ATHLETICS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 568, 24 July 1909, Page 12

ATHLETICS.

(By MERConY.) '•(.

. August; 18. and. .21. —Australasian Championships; Brisbane.. '• ' . .'-. ;

, Soptember 9.— N.Z. Cross-country Championship, Timaru. > . ■ " September 18.—Wellington Harriers' Club Championship. . . .i. . . 1- ' Novembyr.^-Wellington Centre Marathon Race, ■ Kaitoko to Basin Reserve.

There is another defection from the already depleted , ranks of the New Zealand athletic team for the Australasian Cliainpigoships on August 18 and 21 to chronicle, that, of J; WaUace; the hammer-thrower, arid at this stage it is too late to replace him, pven if there was a worthy candidate for the vacancy •in" siglitj which! there is not, Tile reason for Wallace s retirement is not yet known, the news -reaching the Secretary of the N.Z.A:A.A. in a telegram, which stated simply that he-,was unable to make the trip. Since tho team was first! selected, - Guy, Haskihs aaid Wallaoo have, withdrawn, while St. Aubyn Murray, and C. L. Orbell—two certainties . for . selection-r-were not considered, as their, services 'were riot 'availablo'. Truly, a formidable quartet.!. So it . will be! seen, that the Dominion: is not taking the field at anything like' its.'true-strength.' : •.'.?fh'is- is not to say-that its team is -a weak one-~on the contrary, it is one. that/is particularly-sound in quality, and it is one that mUBt have a good Ughting chance, unless one of the-Australian States can unexpectedly establish' a run of victories. From intelligence .to hand this would appear to be an unlikely contingency, as both New South' Wales' and have good claims to consideration, to say nothing of Queensland's solid contingent i(i tho jumping, vaulting, and hammer-throwing donartments. .. . ; " .

The situation is l further complicated by this week's Australian news. In the samo way that the Dominion is suffering so, per contra, are the States. Thoy, too, are having trouble in getting their teams away, and, if the reports are borne out by facts, their losses are equal to, even if not greater, than ours. It is rumoured that J. J. Harley, the hope of New South Wales in'tho walks, will be absent, which ■ makes thiiigs .easier for Kerr.'"Also, that Colin Stewart, the .'Mother State's hurdler, is another unlikely starter, .and as J. L. Davis, the Viotorian crack "lepper," is reported to the samo box, .Keddell's road to victory in-the 120 yds. hurdles and long jump would seem to be muoh'.freer of obstacles.

Kcddell, by the way, is reported to be doing satisfactory work in his jumping practice, but apparently his "taking-olf" is still at fault. This is, no doubt, occasioned by the fact that since sustaining the injury to his knee—prior: to which, in - March, 190G, ho esablisbed the present-New Zealand record of 23ft. 3in.—ho has been "taking-oil" fiom the other leg,' and has not-yet regained his one-timo ability. - . ■

F. J. Morgan, the Now South Wales hammer export, is also mentioned, among the probable absentees, but as IV.-J. O'lTeilly the 1901-4-5 champion, appears to bn still available for New South W'ples, this may not a fleet the position.. ■:■■■ The "Referee',' has a reference' to- the weather in Sydney (with regard to its volution to training operations) that malies very mixed reading to local athletes. Tho selector of tJtu) X&W. team aa?.& ttat 4 duxug a

recent walk along the beaches, lio saw surfbathers indulging in their fascinating pastime, and that the sun bathers were improving the shining hour, whilo generally the weather has boon ideal for training purposes. This should appeal to Woodger arid Co. after the past month of rain and mud. Against thisj however, thoro is a certain grim satisfaction to bo gleaned from a roport bv tho samo authority, to the effect that Nigel Barker, N.S.W.'s bright particular star, is faced with similar conditions to those which our men aro experiencing. Tho "Referee" publishes a letter from Barlcer, ,who is gaining oxperieineo as a mining engineer in Orange, and who, inter alia, writes'Tlio weather has proved a bad friend, and during June tho water lay on tho ground Uio whole month. We did not havo throe lino days in succession in Juno, and July scorns to promiso much tho same. I havo managed to>carve out a sort of track down on tlio river flat, removing variegated weeds, Scotch , thistles, 'and other discomforts, not to mention stinging nottlos. Unless snow, whioh often threatens, altoKotVer prevonts'mo from training, I hope to bo able to make ono of the N.s.W. team."

