ATHLETICS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1162, 24 June 1911, Page 12

ATHLETICS.

The Sprinters at Home,

OUR CHANCES AT HOME. (By Mercort.) FIXTURES. To-day.—Festival of Empire Sports, London. July.—English Championships, Stamford Bridge. Dig Events To-day. To-day in London will be inaugurated the series of "tests" which are to decide tho big trophy that carries with it t'ho high-sounding title—"champion amateur athlete Dominion of the British Empire." Tho competition is limited to Uritish subjects, and the foremost idea was that the contest should be a four-cornered ono between teams representing Great Britain and the three great oversea Dominions— Canada, South Africa, and Australasia.

In point' of fact, however, it promises to resolve itself into a duel between the Mother Country and Australasia. It is fairly certain that South Africa will not bo represented at all, and no news has come to hand that t'ho Canadians are competing. This, of course, robs the affair of a great deal of its Imperial interest, but it will not detract from the keenness with which the Australasian public .will look for t'ho results of their afternoon's work.

To-day tho running events are to be decided. These arc 100 Yards, 220 Yards, Half-mile, and Mile, and' in each; Australasia is strongly represented—iii three of them by a New Zealander. Unfortunately Woodger, the Wellington representative, is not to be a starter, but his understudy (Ronald Opio of Canterbury; has shown himself such a sturdy performer, that no misgivings need bo felt on this score. As stated in this column '• last week, if Opie is not good enough, then it' is likely that Woodger would also have failed.

And Opio must be nearly at his best. During the week wo were told by the cable messages that, at a meeting at Crewe last Saturday, ho won the 100 yds. scratch race in 10 l-sscc. At tho New Zealand Championships at Chrisl'church on March 18 he won the "hundred" in 10 l-10sec, just one yard better. He has had one week's more training to pick up that extra yard but, in any case, the 10 l-ssec. should be good enough if the opposition is confined to tho British representatives.

The Mother Country is short of sprinters of quality just now, and has been for some seasons past. Last year her best was Haley, who ran second to Ramsdell, the American amateur, in the English sprint championships, and ho is but' a good 10 2-ssee. man at his best, judging from press reports. Going by tho same authority, Haley's furlong time is about 23sec. and, as Opie ran 22 l-ssec. last March in Christchtirch, his chances look good in this event too. This optimism is, of course, based upon twd'.suppositions— firstly, that our representative's strained tendon is sound again. In tho cabled message about his appearance at Crewe, it was stated that he did not turn out .in the 300 yds. event. This may, and probably was, because ho was not properly wound up for tho longer run. It may also have been that he felt his strain after the "hundred."

The other supposition is that Canada is not sending over her sprint champion, "Hobby" Kerr. If she is, then Opie will have to hurry—considerably. Kerr holds tho Canadian records of 9 4-ssec. for 100 yds., 21 4-ssec. for 220 yds., and 21 3-asec. for 200 metres. In 1908 he won tho English sprint championships in lOsee., and 22 2-oscc, and tho Olympic Games 200 metres. (A metre, by the way, is just over 39 inches.) Mile and Half Miie. Tor the half and mile Australasia: has Guy Haskins, "of ours," and Greg. Wheatley, of Victoria. As only one representative can start in each event, Mr. Ccombes, the team's 'manager, was to have conducted trials ;torS?leet the ,-uonou];ed-, one, bnt, as wo "have not heard of anything being done, it is fair to assume that the twain will divide tho events, in which case Haskins would lake the mile 'and WUealley thp "half." _ Before ho 'left, Haskins stated that he intended to specialise on tho mile in his preparation in America undsr his old coacn, "Mike' Murphj. So, in all probability, this is what will happen. Wo have no recent performances by Haskins to judge his present form by. Some seasons back (while at collogo in- America) ho had some startling times to his credit, these including' a' mile in 4min. 23sec., and a half-mile in lmin. oGsec, and, as lie is now only 2!i years oi age, and Ins had a thorough preparation under Murphy, there is no reason why he should notbo nigh back to form. Wheatley, we all know. Ho toured New -Zealand with Shrubb and Duffy, and, since then, has run consistently and \vell. He is now 2!) years of ago, and his best performances aro lmin. 5G 2-ssec. for the half-mile on asphalt, and lmin. 5G 4-ssoc. Un grass. Over a mile he holds thp Australasian, record of 4min. 23scc.—put up In that memorable race with Hector Hurt, uf Duncdin, whom ho beat by inches. When the last mail left England, the A.A A authorities were endeavouriu'; to persuade H. D. Baker,. the Cambridge University runner, to turn out on Great Britain's behalf. At the recent "interVarsity" Baker won both the half and mile in lmin. sS=ec. and 4min. iiSscc. respectively, without being unduly pushed. So ho is a. runner of .»ood class. Still, irith Haskins and Wheatley, Australasia's prospects to-day look bright. Good fortune to them both—likewise to Opie! Tho other branches of tho competition— tennis, boxing, siviuiming, and wrestling— arc spread over various dates up to the second week in July, and, judging from the recent form shown at Home by Hardwick and Champion in tho water, and Wilding's consistency at tennis, these two events reem to be within reach. In (ho boxing and wrestling our chance, is but a dubious one, but, if the runners to-day "make a killing," this will not affect tho final count to any great extent.

