ATHLETICS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 42, 18 February 1905, Page 12

ATHLETICS.

Vf. Pearce lias returned from Australia and is awaiting an opportunity to complete his match with Arthur Skinner, the well-known local constable. It will be remembered that the match was in three styles, that Pearee won the cateh-as-catch-can, and Skinner the Cumberland, the Cornish being unfinished. The third style, Cornish, was not completed, Pearce leaving' to fulfil a Southern engagement. Pearee now wishes to finish the match on the understanding that two-third 3 of the nett proceeds shall go to charities, and one-<thir-d to the winner of the match. Whether Skinner will agree to this remains to he seen, the previous arrangement being that the conclusion of the match should be open to tha public withouju charge. Pearce points out that he is in the game as a professional, and that he has to make a living out. of it. VT. E. Schutt, the American distance Tunner, who is a Rhodes scholar, finished fifth in the Oxford-Cambridge cross-country run. G. A. Vvi'dmer and G. A. Wheatley, the sprinter and distance man selected by Mr. Coombes to run in New Zealand against Duffey and Shrubb, will leave. Melbourne with the Englishman and American on March 1, returning to Sydney on April 7. The American wrestler Gotch intends to place himself iji the hands of '"'Kid' , McCoy vdth the object of gaining a thorough knowledge of ringmr.nship, and when he has undergone the visual course of "sprouts" he will challenge Jeffries. The meeting of Tibby Watson, of Australia, and Ike Bradley, of Liverpool, in a 15-round contest for -a side wager and piirse, drew a large company to the Athol Club, Liverpool, "yestsTday (says London "Sporting Life"). The contest from the start was close find exciting, and after Watson had dona most of the leading in the first three rounds, the affair waa very closely contested, the decision at the finish being a flra\£, The selectors appointed .by the N.S.W. A.A.A. to pick its representatives to meet Shrubb and Duffey on the Sydney Cricket Ground ou April 15 and 22 met last week, and made the following preliminary selection: To meet Shrubb over distances not loss than a milp: D. F. Henderson. It. F>. Fitzhardinge. J. M. Lynch, 11. C. Grindal, A. W. Braid, J. D. Hunt, A. Wood, and M. McArtlmr. To meet Duffey over distances from 75yds to 100 yds: N. C. Barker. G. A. Widmer, Stanley Rowley, G. L. Brown. S. L. Furness, and A. L. Jones. Ralph Rose was in record-breaking form at the Pastime Athletic Club's indoor games held at Madison Square (2\ew York) on the last night of the old year. Rose was entered in the 2-llb shot piif- for the American . championship, and ibis is the way n correspondent icils of his snecass: "Or. his first try !:e shattered George Gray's longstm;rling world's rrcord of 33ft Sin by heaving the heavy missile SSft 2|i;i. His second attempt was oSft 2Jin, wlifc-li he bettered α-rjuarter of an inch on Ms final put." Shrubb, who is slightly built, and a little under medium height, scales 9st 91b when in form. In 1899, at 19 years of age. he started running, ami lie now holds all the world's amateur records from 200 yds up to aa hour. In the

course of an interview on board the Ortona on arrival at Ffeeinantle, Shrubb .strongly condemned what he termed the dieting fad. "I believe," said he. "that a. man should eat and drink exactly what he feels he would like to take. I think that beer is a great aid to training, taken, of course, in moderation. ' An athlete should drink beer •when he feels he needs it . During all the time I have been raping I have found it a great help. There is no use in a man trying to run races on tea and soft stuff. They do him more harm than good." On the question of physical training, Shrubb said: "I find that a good run and shower, followed by a solid rub down, is the finest thing. 1 never overtax myself. I think it best to train \ip to a point just under my best." Shrubb was to race to-day in Melbourne, but he is not certain on that point. "They have," he said, "entered mc for several races, but I don't think that I'll start. They've entered mc for short-distance events, but they're not in my class. They're for Duffey." An American authority has compiled, records at the close of 1904. He claims there were eight amateur world's records broken on field and track, and describes them a3 follows: Tour-mile run, 19.23 2-5. Alfred Shrubb: 5-mile run, 24.33 2-5, Alfred Shrubb standing broad jump, lift 4 7-Bin, R. C. Ewry; 561b weight, unlimited run, 40ft 3in, John Flanagan; 161b hammer, 173 ft. John Flanagan; 101b shot. 48ft 7in, Ralph Rose; discus throw, 133 ft M. J. Sheridan; pole vault, 12ft 1 32-100 in. M. Dole; 241b shot put, 38ft 2|in, R. Rose. The list of amateur world's records in the events which generally make up the programme of the average field and track meet at the close of 1904 are as follows: 100 yds, 9 3-ssec, A. F. Duffey; 220 yds, 21 l-ssec, E. J. Wefers; 440 yds, 47sec, M. W. Long; 440 yds, circular,* 47 4-ssec, M. W. Long; 1 mile, 4.15 3-5. T. P. Conneff; 4 miles, 19.33 2-5, A. Shrubb; 5 miles, 24.33 2-5, A. Shrubb; 10 miles, 51.20, W. G. George; 12Oyds hurdles, 15 l-ssec, A. C. Kraenzlein; 220 yds hurdles, 23 3-fisec, A. C. Kraenzlein; 161b hammer, 173 ft, J. F. Flanagan; 121b shot, 50ft 2in, G. R, Gray; lClb shot, 48ft 7in, R. Rose; 561b weight, 36ft 9Jin, J. Flanagan; 561b weight for height, 15ft 0 3-Siii, J. S. Mitehel; throwing the discus, 133 ft 6Jin, M. J. Sheridan; standing high jump, sft 51in, R. C. Ewry; running high jump. Oft 5 5-Bin, M. F. Sweeney; standing broad jump, lift 4 7-Sin, R. C. Ewry: running broad jump, 24ft llfin. 1 , . "O'Connor; pole vault, 12ft 1 32-lOOin, M. Dole. In view of the fact that both Auckland and Wellington will be sending teams to compete at the New Zealand championship meeting on Match 17 and 18, the Otago Centre purposes extending an invitation to these provinces to compete at the Otago Centre's meeting in Dunediil on March 11.