEDIN CROWD DELIGHTED (P.A.) DUNEDIN, February 17. Although no decision bouts were fought in the boxing or wrestling sections, the crowd had an opportunity to judge the class of the Empire Games representatives by their exhibitions at Dunedin tonight. The one decision bout in the wrestling section did not turn out as expected, Maurice Vachon, the Canadian who won the Empire Games middleweight title, deciding to entertain the crowd with some of the tricks usually associated with professional bouts. He was opposed by R. Tourrell, of Otago. Ronald Parsons, of Canada, fought Arnold Parsons, of England, in a featherweight contest and both wrestlers impressed with the speed they turned defence to attack. Both of the contestants took turns at making the fight and the result was a fairly even one. The final bout was a welterweight contest between M. Plumb, Canadian Air Force champion, and Henry Hudson, champion of the Canadian Army. Once again the two were evenly matched, and the crowd was given a good display of scientific wrestling under Olympic rules. Two Empire Games champions gave exhibitions in the boxing section of the programme, and it was possible to judge their class from their display. The Scotchman, H. Riley, who won the featherweight title at the Empire Games, clowned for three rounds with R. Muir, the Canadian chapipion. Both fought as if they had rehearsed the bout and the crowd were pleased with their antics. The best bout of the evening was that between H. H. Gilliland, of Scotland, and his team mate T. Miller. Gilliland won the featherweight title at the games and Miller is present British and Scpftish bantamweight champion. ' Although there was no hard punching in the bout, the display given tyas a most scientific one. A member of the ship’s’ company of H.M.N.Z.S. Bellona, G’. Perry, put up a creditable showing against the Canadian John Revenda. The match was fought.a.t quite ,a fast pace with the Canadian* having the edge on, Perry.

Weight Lifting

A notble * feat in the weight lifting section was a press of 2001b —51b better than his own Canadian record— by the Canadian featherweight Jules Sylvian. Three men gave demonstrations. They were Sylvain, ...the Canadian. ; and North American feather-weight-champion, Hugh Morrison, the Scottish light heavy-weight and heavyweight champion, and John Stuart, the Canadian and North American lightweight champion, who gained second place in the world championship in 1947. Each weightlifter had two attempts at the three Olympic lifts, the press, the snatch and clean, and the jerk. The placings were in ratio to the man’s own Weight and the weight lifted Stuart, who holds the British Empire record for the. press, was placed first with 477 points, Slyvain second with 470 points, and Morrison third with 42G points. Each man gained the admiration of the audience, but when the Scotsman, Morrison, had an -extra attempt at the end of the contest and triumphantly held aloft a 2901 b weight the crowd gave him a great hand. Morrison was handicapped by a leg injury and adopted the unaccustomed squat style in the snatch.

Fencing Bouts The programme opened with four fencing bouts, three with foil and one with the sabre. Until the Canadian Desjarlais appeared in the third bout the audience was passive in its appreciation of a highly technical sport. The French-Canadian, however, proved to be a colourful personality, and his loud exclamations, gesticulations for the president’s benefit, and whirlwind style of fencing livened the proceedings considerably. The first bout with foils was between Miss B. Brooks (Otago) and an Australian (Miss M. Wilson), runner-up in the Australian championships. The Australian won, 4-2 the bouts being decided on the best of’seven hits. Mrs B. Hamilton, the Canadian women’s champion, met Miss M. Gibson (Otago) in the next bout, Miss Gibson scoring decisive victory, 4-K Then followed a lively encounter between Desjarlais and C. McNee (Otago), the Canadian gaining the verdict. Desjarlais appeared again in a sabre bout with the Australian, A. Jay, who had a close win.