ATHLETICS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1645, 11 January 1913, Page 12

ATHLETICS.

flJr "ManOTTBT.'I

ALL THE NEW ZEALAND NEWB,

Valedictory-Mr. J. F. Thompion,

Mr. J. F. Thompson, one of the quieteat and most unassuming, but none the loss valuable, members of the New 4«aland Council has, on tlio occasion of leo.ving 'Wellington to practise law- « Groytown, resigned his seat as cno of the Auckland delegates on that body. ■ On atliletio law * Mr. Thompson is -an authority, and his services on tho Council in this respect wore especially valuable. • But his interest in the sport has been far from confined to tho theoretical and purely administrative. First coming into prominence away back in 1007 as the controlling influence, at the university tournament held in Auokland that year, ho has ever since been aotive in furthering the 6port in quartors wheTe such fur--'theranoa has been, most neoded, and his latest work, the arousing of interest in amateur athletics on tho West Coast has perhaps been tho most valuable ho has accomplished, it being no' mean feat to hoisti the amateur standard in suou a stronghold of professionalism. The Coun6il loses by his resignation, but it is safe to say that athletioti in general will gain by it. Strongly established in the northern part of the Woirarapa Valloy comparatively litilo. has been done towards the formation of amateur clubs in the southern portion of that distriot. Here, then, is another ouportunity for our friend who, without a doubt, will not bo long In his new homo before he again takes up the good work.

How Fill the Blank? - Now'that Mr. Thompson's seat on the Council is definitely vacant, "Mercur/ hastens to 'offer a suggestion as to the filling of it. Ever since '.headquarters were fixed at Wellington Mr. Arthur Davies has been one of the Southland'delegates, and. his 'work as such has given every satisfaction. Still, Mr. Davies has had no practical experience of the sport in the far south, and ho would, ono fanoies, be more at home, aa a representative 'of one of the. two North Island ccntr69> ' * Auckland needing a delegate, what better move could bo made by that centre than to appoint. Mr. Davies who is undoubtedly the best man-available. •• The vacancy thus created in the Southland representation could be admirably filled by Mr. J. B. Holt, at present a member of the. Wellington Centre, but for. many years, a prominent .and valuable member of the Otago Centre. ''Mercury throws but the suggestion and_ in the, interests of amateur athletics hopes that it will be accepted., Mr. Holt would be almost the ideal-member for Southland, arid acticve personality would be an enlivening influence on tho. Council if such bo needed. .: -".: ...

W.A.A.C. Thirty-ninth Sporti. Entries close to-day at the nsnal quarters for the Wellington A.A.C.'s thirtyninth sports meoting, and right royally should *peds." support the ipremier club. Through thick and thin: for more than twenty-five years the club has battled for amateurism, 6cldom failing to hold a carnival even' in the'leanest years. ..Many, have been the financial reverses. which it has suffered, .but it has never ceased fighting. It has.made money at'times, but this has been loyally expended in the interest of'amateur athletics generally, as the Wellington' Centre can feelingly testify. ,- ;;■:■ ;.■'''■',". ■■"'■■".. '. '~ ' At present'well placed monetarily, tho club has brought down an ttttractiye programme for next Saturday, consisting of 100 yds; Maiden Hnndicap, 100 yds. Handicap, 220 yds. handicap, 440 yds. Hnndicap 880 yds. Handicap, 1 Mile-Run Handicap (Indies' bracelet), 1 Mile.Walk Hadicap, 2 Miles Walk Handicap, 120 yds.; Hurdle Handicap, 3 Miles Flat Handicap, High Jump' Handicap, Hop, Step, and .Tump Handicap, -Pole Vaulting .Handicap, Throwing: Hnmmer r ,,; Handicap, -P-lVtU'tl? Shot Handicap, Boys' i Mile Walk,. Boys 220 yds. Dash. ~\: ■...'.. . ;, i ■ .; - It is exceedingly satisfactory to' now that tho Bracelet has been ,'alloted to the mile,, for it is not/often''that tho star event is given to the distance men.; '

