ATHLETICS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1289, 18 November 1911, Page 12

ATHLETICS.

(Br "ifEECtrnT.") AN INTERESTING CAUSERIE. November 29.—Karori A.A.C. Evening Meeting. November 110.—Civil Service Departmental Tournament (Basin Itraprve). December (!.—W.A.A.C. Meeting (Ilasin lieservp). December "I! nnd 27.—Anslrjilasinn Amatpur Championships (Atblelie Park).

A Pleasing Lottcr From Harding, W. G. Harding, of Napier, tho Dominion's rlinmpion half-miler, is to turn out in the Dominion's interests nt the Australasian, mooting nt Christmas lime, after all. 'fitis is good hearing for all concerned, and materially increases Now Zealand's chanco of retaining the Cliauipionship Shield.

Immediately aftor hearing of tho champion's intended retirement, "Mercury" got into communication with him, and endeavoured to induce him to reconsidor his determination, with tho happy result related above. Writing to "Mercury," Harding says:

"I have considered yonr proposition, and now conclude that I must don tho shoes ohco again, and 'givo it a go.' Have now settled down to it in real earnest, nnd am running freely and well. I never require to work off much adipose tissue, as you know, and 'footer,' nnd general training during tho past winter kopt mo in thorough fix until tho end of August, so that I should be gotting wound up in plenty of timo for December 26 and 27. Last winter I havo been playing in rep. 'footer' here, and, of course, that required additional work. I hope I am still in timo for nomination in tho New Zealand team, and will let you know of progress from time to time."

Further Good News. There is an old saying to the effect that misfortunes never come singly. Happily there are cases in which the same remark may. bo applied in the opposite direction—it never rains but it pours, eo to speak, all of which preamble is to lead up to further good news about our half-mile representation in tho Australasian championships. J. F. Wilson, the probable second string for tho distance, who ran a brilliant second to Harding at the last championships, has also announced himself as available for selection. Tho report of his retirement was "slightly exaggerated." Hβ is, in fact, already in training.

"Len" M'Kay Joins the Benedicts. L. M. M'Kay, our champion pol&vaultcr, was married on Wednesday last. In wishing tho popular "Mac" all joy and good fortune in his new sphere, Mcrenrv" is but voicing the feelings of -alllocal athletic enthusiasts. Happily, too, Wie felicitations, in this case are without, the usual tinge of regret that the gain ot tho ranks of tho Benedicts, is achieved at tho expense of the athletic brigade— ae too often, happens. M'Kay is still to be at his country s call if wanted, which moans that ha will, as usual, be up and doing in defence of tho shield on. December 2G and 27.

A Talk with ths Hammer Champion. Daring the week "Mercury" had a talk with Alex. Bisset, the "hammer" champion, who reports himself as showing marked improvement on his throwing ot last season. He has nov; mastered two ■turns in the circle, and has feopes of acquiring the comploto "reel" by Christmas time, and, if so, tho writer will be looking foT new figures for this event at the big meeting. Bisset declined to commit himself to figures anent his practice performances, but lie evidently has reason to be pleased with hig progress— Which is but a fitting reward for his perseverance a-nd cheery enthusiasm. Gerald Keddell in the Far South. ■ • Gerald Keddell, the Australasian and Now Zealand hurdle , champion, is the first of our ehield defenders to appear in competition on the track this season. At a recent meeting at Orepuki in tho 220 yards handicap, G. P. and his brother R. A. made a great race of it, E. A. winning by inches, with Orr second and G. P. Keddell third. In the 440 yards handicap Gerald Keddell started 12 yards behind, nnd was beaten by Chamberlain, wlio finished gamely. It was rather a pity (savs- tho "Southland Times") that the society mado. no arrangements for official timekeepers, as the paco in . the •140 was a cracker, and, despite the rough track, the time must have been very fast. "Twelve yards behind" reads rather queerly as a 410 yards handicap, but it is good to learn that Keddell is taking on "quarter" running: He is evidently doiag it with tho object ot working up his stamina over the hurdles at this distance, with an eye on his coming struggle with J.. Ij. Davis, of Victoria, the world's record holder for this event.