New Stars in the Firmament. Australian amateur athletic ranks aru to benefit shortly bv the arrival from'Enslans of two well-known runners, E. K. Voight, of Olympic Games fame, is one,' and. if his profession—that of eiigjneorinp;—leaves him any time to devote'to tho track, the Australians w.ill have in tluvr ranks one of the best amateur distance runners of the day. Yoight—familiarly known as "Emil"—was, until his departure from England by the Medic, tnvsurer of tho Manchester A.C., and. at tho Olympic Games of 1908, was the one solitary Englishman to win a flat race— the S miles, in L'omin/ 11 l-ssee. His best performance is a mill in dmin. 19 -t-Ssec, on the Manchester track, and, as the Australasian record (referred to above in AVkoatley's performance) is -imin. it will bo seen in what class lie stand*' ' Tho other recruit is T. Davidson of tho Putney Athletic Club, a cood handicap runner, who is coming out to take up a scholastic appointment. His most recent performances are a half-mile handicap, with 50yardsslart, in lmin. ss2-st C c , while three days later he carried" off (at the Eastern Counties' Amateur Athletic Association's gathering) the milo handicap, from the HO vards mark in •imin. 31 l-s?ec. Voight (scratch), b'eiii* anions; tho unplaced division. My harrier correspondent writes tho following about last Saturday's Palmer Cup.event, and harrier doings generally—

The Palmer Cup Event, When Mr. C. W. Palmer, ex-president of the Wellington Harriers, returned from a visit lo England some five venrs ago with a silver cup packed up amongst his luggage for competition by members of his club, he had but a faint conception of the good which his gift, was likely to do in .stimulating cross-country running. Last Saturday, after tho conclusion of the fifth annual Palmer Cup race, the donor remarked on (ho pleasure with which ho had witnessed the race, and, in particular, tho good running of each of the competitors. "In my days as a harrier," lie said, "it was the usual thing for a number of the runners not to finish, and il was therefore refreshing to find, on this - occasion, that every man finished strongly."

The race, in brief, was a huge success, all previous limes being hopelessly beaten. Larger fields have faced the "starter, but never a better trained one, the result being that the last competitor of the lii'lecu taking part Quislied within two

and a half minutes of tho first man. Tho race will go down to history as tho "Eow.berrys' Race," as C. liowberry made fastest lime, and F. Rowberry finished second, and carried off tho cup with tho assistance of his handicap. Though interesting, tho event requires little description, as, after tho field had strung out, very little change of positions took place. The usual course from Miramar North was followed, and at the half mile C. Rowberry had established a fifty yards' lead from his brother, and F. Wilton—the last-named two shadowing each other the whole journey. Next came Pinckncy, Salek and Kol'lo, with the rest bunched within striking distance. The leader was not at any lime more than sixty yards ahead of his nearest opponents, and he finally ran in a winner by that margin. In 'the meantime the struggle between Felix Kowberry nnd Wilton continued, and a hundred yards from home tho prospects were in favour of an exciting finish for second place. Hut condition must be served even as must youth, and, these essentials being in Rowbcrry's favour, ho disposed of his less-trained rival with a final burst which landed him at the tape with three- seconds to spare. Actual finishing times for the first five men were:—C. Kowberry, 17miu. lsec.; F. Rowberry, lTmin. Msec'.; Wilton, 17min. 14sec.; F. Pinckncy, lTmin. 31scc; Salelc, l'min. 40scc. It is worthy of note that each of these times is better than that made by F. Byrno when ho won the Brooklyn Harriers' race over tho fame courso" a week earlier, his time being 17inin. 45sec. for the three miles.

The best finishes were reserved for the back division, no fewer than four braces of runners dead-heating, viz., Press and Kollo, in ISinin. face, r Bennett and Fhm, in ISinin. 20sce; Farrington and Johnson, in lSmin. 31sec; and Lamb and Peart, in lOmin. 2Ssec. The result of the sealed handicap was a win for F. Rowberry, 55 sec, with Pinclcney and Wilton, 55 and 35sec. respectively, dead heat for second honours.

Tho handicappers, Messrs. W.. H. Pollock and W. F. Watt, proved themselves to be careful and cautious adjusters ot "weights," getting the field as a whole close together on times. Tho' previous holder of the cup, C. Lamberg, ran disappointingly.

Messrs. A. Marryalt, P. Ross, W. H. Bennett, and C. W. Palmer were among tho harrier enthusiasts who made the journey to Miramar for the purpose of witnessing tho race, and in view of their presence and that of a number of ladies, it was regrettable that tho raco was not got off a good deal earlier. Today tho venue will be changed to Island Bay instead of Lower Ilutt as shown on the syllabus.

Brooklyn Harriers spent a quiet afternoon on the slopes and flats of Miramar, timing their movements so that they could keep tho struggle for the Palmer Cup honours in view. Starting from Worfer Bay they crossed to the hills on the Evans Bay side of Miramar, where they took up "a strategic position," which gave them a bird's-eye view of the race. After the last of the "Wellington men had passed this point, the Brooklyn lads streaked for the finishing post by a short cut across country, and were in ' good time to be in "at the death," after which they continued on the uneven tenor of their way.

The "run-in" was remarkable for tho fact that it was won by tho captain of the pack, P. Wilton—an offence which he has never previously been guilty of. C. Murray struggled hard to win, but had to cry content with second place, while Oliver finished third. Neither of the Byrne brothers appeared to bo "triers," being both well back. To-day the club run will take place over tho Karori ridges and gullies.