ATHLETICS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1521, 17 August 1912, Page 12

ATHLETICS.

[Bt "Mercuet."] RECRIMINATIONS AT HOME. Otago's Splendid Win in the Cross-Coun-try, After a deal of work and worry, the Wellington Centre was enabled to bring the New Zealand cross-country championship of ISII2 —tlio fifth of tho present series—to a successful issue last Saturday. Hearty congratulations arc duo to the Otugo Centre on tho performance oi its roam, a sterling combination, and in particular to J. Ucatson, tho new champion, on his long-deferred and wellearned success. For three, successive years this good trier has finished second in this event, and his success at this, the fourth time of asking, will be begrudged by none. Otago's win was clear-cut and decisive. Tho first four men home—a complete team—were Otagoans, while one'southern centro also annexed the scaled handicap with Mickclson, who finished fourth in tho big event. The Auckland representatives, all members of tho Hamilton A.A.C., made a good showing, filling fifth, sixth, eighth, and ninth place, while tho local men took tho "wooden spoon" with tenth, eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth places—a most disappointing performance indeed.

The Badly-measured Course. The only blemish on the arrangements lay in the fact that the course was found to bo some distance over tho regulation five miles, but this' in no way affected tho result, although of course it renders tho time recorded useless for comparison with that of previous years. However, tho country traversed was so stiff (consisting of swampy ground, sand dunes, and hill slopes, with several wiro fences and water jumps by way of variety), that in any case good clocking could not be looked for.

What has Gone Wrong with Wellington? The other blemish, from a local viewpoint, on the' day's sport has already lx?en referred to—the poor showing made by tho Wellington team on their own ground. Not only Were they outpaced by both the southern and tho northern visitors—they appeared to be outclassed in all respects, even in condition. Why this should bo so, "Mercury" does, not know. Hut there must bo good reasons. It has been suggested that ono cause of tho failure migut lie in Iho fact that tho usual Saturday afternoon runs are too easy for the crack runners, who thus get in the habit of running well within their powers, and so, when bustled out of their ordinary pace, go to pieces. Another suggestion was that our local men during the winter months neglect flat running too much, with tho result that there is no corrective for tho shortening up and loss of pace caused through ovor indulgence, in hill work. But whatever tho reasons for tho local shortcomings are, there can bo no doubt that they aro remediable if they can be found, and it behoves our harrier clubs to go into tho matter thoroughly and searchingly if they aro to hold thoir own in future with cross-country runners from the other centres. It is'palpable that something is wrong, as things aro at present. It is equally palpablo that the shortcoming is either in tho men or in their methods. It cannot bo said to be tho former, judging from the measure of success achieved by tho local centre's track runners, ' and therefore it must bo in the methods. The obvious courso now is to discover where these aro wrong, and to make tho necessary corrections forthwith. Those Recriminations, It seems from what has appeared in some or the English snorting papers that tho strictures passed, in certain authoritatiyo quarters at'Hbine'ahent tho amateur status of the over-sea athletes has provoked'-soino 'reply from the visitors. Exactly what theso strictures aro is not yet quite clear, but, from what can bo gleaned from hints in tho various files, some of tho conservative English authorities have stigmatised tho methods of what aro termed the "colonials" as sr.vcuriug strongly of professionalism. It appears also that Neville Kill has seized tho opportunity of cumbatJUtf this contention—app.u'Jiitly at si,rae function in England, and his re-narks on the subject have met with huino nidation.' "Mercury" has been unable to discover exactly what Hill said, or where ho said it, but the gist of our. representative's rebuttal is to be found in the following paragraphs, by a writer in "Tho Sporting Lifo" (London), as follows:— "I really cannot understand the trend of thought that results in a pronouncement which brands our visitors as anything but tho very best kind of amateurs. They aro giving their timo and the utmost of their ability to tho service of their country, without tho slightest hope of pecuniary benefit. No wonder that the New Zealandcr G. N. Hill spoko a few homo truths on tho subject. Only a few months ago we had unfolded to us tho schemo of an Empire team gathering together in London'to train together and make tho journey to Stockholm as ono team. I wondered what had become of the great idea launched by B. Coombes,' and tcntat-'vely agreed to by the Canadian and British representatives at 'tho conference; but if the views ex-' pressed on Saturday are really thoso held in high quarters, no wonder it fell through."

