ATHLETICS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1485, 6 July 1912, Page 12

ATHLETICS.

[Br "Mekcdet."] THE RIDDLE OF OLYMPIA. July 0 to 15—Athletio Section, Olympic Games, Stockholm. August .10.—New Zealand Cross-Country Championship, Wellington. August 2-I—Wellington Provincial Crosscountry Championship (Paliucrston North). New Zealand's Only Two. Tho Olympia events begin at Stockholm to-day, and, before my next notes appear, wo shall have some inkling at least of how our own two lono hopes stand with tho world's best. Champion's only essays in public, of which we hnvo received word, have both been attended with some measure of success. His win in a local half-mile championship on tho Thamos indicates that he has struck something, like his best form, though whether his best is equal to tho world's best is still a matter for conjecture. Can We Hope for Hill?. As to Hill, the only cabled news received is far from reassuring. Unplaced in the English mile championship is not the best intimation that he will have any chance of even securing a place / in tho 1500 metres Olympio event, but,' as "Prodigal" points out in the "Referee," his defeat need not bo taken too' seriously, as he had not, at'the time, been more than a week or two off tho boat. Still, with the memory of hie wonderful performances hero last season fresh in tie mind, one must own up to a sense of disappointment at his most recent performance. Of course he may strike his true gait and reproduce his home form, and,. in sooth, he will need to, for he will probably bo meeting most o,f the men who finished in front of him in the English championship, and, in addition, he will have against him the Continental and American cracks. Moreover, one can hardly hope that he will have a great ohanco in the fivemiles event. This is a distance over which he has never proved himself to bo in tho very front rank. However, may ho strip in his best form, 60 that wo may know, if he is beaten, exactly what his class is. With ono possible exception, the best amateur miler ever turned out in these parts, it will indeed bo a bitter pill to swallow if it is brought home, to us that he is some ilegrecs from being tho world beater that wo fondly believed him to be. Our Australian AlUbs—What Chance? With regard to other members of Australasia's forlorn little crack team—Poulter, Stewart, Murray, and, possibly, Skeet —it. is difficult to "enthuse" (o any great extent over their chances, except, possibly, in the case of Poultor, and that only on the strength of tho recent cabled report that ho was Tunning finely,. Botter Men Than Stewart There, Stewart has been performing consistently, but, on this season's form alone, he is not the equal of tho South African Patching or tho Englislmian Applegarth. Botli these runners finished in front of him in the English 100 yds. championship. In tho British Olympio trials, 6omo six weeks or so ago, Applegarth defeated him, so that he seems sure to be beaten again by the Englishman at Stockholm. Then there are also the Americana and the Canadians to be reckoned with. ■ ■

Has Not Murray Been Over-rated? Murray suffered defeat in the two miles walking championship at Stamford Bridgo a fortnight ago, and, even allowing him the same excuse that has been offered for Hill, it seems that his recent performances in Victoria have been rated too highly. "Mercury," for one, has never been of the opinion that Murray is a world beater. No excuses were offered for his defeats over hero at the Australasian championships, and his startling, improve-, mont in tho short space of two months seemed too good to bo altogether truo. Ho will lie opposed by a proven champion in tho Canadian Goulding and in. the ex-English champion, E. J. Webb, whom Harry Kerr considers to be tho fairest walker ho has ever econ. Webb has covered tho Olympic 10,000 metres distance at the Herno Hill Harriers evening meeting on May 2G in 45inin. 15 8-sseo. A South African Who May Prevail, Tho following, appearing in tho last "Referee" to hand (from one who knows him), is interesting as giving a line as to tho quality of A. C. St. Norman, tho South African who, in some quarters, has been reckoned as the probable winner, it would seem that Murray has a chance of defeating him at any rate. Tho letter reads:— "I read with great interest your and 'W.L.S.V remarks in last Wednesday's 'Referee' regarding •' A. C. St. Norman and his cliances in the 10,000 metres walk at tho Fifth Olympiad. Personally, I think your estimate much nearer the mark than that of 'W.L.S.' of the Manchester 'Sporting Chronicle.' I am well acquainted with St. Norman and his capabilities. I do not give him any chance at all in the race. He is too slow for such' a short distance, and I can well understand the doubt that exists as to his having done 20min. 49 2-ssec. for thrco miles. In my opinion, lie is quite incapable of doing that time, or even inside 22-min. J. J. Harley, of Sidney, would give him a beating over three i miles. St. Norman's 'going' is certainly irreproachable, and ho has tho stamina, but he lacks tho pace. Ono of his best performances is 40 miles in 7hr. Omin. 2Gsec. on tho road ' nt Port Elizabeth C.C., in 1003. St. • Norman is reaching tho veteran stage athletically. Although of heavy build (weighing about 1901b. and standing Gft. in height), he is a> good long-dis-tanco runner, and should he start in the 'MaTathon,' which is possible, he would havo some chance of success. If Murray's action when going very fast passes muster, I look to him or Goulding to furnish tho winner in the walk." Then Coming to the Marathon. Coming to out one certain representative in the Marathon—S. H Poultcr, of Sydney—one would like to believe that tho cabled report as to his fitness indicates that he has a fair chance, but here, again, from tho fact that, like Hill, he has not yet proved himself in first-class company, his chances do not seem of tho brightest. In Australia Murray defeated him, and it does not appear that Murray fancies his own chances in the Marathon alluring enough to induco him to start.

I No Joke, This Marathon, Then too, gentle render, consider tho following, which is the result of tho "Sporting Lite" Marathon, the standard event of its kind in England:— J. Corkery, Irish-Canadian A.A., 2hr. 36unn. 55 2-ssee. : 1 C. AV. Gitsham, South African Olympic Team, 2hr. 37min. 14 3-ssec. ... 2 H, Green, Heme Hill Harriers, 2hr. 33min. 22 2-ssec '. 3 S. Frnncom, AVirral A.C., 2hr. 42tnin. 5 l-ssec 4 P. Lord, Wibsey Tark A.C., '2hr. 41min. 33 2-ssec .-. 5 H. G. Kellawny, nemo Hill Harriers, 2hr. •lSinin. ssee 6 Twenty-three finished, 14 being within the three hours. The time was very fast. Tho first three men boat 2hr. duniin., which is probably some jew minutes better than tho Australian is capable of. Altogether, my.masters, it seems a black lookout tor ouv men, Concluding Thoughts on Olympia, Then, tho British Isles, although they havo such numbers to choose from", do not appear to havo much chance of capturing moro than one or two of the athletic events—possibly tho ilvo miles and tho relays. The best performances at tho Olympia dials were 6ft. in the run-' uiug high jump, by E. H. Baker, of Liverpool; 15 l-l>sec. in the 110 metres hurdles, by K. l'owell; 4U l-ssec. for tho 400 metres flat, by C. N. Seedhouso; nnd 100 ft. Gin. in the hammer, by the Scotch champion T. H. Nicholson. All theso performances are some distance behind America's best in tho same events. At loast, one of the Germans is likely to troublo tho Americans, and, this one is Ilaus Brann, who recently won an 800 metres fiat race in lmin. 51 feat worthy of any champion, TOthcr Athletic, observations by "Mercury" appear on another page of this Jssue.jj