Victoria's "Find" for the Sprints. Apropos of things Victorian comes news of the discovery o£ a sprinter of parts by this, our most formidable rival. Tho "find" is one J. A. Troup, a seventeen-year-old student at the Scotch College. In the recent inter-oollege "meet" in Melbourne, this lad was clocked to win tho 100 yards championship in 10 seconds dead. Tronp also won tho 220 yards tnampionslrip by a ,foot from L. H. Kelly, already well known as a brilliant college, athlete, in 23 2-ssec., also tire broiul jump at 19ft. 9in., beating Kelly by half an inch at the end of a big day's work. Just prior to this meeting Troup won Ms school jump at 21ft. Co"mroeiiting on tho even-time prformance in the hundred, "Harrkr," writes in the "Australasian"—

Tho course was remeasured, and found correct; and the three timekeepers agreed, so it is hard to cavil at, and, in face of this, it seems unfair to cast doubts on the result. The wind was' light and across tho runners. The track may have had a slight fall, but I cannot say as to this, and at anyrate it can only have been slight. Yet Kelly tells mo 10 3-ssec. was his best previous time, and, excopt that Troup was credited with ini-s?fc. in his school sports recently, 10 3-ofco. was also his best. If Kelly ran equal to 103-ssoe. last week, or G yards worse, Troup ran 3 yards worse, so might hftve been clocked at 10 l-ssec. Any way yon take it, it was a magnificent run for a schoolboy of 17 (two yoars ago ho won the under. 1C 100 yards in llsec.), and entitles him to a further trial for the Victorian team.

L. IT. Kelly, at the same meeting, won tlio quarter mile flat from Troup in 51 2-ssec, and D. Lawrence won the shotputting at 35ft. 4Ln.—both brilliant school performances.

The City Council's Imposition. There is a matter in connection with the training facilities of our local athletes that the Wellington Centre might very will take, in hand. This is the imposition by the City Council of the license fee of Os. for the use of the city reserves for training purposes. Last season this was 2s. Cd., which, as it included tho use of a key of the dressingrooms, was quite reasonable and was paid without demur.

The new charppe, however, is rightly looked upon an excessive, as the reserves aro not affected in the slightest degree by tlio training work, and the centre would earn the goodwill of tho men concorned and would, moreover, bo doing what is only its duty in endeavouring to get tho extra half-crown rebated by the civic authorities. .

"This is Great Racing." Even time as a standard of merit in professional sprint running is rapidly becoming a back number in Australia. Last week we read with some wonder, and a great deal of disbelief that in his match with C. E. Holway, "Major" A. A. Taylor had won two of the throe events, running tho 75 yards in 7 1-5 seconds, nnd tho 100 yards in 0 2-5 seconds. Holway "■■crntchetl for the third distance —125 yds. This phenomenal "clocking" is partly explained by details to hand by inn.il, which show that the runners wrre helped by a strong breeze, but no sooner has this wonderment died down than thn cables proYido us with more to marvel a^

This ia tlio womliM-ful rmiuitift <>( Jncl: Duniililsiin mill Arthur I'nr-110 in Ilicir tliixiMlisUmro miilr.li in Mpllmurtip. llnn(ilihmu HJi.i Ihmilpii mil: i>f Iho Nil yimlfi inn liv n Idol, in 7 i.'i wronilii, lint wmi (li« oilier Uu evenln. and ilui!) Hip mnleli. running 0 3-5 Kpniml.u for (ho "hiniilinl," ami nhiiiini: In* mj ini-lic-i .mihl 10 15 «n-. <ni<ls for 11(1 ynnls. wimiim; In- four iiii'hiw. Thi.i in i:rp:il rncitiu n.nd emit, niiminit. Ivhp.li iiuui in «vei-v iumih y»\ iiiiidn "evtins." mill I'nsllo's 1(1 V!i".pii. |~i lln varilii ci|iinl(i llio Aniprii'iin I! I'lough's j'pforil kv (ho dipl.-inco.