ATHLETIC NOTES.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20178, 5 March 1931, Page 5

ATHLETIC NOTES.

THE AMERICANS' TOUR / ' 1 AN OVER-CROWDED PROGRAMME By Miler. The present tour of the three American athletes, Simpson, Kiser, and Sothert, is proving successful perhaps even beyond expectations, but it cannot bo doubted that the itinerary arrr-ged for the Americans has been too strenuous to allow them to sustain anything like top form, particularly at the very meetings where it is most desired. This "cramming" of sport tours has become almost an "accepted evil, although the experience in every case has been that it serves no good purpose. It is gratifying that practically the first complaint about the ovfrcrowded itinerary of intensive competition, training, and travelling which has been the experience of the visitors since their arrival in New Zealand should come, not from the men themselves—- although their complaining would have been justified—but from the. Canterbury Centre. At .a recent meeting of the Centre it was decided to write to the New Zealand Council protesting against the extent of the programme arranged for the Americans, and in particular to protest against the distance man, Bufus Kiser, being asked to compete in more than one race at a meeting. At Wellington. Eiser had to run a mile and shortly afterwards a halfmile race—to win both of which under the conditions it 1 would have taken an exceptional feat of endurance. Kiser might not be up to the standard of other mile runners who have visited this country, but neither has he been at anything like form since bis arrival, this being due perhaps to his mistake in over-training during the voyage. But oould any distance runner regain form and at the same time'undertake such strenuous programme? Slnco January 22nd the Americans have competed at Masterton, Napier, Gisborne, Botorua, Hamilton, Auckland, Hawera, . New Plymouth, Wanganui, Wellington, Dunedin, and Waimate. Had the invereargill meeting not been cancelled lowing to Simpson's injury, there would have been another to add to the list. Perhaps,the most strenuous week of the tour entailed competing at Wanagnui on a Thursday,; travelling at the conclusion of the meeting: to Wellington, getting into action at Wellington for one of. the moat Important of the meetings on the Saturday, catching the ferry on the same night for the journey to Ohristehurch, leaving Chrlstchurch for the south on the day of their arrival here, the long journey to Dunedin, and a welcome respite which itself included training for the events against New Zealand's best at the national championships on the Saturday. To miss the Invereargill date was perhaps unfortunate for the sport in the south, but it can be imagined how welcome would be the unexpected break to the men themselves.

Simpson's . temporary breakdown, caused through a strained thigh misclo, can probably be traced to too much racing. Apparently he first felt the trouble at Wanganui, but he did not Allow this to stop him from stating his nngagements at Wellington. However, in the 220 yds race at Wellington he eoljifysed after a valiant effort to overcome his handicap, and had the disappointment of being unable to complete to the finish a run over his best distance with such a champion as Carlton, the Australian. Other arguments could be advanced to 1 support, the contention that the arrangements for the tour have hardly been fair to the tourists, but the. mat- ' t«r will probably receive official ventilation ,at the conclusion of their ■ visit. : The Americans' sportsmanlike attitude over the question has greatly enhanced their popularity. Americans at Chrigtchurcli. The appearance of the American athletes at Christchurch on Saturday should, easily attract the interest which a visit by internationals deserves. Simp* son/ the sprinter, is classed as one of the world's most outstanding runners',. snd his amazing performances even during the New Zealand tour cpamp him As-among the best that have'ever vis-, ited the country. ; On Saturday -he will probably have fully recovered from the indisposition- which prevented v him running, as much as wais scheduled in' the south, and there is reason to believe that here he should attain the height of his fornji Simpson 'will run in the 100 yds event against Hart, Canterbury and New Zealand > champion, Jeijkina, Wellington champion, .and MV Leadbetter, s Canterbury runner of interna* tional e>nperience; in a special 78yds, dash against the same men; and per* haps in the furlong. Tho field is the best that can be got together in New Zealand at the present time. ! Great: things are expected from the i nice-between Randolph Bose, Kiser, the [■ American, and Bayne, of Wellington.' j Hose seems to have returned to someI thing like old form, if his' win in the three -mile championship at Dunedin on i Saturday can be judged in that light. 1 His judgment, experience and finishing j ability make him a dangerous opponent j at any time. The event on Saturday I will be a special triangular match mile. I Bayne has defeated Kiser in the mile, at Wellington. I Particular interest will surround the | appearance of D. Evans, of Taihape, I who in- such-fifshort Space of time has become a potential international champion. His wonderful finishing ' efforts have already become famous,'and bis doable win lit the 440 and 880 New Zealand championship events last week was a feature of the national meeting. On Saturday Evans will make an attempt on the half-mile record. Bothert,\captain < of the American team, and champion fields-event exponent,, has thrilled New Zealand crowds with his performances. He is of magnificent physique, standing 6Jft 2in in height. He began his athletic career :ufootball,and soon became an American champion in that sports Later, however, his ability with the shot attracted, attention, and he is now putting the shot, with regularity, within inches of ,the world's record. He is an | excellent discus and javelin thrower. His work on Saturday should attract the greatest interest, especially in view i of the growing popularity of the -field branch of athletios. < ' ' • The results ojf the visitors' Appearance .at Waimate yesterday exceeded, the fondest expectations, Harlow Bothert's ' record-breaking performance- with' ■ the discus being alone: a . performance worthy of remembrance for many -years. -With one throw he - eclipsed by 5 feet 6} inches the Australian and New • Zealand record for the v discus throw, and the New Zealand v record, which, both stood at ls9ft 2in, established by ?. Munro, the New Zealander, at Wel-lington,-in 1986. Bothert's throw, should stand as the Australian and' New Zealand .record, for many years, unless! he excels the before the conclusion of the trip. . That this phenomenal throw, docs .not equal- the .American's best effort indicates his re* 1 markahle prowess .on the field. It is understood that his record throw is