May Wo Hope to See Woodgcr? V,',' ■With tho : prospect- of several prominent Mnstortoniahs competing a' keen afternoon's sport may ba anticipated. Then; too, there is the possibility thot.Woodgor may be seen in action. If he has-serious intentions of endeavouring to,regain his ■ titles at tho Now Zealand Championships' next month, he 'should not lose this opportunity- of measuring strides with Duncan, who is at present pretty'near the top of his form and a vastly, improved runner on tho Duncan who opposed .Hood-. .per, in his prime; In those days the oracle .was /consistently: called ~upon to concede.', tho university, champion four yards in tho hundred. If at present he can beat him< off' tho scratch rnarlt it ,will 'bo a pretty-fair -indication that ho will ''onco more' W New' Zealand champion, for, 1 with' Opie retired:Duncan : is undoubtedly 'the..best New Zealand, sprinter in active training.:,; ' . '~'._•' -/';.".'... ,•: '/'" the Shield. -What Are Our Chances? ■ After -Saturday'next"it will be possiblo to form a better opinion of Wellingtons chances of regaining tho Championship Shield. At present tho host argument that can bo advanced in 'her,favour is the faot that the meeting will be-on.her own ground.. .Tho-only events that one would care to. forecast as-certainties for. Wellington representatives are the two sprints, tho walks, and the hammer. . In his old form Lon - M'Kay would be certain to win tho polo vault, but his present form is Unknown, ho having had no opportunity of showing it in public -Jack Bradbury is running as well as' ever, but will that bo enough to enable him to defeat Dormer in the "half"? .Who.have we to oppose Dormer iri the "quarter," and who to have a chance of securing second'to Keddell in tho hurdles, for instances. "Mercury" knoweth not till after' next, Saturday.' Present: provincial' champions clean out of form; include Poole and V. Byrne. If they arc going to: get fit at all this season, they should bo showing signs .of itnext Saturday. ~-. Sproule and Sprints. G.' M.' Sproule, the Melbonrno distance runner, Whoso exploits in' England were referred to in.this t column a fortnight ago, continues/on his winning, v'ay. On November 14, running for Oxford against tho Thames H. pud H., he lead the field homo over, seven miles of road, grass and plough in 40min. 38see. Oxford- won tho match by 18 points to 37; A. few, days later Sproule caused; some 6urpriso by winning a mile handicap at Oxford; A London,writer has'tho following to say on his win:—

"Sproule's sprint in the last hundred yards was irresistible, but ho cut it very .fine, and it was only in, the "last two strides that, ho succeeded in getting,the lend of tho baekmnrker. This is' certainly Sproulo's best performance sinco ho camo into residence, Previous to this he had been looked on purely as a -.long-distance runner without Any' pace, but his' sprint on the present occasion took everyone by surprise,- and lie should have a good look in for the three miles next term now that both Porter and Gawan Taylor are down. Tho ro- ! suit wasi <j. M.' Sproule, Balliol, 40 yds., 1; H. Pitman, New College, 10 yds., 2; H. E. Head, Corpus, 3j A. G. Knight, Magdalen, 4.. Pittmnn overtook Knight just beforo entering tho straight, but .Sproule. mndo a magnificent spurt from the 100 4 yards, and, getting up in the. last stride or two, won a. grand raco by six inches, ten yards 'separating. second and third, Read, who camo with a rush at tho finish, just beating. Knight out. of the latter position. Time, 4min. 2G 2-ssec." ■ I"G.'.N. Hill Will Need to Travel."

Ex-English 'and Olympic champion Emil Voigt put up a good performance nt Molbourno recently by winning a two miles handicap by a hundred yard 9 in lOmin. 51-sseo., conceding big starts to several well-known Victorian distance men. The littlo Englishman is sure to -make a big effort to get in form for the next Australasian championships, and this being so G. N. Hill will have need to travel both in tho milo and thrco miles.