ATHLETICS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1354, 3 February 1912, Page 12

ATHLETICS.

"THE ASININE ENGLISH A.A,A." [BT "Mercuet."] , February 7.—Athlotic Football Sporff Club, evening mooting, 13asin Bcservo. February 10— Wellington Provincial Championship Meeting. February 17.—Canterbury Centre Sports Moeting, Lancaster Park, Christchurch. February 17.—Petone Junior A.A. Club. Afternoon sports meeting, Petone. February 21.—Karori A.A. Club, evening meeting. February 21.—Hawke's Bay Caledonian Sports, Napier. February 21 —New Zealand Championship Meeting, Invercargill. February 28.—Manawalu A.A. Club's sports meeting, PaJmorston North. March 2.—Karori Club's Carnival, Karon X'ark. March 16.—Challenge Competition,. Athletic Football Sports Club and Victoria College A.A. Club, Kclburno Park. March 23.—Victoria College A,A. Club Sports, Kelburne Park. Candid and Caustic Enough. "Mercury" has received a recent issue of London "Truth," containing a scathing indictment of the English A.A.A. in regard to preparing it® men for tlie Olympic games in particular, and or atliletio competitions in general, i'lie article is hoaded "The Asinine A.A.A.," and makes a comparison of tho Swedish method with th« English, greatly to tho disparagement ot the latter. Commenting on what the Swedes have done—a London athletic club team had visited them, and been well and soundly beaten in the field games—and, secondly, because tho forthcoming games in July are to be held in Stocknolm, the "Truth" critic writes:—

It is just as well that English athlotes should realise what tho Swedes aro doing, and thon let them consider what wo, can do, say at tho Army meeting, where there is no reason whatever why tho field events should not bo amongst the best in the world. Tho material is tho finest, and the men could be trained, but what do wo find? Officers and men in field events and ■on the track are as to 99 per cent, of them platers pure and simple. In fact, tho field events aro chiolly characterised by their non-exist-enco. Now, consider what tho Swedes have done in the last four years. They havu engaged the services of a' Swedish-' American Hjestberg, who, when in tho States, trained Flanagan, tho hammerheaver, who. holds the record. This trainer has worked wonders in the field events. In the high jump there aro sc\ eral men up to eft. lm. In each event tho L.A.C. took, part in, and they were some hundred miles apart, they ran up against 6ft. leapers. The English high jumper is phenomenally good for England; lie can clear sft. 7in. But as for his chance against tlie Swedes, his travelling expenses were thrown away. In the pole jump there aro a dozen Swedes who can get near 12ft. I doubt if the United Kingdom has one. ''The strong men (weight, discua, shot and hammer).would hold their own with any company, and the javelin is in safe keeping. Well, this is what tho Swedes oan do and havo done. That our material is good enough Ido not doubt. But it is wasted.

I hen the cntio sooks for reasons and irnds some. He continues""We in these stands sleep on, sleep ever. Other notions organise, teach and push ahead. Not for us those, ways. The bigoted heads of our public schools tako not an atom of interest in the school sports. The boys are not trained to run or throw the hammer, put the weight, or the elements of modern hurdling."

Tho English—What aro They? And so on until ho .oomes round to tho Amateur Athletic Association. Then he gets quite caustic, in these terms:— The A.A.A. consists of a number of' men, the majority middle-aged, who owe what public notoriety they possess to the fact that they are amongst the councillors of tho A.A.A. They attend oomm'ittoo meetings, and flutter about with big rosettes at athletics meetings. ■They talk of tho good old days of eports, and spend their dotage in squabbling with old friends about some rotten cycling races about which tile public does not care a rap. Th® A.A.A. toils for the purity of a sport, it labours after impossible ideals, it endeavours to take a synoptic. new of sport. In fact it has every disease that is characteristic of the Oxford institution born and bred. There is nothing practioal about it. And the men who run it arc so very careful of their position that tlioy cannot think of organising, teaching, and promulgating tho benefits of athletics as a prooess in national eugenics. One may object to somo of the .methods of the Amateur Swimming Association and tho Life Saving Society. They may savour of advertisement. But they attract attention. In public parks and in villages a small piece of land would do for weight and jumping competitions. In German towns every piece of land is used in that way. But the A.A.A. will not touch teaching either the rural or town population. At the socalled Highland games that attract the Southerner sojourning in the north during this season of t the year the weight, hammer, and jumps done by heftv men are paralyticaliy bad. Surely the "A.A.A. might leave high questions of policy and get to tho Ixdrock bottom of fact.

Next summer the Olympic gamcß take place at Stockholm. The A.A.A. will, select a team, but will uot organise or train the men. To do that would bo contrary to the spirit of true amateurism. This is tho sort of dnvcl that one hears. And the men must not bp taught bv a professional of intelligence That would never do. And so next year will see the Old Country wiped out by tho intelligent organisation of the foreigner.. There will bo wailing and weeping and gnashing of teeth; and the officials of the A.A.A. will say (hat. they selcoted tho men and there their duty was ended. Thev will eat dinners, make speec.hos, and will conceive that they have done their dutv Thev will be eimromniv satisfied' with failure. Self-satisfaction is the signpost. of incompetency. ' With which epigrammatic conclusion the A -VA. is left awakened (it is to bo hoppdj in somo degree from its lethargy. Thin"* may not bo as bad as is indicated above, but unfortunately (here n» ample evidence that there is much 111 what is said. Results have proved it, as have also the reports of overseas athletes who lia\ e competed at Home.