154 ft of the world's recdrd. _ Bothert's shot putt at Wairaate, 49ft lin, does not equal his 50ft 6Jin registered at Wanganui, but at the same time is 3 Jin better than the Australian .and New Zealand record. >. Athletics in 1880. An article published in the Dunedin "Star" recalls the first New Zealand championship meeting ever held under the auspicep of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association in 1889. The meeting was held on the Caledonian Ground at Dunedin, during the Exhibition of that year. The Dunedin Amateur Athletic Club (now defunct) was the controlling body in Otago athletics at that time. The track on the Caledonian Grounds was 352 yards laps to the mile—built of cinder, 16 feet wide, and one of the fastest in the Dominion.

New Zealand clubs were well represented at the championships, and there was also a contingent of New South Wales runners competing. One of the Canterbury representatives, B. M. Beeves, is still a resident of this City. He was an outstanding runner over all distances from the short sprint to the half-mile. At this particular meeting he won the quarter-mile in 54 3*ssec. The 100 yards race has remained one of the most historic ever run in New Zealand, as the time put up has not been equalled since. The distance was covered by the winner, J. H. Hemp ton (Southland) in 9 3-ssec, but the time could not be recognised as a record because of the strong wind which assisted the runners. Reeves . was second in this race, four yards behind BOempton. In 1802 Hempton had a performance over the hundred of 9 4-ssec recognised as an Australian and New Zealand record, and this, with five others, he still holds. It also gave him a joint New Zealand record. He subsequently went to England, but could not accustom himself to the altered conditions, and did not come up to expectations. At the meeting Canterbury scored 28 points, Otago 13, Wellington and Southland 7, and South Canterbury 6. The National Championships. The unfavourable weather conditions under which the New Zealand championships were decided at Dunedin on Saturday would be found less to the liking of the Canterbury team—trained for the most part on dry, hard tracks—than to the representatives of other provinces who have often to compete in conditions something like those prevailing at Dunedin during the recent meeting. Nevertheless, # the Canterbury men performed satisfactorily, being runners-up in the provincial championship shield with 38 points. The winning, province, Wellington, secured 50 points, Canterbury 38, Wanganui-Taranaki 35, Otago 29, and Auckland 2. The Wellington team also won the Queensland Memorial Shield for most points in records broken. It was expected that Hart, the Canterbury champion, would gain the Now Zealand title for the 100 yards .sprint,■ and thus crown a year of splendid performances. That he should run a close second to the American Simpson in the event adds to the merit of his run. Hart came into prominence as a sprinter last season, and the confident forecasts made then that he would quickly attain Dominion supremacy have been fulfilled.

Tn the final of the 220 yards championship V B. Cordery, the Canterbury champion, failed to reproduce the form he showed in the heat on the previous day, and ran second to C. H. Jenkins, of Wellington, who held the title over the previous season. Only a Apal spurt saved Cordery from being beaten on the tape, by the Aucklander, Elliott. The form shows by the Canterbury quarter-railer, M. A. Blackmore, was gratifying, and although the event/was -won fairly decisively by the Taihape man, D. Evans, Blackmore and Cordery provided oppositfon which made it an intensely interesting event.