Further Evidence of the Unhappiness in England. Tho "Sportsman" takes a 60inewkat similar attitude thus: "After-dinner speaking 'should rarely bo regarded seriously. Somehow or other, judging from tho talk on tho tracks during tho past week, athletes havo taken to heart what the A.A.A. legislators Eaid nftej tho championships as to tho part thoy had played and the part they would not play in connection with the Olympic Games. However, some of the athletes declare that (hero is a crumb of comfort iu tho inconsistency of the A.A.A., inasmuch as ouo minute they praise the colonials for their support to tho chain-, pionships, and their good athletic deeds, yot iu tho next muvuto proceed to tell them that, sinco they havo been subsidised by their countrv for the purpose of pursuing their athlotic inclinations, and to bring back honour and venuwn from the great Olympiad, they are making a business of the sport, and are, according to tho ideal of the A.A.A., pro. tessionals. "How comes it, then, to be logical that these colonials are, on the definition by tho A.A.A. of an amateur, to all intents and purposes, professionals; and that they aro allowed to competo in our championships? Of course, no one, for the purposes of fho Olympic Games would regard tho special 'training that the South Africans, for instance, have had in this country as making professionals of them. And yet, whilo the A.A.A. deny it to their own men, they countenance in regard to others say would make Englishmen professionals'. "The colonial athletes who have been with us are amazed at the opportunities our athletes havo for compstition, and have been very much impressed with file number of athletes who perform reiriilarly in this country—this on the authority of U. N. Hill, who attributes his failure hero, and that of Murray, the walker, to the change in climate. If they had 'not been the athletes of tho reputation which preceded them to this country it is not likely that the Australasian authorities would havo sent them lo eompste in tho Olympic Games. At least that is Mr. Hill's assurance. A Very Outsooken View of it. Another English paper, "Reynold's Weekly," is very outspoken jji its utterances regarding tho charges of semi-pro-fessionalism brought by other English papers against tho over-sea competitors, especially tho Americans at the Gaines. Tha article was written at the conclusion of tin; Olympiad, and, inter alia, voices tho following hoii'c truths:--"In plain Knglish. this country has come into rivalry with the pick of tho world's athletes, and by some iiiiMiiiinagement is represented by athletes who aro ill-trained and ill-disciplined. Cases are reported of men who have broken down through too hurriedly training, and the account of tho behaviour of the competitors is not a iittlo galling. "British athletes do not appear to tako their .ivork seriously, whilo Americans.

have to get leave from their trainer even to come ashore from tho liner Finland, on which they aro housed. Each evening some Britishers aro to be scon lounging at tho calcs up to midnight and later, fnoso nominally in control of tho team admit that there is a complete obsenco of discipline and science. Tiicy even assert that if Great Britain wishes to go to tho Berlin Olympiad with anv prospect, of doing herseli credit, sho must first of ull send her best trainer to America for a i' L fJ to learn his business. Tho reason of the Olympic failures is that tho British athlete must use his head as well as his limbs, and not be übi!" al i o '.i One message from Stockholm stated, that the Americans held a grand inquest into the track performance of ono ?L i ~i s! ' "KesMitalives, and tlio act has called forth many covert sneers ,„?!, 1 ' ¥ . rs , llere ' ll is « al '<l <» sco IHf' i lhtt fVf a , thill S is worth doing at ' a" it should be done thoroughly and well. tnln ?i!» mq , U< f '? duo ' iu tuis country , am? „„, " 01 , 10d - s -, of tho 01 J' n 'Pic Council, ( snort thio ttlCßcd '»dio3 of i ™?ii ? 0S ° bosus ai «tttcurism is a thinly K'lled form of class snobbery. When amateurism in this country "niaces per u«L ,1 } n b ,° t i ,Vccn - t T e artisau fl nd lei*tinetfJ ?si atl cto , s - 6in . kiu e all ola! * disT'. S ', 1S tr.M interest of sport itnrl J,„ a " a, ; old iKlittling as we •S\w/ u fr^ r "iS nt Stockholm. tAf't 1 ' " $'- m wo dw »P«d tin's iinvthinJ l u n Mt k "J B Could w»ii. i S lllustl ' a t« what H. G. Uells describes as 'that quality of mod ern upper-class England tW Ler got hedßC ?, about n "« ™" those points of honour that aro the ultimate comminution, of honour, that claims credit for things demonstrably half done. 1 w Z ?i V'?- g h l the , world ' s B roat contest in athletics has been demonstrably half done, and our preparation as well and we turn up our noses and say 'of course wo would not go to the absurd trouble, those hustling Americans are taking. This is not intended as a whiuo about physical degeneracy or anything of the kind. This country holds plenty of lads, who could boat tho Americans at running, swimming, rowing, or any other games they liavo a mind to if they woro given the chance. They arc given littlo encouragement except from sporting pub-' licans along tho lines of professionalism, and 'lily-white amateurs' keep the bar against them as high as they con. That is where America, Australia, and Africa havo tho pull over Great Britain' in tho field of sport."

So It Is the Old Trouble All Over Again. So it is the old troublo of tho previous games all over again, and nothing will make the. task of those striving to weld tho athletic strength of England and her Dominions overseas into ono Empire team for futuro Olympiads' more difficult than these continual charges of mismanagement and incompetency against tho English A.A.A. authorities. Naturally enough, tho Dominions l that have been granted separate representation at the Games, will want to bo very certain that before they forego their present rights, and sink their identity in the English Olympic Council, that body is competent to take charge of their athletic destinies. At present the English Olympic Council appears to have a hard task before it to disprovo its incapacity to manage its own affairs, and until it can do, and has dono, this, tho Dominions overseas are likely to continue to prefer to paddle their own canoes.