ATHLETICS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1252, 7 October 1911, Page 12

ATHLETICS.

EMPIBE BROTHERHOOD LIKELY? (Br "JIEncTOT.") December 2G and 27.—Australasian Amateur Championships (Athletic Park). The annual general meeting of tho council of tho N.Z.A.A.A. has bexm fixed for November 6. Mr. B. A. Guiso has been elected to tho eoiincil of tho N.Z.A.A.A. as the Wellington Centre's delegates, vico Mr. Fleming Ross, resigned. Writer Who Can See a Brotherhood, Last week reference was made to tho projected now departure in tho management of tho Olympic affairs of tho English and Oversea Dominions Olympic, in *tho direction of making tho British representation an Empire one, instead of, as formerly, the English and ovcr-s«x athletes participating in thegames as separate and rival parties. The antagonistic spirit in which the proposition had been received by some of tho English sporting papers was also alluded to, and some disparaging remarks thereon and on Empire athletes in general wcro reproduced. As a corrective to tho outburst from the "Athletic News" that was then .reprinted comes the following article in the "Sporting Life," to hand by this week's mail, and, needless to say, it is far more cheery reading: The true spirit of Empire has this year besn aroused in so far as regards atbjetic sport. That much may be gathered from the few remarks let fall by Lord Desborough at tho presentation of the Empire trophy and prizes at the Crystal Palace. His announcement came to this:—"That the suggestions advanced by the Canadian and Australasian presidents in regard i* next year's Olympic Games have been accepted to the extent that towards the end of next June an Empire athletic team will leave these shores for Stockholm, after having j gathered together in England for ten days or a fortnight before the Games. So the Festival of Empire athletic meet has indeed succeeds*! in imprinting its mark on tho athletic calendar. There were those who said that tho Empire sports served no purpose; but it appears to us that they have been of incalculable value in opening one's cyoa to the possibilities of Empire athletics, and bringing Australasia and Canada into conference with the Home Country in tho interests of sport. If We Marched Together on Stockholm, It is not possible, at any rate at tho present time, for tho wholo of tho Empire to form one team in tho Olympic Games. But the project of tho colonial presidents goes a lonq way towards that end—perhiips as far as is at present desirable, for we do not wish to destroy i.tho competitive spirit. The scheme, then, is that the colonies—Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and South Africa—will select their teams and tho wholo contingent be brought together in London, say, a fortnight before they are due to leavo for Stockholm. The British team will also bo concentrated in London as far as is possible, and then tho wholo army will train together under the care of responsible coaches and trainers, and bo got into the best possible condition for tho descent on Sweden.

This is 6urely the very ideal of Empire—tho forces of the Mother Country and her children, the colonics, congregating on the shores of Britain to concentrate the forces of Empire, and then voyaging to the battle-ground of Stockholm to challenge in frien lly warfare tho bcs: of the world's athletes. There is no pessimism on the part of the colonial athletes or their mentors. They do not admit defeat until thoy meet it on thn field, and wo may at least hope that they will bo able to infuse some of that spirit into our own folk. It is usoless going into a contest \rith the foreboding that you will lose-; the performances of our men, for instance, made the Empire gamos: appear, a good Mng•'for" tlio United' Kingdom! but noitiier Canada nor Anstralasia troubled about paper form. Theirs to get tho best thoy could out of their representatives, and while Australasia had to take Iho field with a team of cripples nothing was couoedod beforehand, and Canada won tlio Empire trophy mainly by reason of an unexpectedly fino display in tho distance swim by a man who was generally expected to finish last. And Ho Knows Whereof He Speaks. The writer of the article is evidently well posted on the subject of oversea athletics, as witness his further remarks on the possible personnel of the Dominion's next year's teams, particularly as regards our own men:—

We have seen something of tho Canadians this year, and without doubt F. Ilalbhaus, SI. Brock, and J. L. Tait would hold their own in the best country. Then they havo Bobbie Kerr at home, detained by the pressure of. business this year, but practically assured of tho time for tho trip in 1912. G. H. Goulding (tho world's record walker) is another who we may seo in the team, while Canada is sure to send us 6omo good Marathon and field-event men.

As for Australasia, it cannot be too plainly stated that wo have never seoa tho "Kangaroos" team as a team this year. Illness and breakdowns have spoiled their chances. Yet Eonaid Opio is unquestionably a great sprinter. Ere leaving for homo he told us he fully intends to be back nest year and show us what lie can do. W. A. is just finding some form, bj&t is not so certain. G. A. Wheatlcy. is'jo. good half-miler, but scarcely up to the form of our best men; but'perhaps W. G. Harding, the Nov. , Zealander, may ba picked next year. However, there are others in reserve. G. N. Hill, the New Zealand distance man, is said to bo-an out-and-out champion. G. P. Koddell, their hurdle crack, is a man who hurdles alter the American stylo, while J. L. Davis, of Victoria, holde the world's record of 57 l-ssoc. over 3ft. 6in. hurdles. W. Longworth, the swimmer, is said to bo more than, the equal of Longworth, while in L. H. Kolly Victoria has a jumper who looks likely to make a world beater. South Africa may not appear quite as strong, but with recollections of Reggio Walker and V. Duucker ' we need not doubt that tho Cape would send us men of much merit.

The Clocking of Donaldson. Particulars of "Jaiclc" Donaldson's re-cord-breaking run of 130 yards in 12 seconds, in Sydney, are now to hand, and they show that the performance was quito as good as was surmised at tho time. Apparently all the conditions requia'd for the confirmation of the record were complied with—tho runners wero not assisted by wind, the track was not short, and tho watch-holders wore thoroughly competent men, and all three wakhes agreed exactly. One of tho tiinekeepera was Mr. T. W. Korr, a voterrui a.t the game, and generally looked upon as ouo of the mostdepondablo "dockers" in the world. Discussing the matter afterwards with a pressman, Mr. Kerr said:— "When I looked at my watch and found that it showed 12sec. dead I was, to put it mildly, thunderstruck, but when. I queried my confreres, Messrs. Wosthoff and Koborts, and found that hlieir watches agreed with my own, it flashed through my mind that, perhaps, tho distance was short, for no other man in the world had run 12sec. for 130 yards <m tho grass. So, before giving the tiino officially, we took the precaution of having tho track reoioasured, and found that it was 130 yards -I inches. Of courro, we measured by a tape which was GGft. long, and making allowance for sagging, the distajico would be about 130 yards inches—the eamo that the groundsman told me. Tlioro were fivo lengths of tape used, niul tho lost length was COft. 'lin., whic'h gives 130 yards t inches." So that would appear to settlo tho question of tho timing and the track.

Quite an Interesting Point. At tho timo of the Donaldson-Holway race feveral other events were run off— both amateurs and professionals being engaged—of courso in separate rucos. Of tho relative merits of the two classes, the Sydney paper says:— An opportunity was afforded at. this mteting of comparing tho performances of amateur and professional handicap sprinters. Each of tho events was over a distance of 100 yds., nnd were timed by i'hc same officials. Taking into consider.

ation the marks allotted to the various competitors who were successful in each brunch, tho amateur times recorded were faster almost throughout; Tho fastest licit of tho A.A.A. raco was 9 4-sscc. off GJyds., and the final wins won off the swno start in lOsoc.; while the professional iinal was secured off 10yds. in 0 iMOsec, and tho fastest heat was recorded off t'ho (aiino mark in 9 7-lOscc, proving that tho laycrago amateur handicap sprinter hero is superior lo tho professional.