AMATEUR ATHLETICS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1674, 14 February 1913, Page 8

AMATEUR ATHLETICS.

* SATURDAY'S CHAMPIONSHIPS.. (By< Mercury,) Time was when Otagrf never passed a New .Zealand championship meeting without sending a teapi strong both in numbers and in quality. But with' tho decline of public interest in the sport. in the Scotch city, tho numbers have-gone and the quality is admittedly not. that of old. Her representation on \ Saturday will bo four men, and of these four but one—Beatson—appears to "have a chanco of securing a championship.' In tho absence of Hill, Beatson appears to bo tho best three-miler in tho Dominion to-day, and as an ex-New Zealand three-mile champion—ho won at Auckland in 1010, beating Hill among others—and present ; cross-country champion, his appearance should excite soino interest. His strongest opposition should come from the Wellington pair, Byrne and Cook. Otago's sprint representative, Perkins, is a fair runner, but not in the same class as Duncan, for instance. Swinney, the quarter and halfmile representative, has no performances of note to his. credit, but Roid, tho high and broad jumper, may provo equal to championship form. The southern centre is unfortunate in that her two New Zealand. champions, Egglestono (100 yds.) and Mitchell (nigh jump) are not available, tho former having given tho game up on medical advice, and the latter having rc-. tired. Altogether it is a poor look-out for ■ Otago. ' Coming to Southland, it must bo admitted that the baby centre will be a sharp thorn in Wellington's side. Fired by tho laudablo ambition of retaining the shield won by her representatives last year, slio is sending up a strong teamboth in numbers and quality. , First and foremost, of course, is G. P. Ifeddell, Australasian 120 yds. and 410 yds. hurdles champion, , -and Australasian 120 yds. hurdles record-holder. Judging ,by his displays this season, tho champion has never been in better form, and his'quality, may be judged from tho fact that ho is" from 12 to -14 yards better than our provincial champion, A. lialligan, at this distance. A 9 an education in the American style of hurdling, his appearance will be of the greatest, benefit to'local thrcc.stride artists, and as a public attraction he will undoubtedly bo the star of tho meeting. As the New Zealand broadjump record-holder he is entitled to rc-. spect in this event, but his broad-jumping since his accident of some seven years ago, which necessitated his taking off from the other foot, has not been of his old high quality. Still, 011 his day, ho is good for over 21 feet. As a sprinter, too, lie is in the front rank.

A'. Southlander whose first appearance in a New Zealand championship will be watched with keen interest is N.. C : . Saunders, present JOOyds. and 220 yds. champion of Southland. Last . year Saunders was far from being a champion, but ho has improved wonderfully, and on his form at the Southland provincial championships last week.lie should very, nearly beat Duncan on Saturday. Start-, ing off.in tho 120 yds. handicap, lie won freiii scratch in 12 2-ssec., and later in tho afternoon won tho 100 yds. championship by a yard from ICeddell, in 10 l-ssec., and the 220 yds. championship. In tli? field, events the Southland men are a formidable, contingent. First of all there is Reid, present shot-putting champion of New Zealand, who should with ordinary luck retain his title.' Then there is their hammer-thrower, Kean, who last week throw 128 ft. 2in. If ho catches M'Holm in one of his nervy moods, ICean should ones more bo returned New Zealand champion. Both Whitaker and Giller are good for more than 10ft. with tho pole, and this' spectacular event for once in a ivhilo will bo closely contested, there being four men competingwho have done 10 feet or bettor. Last year Giller won the Dominion championship," but on this year's form Whitaker is the better of the pair. Another New Zealand champion coming up with tho team is T. Ilazlet.t, who will be hard put to .it to defend his titlo against ■fll'lCity and M'Kenzie, of ours. The struggle for the shield will, pro-' vided Canterbury do not spring a'surprise, lie between Southland and Wellington,- whose chances will bo reviewed in these cohnnnß : on Saturday-morning. A contributor adds the following:—The Southland Amateur Athletic team of athletes, who are competing here on Saturday at the New Zealand Championship Meeting on the Basin Reserve, arrivd this morning, bringing with them the Championship Shield of which they arc tho present holders. Arrangements have been made to have the Shield displayed at Annit's. tobacconist, Lambton Quay, to-day and Saturday. . ■