• A sum of £25 Ims been raised in Duncdin by tho various athletio clubs' for the purposo of sending Goorgo M'Knigbt to Ilrisba.no with tho N.Z, team. M'Knigbt is a weloomo addition, and will start in tho milo and threemile championships, and tho .Australasian Marathon. Ho haa been included in tho official team. Another recruit is 8. W, Moore, of Ashburton, the well-known distanco runner, who ran seoond in the Auckland and Ashburton Marathons. He purposes remaining in' Queensland, but will represent New Zealand in the Marathon race.' Should Dickson's ohampionship' engagements permit, ho also will start in the long-dastanco ovont, so tlio Dominion will bo represented by , a very strong trio. . As foreshadowed in this column last week, tho date of the cross-country championship has been altered to allow of members of the New Zealand team competing. The date has now 'been fixed as September 9. ,Tho "Weekly Press" says'that Qtogo :will. send a team to Timaru to compete in tho New Zealand cross-country championship on- September. 9.' It is hoped that Southland will also be represented. Otago will put a good team. in the field. ..

The. efforts of the weather, clerk during last week to put a, stop to all sports were successful in all branches except as regards that hardy annual known as narrierism. 'Undeterred by the damp conditions, both underfoot and overhead, twenty members of . the Wellington Harriers' climped up the heights' to Brooklyn and,. after dohning running attire at Fullford's Hall, set out for an afternoon's mudlarking. Tho usual paper-trail was dispensed with,' and l'\ liodson was appointed to select'a course, and to regulate tho pace. • After ascending tlio. Sugar Loaf Hill and reaching', the Brooklyn Reservoir, he gave-the pack a downhill run, : which, in most cases, developed into a species of tobogganing until the jflat' w£>s struck near' Ohiro Bay. After wading the Happy Valley' Stream (which was running bank nigh), an ascent of the hill overlooking Island Bay was made," after, which a wet and muddy pack Btruck for home through Vogeltown. The v 'run in" ; was : won; by S. J. Smith who, after a spell' at playing hockey, signalised his return to histoid love by showing a clean pair of heels to his clubiriates, most of -whom, however, were the worse, for/ wear as a result of attending the club's annual dance the: previous evening. liodson and Wilton filled the next, positions, with the remaining men' strung out.,

Among- Saturday's 'runners was W. Dunn, who last registered some.; good-per-formances on the track over the quarter mile.' Ho had no' 'difficulty : in- outpacing .thc opposition at the finish, btit ho was not credited with- first place, through not being a member of tho club, ' ■ '•

Now that the date of the New Zealand cross country' , championship'' has been definitely fixed v for ' September.'. 9, v the Harriers', Committee,; have ' amended their/ sjrl; labus in order not to clash with tho' big eyent, and also with the object of holding a tost to select the; club's team.: The scheduled run, from Karori on August .7 will be cancelled, and, in its place a five mile scratch raca. for those men. wishing to compete for places in tho team will be neld at lliramar.' An alteration has also'bfeen' made : in the date of the club championship, which was originally, set ' down for September 11. • As this date too •'..closely/, on the, New-; Zealand' cliampipnßbip, an ordinary club run from Karori will be held on that day, and the championship held over until September '18. With the composition of the teamsettled •nearly five weens before the .decision of the championship at Timaru, a well-trained quartet should bo dispatched to do battle for the club against the Canterbury : and Otago teams.,.; ,{ " t-' ■ •■.":'■■•