Last Saturday's "Meet." Tho Civil Service Club provided a good "bill of faro fcr its patrons at tho Basin Kcservo on Saturday. Iho two best performances of tho day wore registered by V Bvrnc, in Uio half-mile lull, ami b\ D! Casliman in the lmlo wall;, ami, of these, (he latter, as the bettor of the two, calls for iivst mention. Iho limit men set off at a good clip right from the mm, headed by T. C. Johnson, off t.ie "Odvds mark. At tho halt-mile, hicvwmht from 170 yds., had closed up 011 Johnson, and the two back men, Fitzgerald (fiflvds.) and Casliman (scratch), had not gained a groat, deal. In the third lap .Tohnson got away again from Sievwright, who was tiring, and Casliman moved up. passed I'ilzgorald, and set off after Sievwright. Ho was going fast, and well, anil it was evident that ho was doing good time. Ho caught Sievwright early in the last lap, but Johnson was going too strong, and won out in Cmin. 32 Msec., with tho scratch man about 20 yards away second, and Sievwright two'yards behind third, (.'ashman's time was (imin. V l-ssoc.—a really good "go," and, what is more satisfactory, his gait was missed by the judges without demur. Johnson walked well in a correct, if not too elegant style, and Sievwright, too, showed signs of improvement. This young walker has a good style,_ but tires' in a wav that indicates that li.is training work 'lacks long, steady walking. V. J. Byrne, in the "half," proved himself a "comer." Starting behind a field of ten, he cut out his first quarter in Till 2-. r ,sec., and ran into a close third in 2min. 0 1-ssec. 110 was beaten-a short ten yards, so was running just about 2min. 2sec., which, with the northerly breeze to contend against, and a not too

level track, puts him very near championship class. Another scratch performance of merit was J. Wilton's "quarter." This event was won, by Tivseddcr, off 22yds., in 51 3-ssee„ with Wilton a good second. So he must have been running a sound 52scc. —always a good performance on tho Basin track. Among the handicap men, M. Pool ran well, as also did A. A. Hold. The former was timed to win the hundred in 10 l-fisec. off l yards in both heat and final, which, although consistent, would appear to flatter his pace somewhat. Forward the Athletics. Mr. J. W. Ilecnan is to be congratulated upon his handicapping in the track event.*, and also upon the fact that no fewer than fwenly ivpitwntafives of tho club ot' which' he is such an efficient "lead" were among tho afternoon's competitors. Tho Athletic i'uotball Sports Club is rapidly becoming a forco to bo reckoned with, and the wearers of tho blue and' blacki singlets wcro to be seen filling tho places with what to Mr. Heeuan must liavo be«n pleasurablo consistency. This club, one of our youngest, looks very like annexing tho M'Villy challenge shield at the Provincial Championship.' on tho 10th inst. A Wairarapa Raid. Apropos of the M'Villy shield, word has been received from Mr. J. Bradbury, the Provincial ex-champion milcr and keen enthusiast of Masterton, that the Wairarapa Club intend putting in a strong challenge for the trophy. A big team is coming ovor tho border to offer battlo to the town clubs, and it is moro than probable thnt the veteran Bradbury himself will bo out again for tho mile championship. He lias been in training about t.hroo weeks, and should reaulta warrant it ho intends turning out, not, as he says, with, a big chanco of winning, but in pursuit of shield points for his club. F, J, Wilson Out Austin. Another probable starter on February 10th is Frank Wilson, (ho half-miler, and present holder of t,.j titlo of provincial champion at this distance. Ho has been giving himself gentle work during the week, and hopes to strike tho form necessary to retain _ his title. If he does his race with Byrne will bo a great "go," and will prove an excellent tost of tho real capabilities of both, of them. / General Notes. Thus tho Sydney "Referee":— I The work of tho Council of the N.Z.A.A.A. is thoroughly businesslike, ami in no respect is this more noticeablo than their dealings with _tho A.A. Union of Australasia. Mr. W. G. Talbot, the lion, secretary, sends along to the executive complete information with typed reports of all doings at council meetings for filing. Of a recent arrival in Melbourne from England the "Australasian" says:—"The latest athletic immigrant, Ernest Gore, may prove useful to his new club. He is only 21, and last year, at Crewe, won' the mile handicap (off 130 yards) in tain. Usee, (pity tho poor scratch man), and a week later won another milo handicap (oft 80 yards) in 4min. lGsec. Ho has also shown form across country." Mercury" at times has had occasion to protest against the tasks set scratch men by local liandicappors, but they never liavo blundered to the above extent.