ATHLETICS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1681, 22 February 1913, Page 12

ATHLETICS.

(By "Mercury.") , THE YEAR'S NEW CHAMPIONS. Anxious Time With the Barometer. That arch humorist—the sprite controlling tho weather—played a merry game with the Wellington Centre last week. Staking its all "upon the success of tho championship gathering, many were the' anxious moments experienced by tho lq'cal controlling authority as the days passed with a procession of heavy, blustering nor'-westers, occasionally , varying to the south, a barometer remarkable for the steadiness of its all too humble lowness, and threats of rain. It seemed in the early'h-ours of Saturday morning, when a heavy southerly, pouring rain in plcntv, sprang up, that, for tho fourth time iii five years, the big gathering would bo conducted under miserable conditions, but it was the last pin-prick of the week-long joke, and Saturday afternoon (but for a fresh head breeze that effectually settled all questions of records) was as nigh perfect as could be. The centre and tho council benefited accordingly. Adequately boomed the carnival attracted over four thousand spectators (gate whose enthusiasm was keen to, the Inst, despite the ono or two wearisomo delays causcd by the long-drawn-out nature of some of the field events. : "Fools Step in Where Angels Fear," Etc. All things considered,, the meeting must be considered a big success, but, .to .tho critical eye looking for- perfection in details, there'was, as usual, sufficient to warrant a growl or. two. . , As ever, the sacrfd space within the ring was over-crowded, not altogether with officials (these bo 'it'here'recorded'all. did their dut)\ and, in some casss, a little more), but with the uspal miscellaneous assortment of competitors in 'between races, trainers who at anytime have ho business on the track, a number of outsiders who, somehow or other, "butt in" at every gathering of this kind, and a Tew others who toil not nor spin, but get in the road generally. Marshal ,1. C. Cusack worked whole-heartedly to keep the interlopers off, but the tnsk is altogether too much, even for such a master'of the game as friend "Jack." ■ What Obsessed Thesis Judges? ' Still on tho growl, ono, must emphatically protest against the possibility of a repetition of such a.wearying,farco as the polo 1 vnult turned.out to be. Possibly anticipating something in tho. nature of record figures,' tho'judges set tho competitors to jump' into-the wind. This caused, trouble right from the start, baulks' being numerous, arid mow fban one nian failed to perform up to reputation. '' The climax was reached at 10ft., when only M'Kay and Whitaker cleared the bar, which was then raised to 10ft. Sin., By this time, both the leaders; were done to a turn, '.Whitaker in particular feeling the force of tho wind. In, all, each man, in' having his three "trials,'" actually took nine jumps, every ono being a baulk. The Wind blew them back before they readied tho top. of their,flight.. After tho evfrnt had thus been prolonged over an. hour or more, the bar. was lowered to 10ft. lin., and 'M'lCay, making a 1 desperate effort, cleared it, capturing the championship. - . The wholo troublo arose over the refusal of the judges to allow tho two'imen ("left in" to turn round-aud jump 'with, 'the wind.. In addition" to making this ■usually attractive event nothing more nor less than a bore, the decision put the -rest of: the programme out of joint. • Other matters there were meriting complaint, but for the moment enough of growling. • '. '•• ..' , ;our Noble Selves. Undoubtedly the of the gathering was the overwhelming .vic,tory of\tho .Wellington Centre's .teqm, tho members of which' annexed between them GS points otit of a possible 112, arid in every, event securing cither first or second place. In three events—tho two walks and the; quarter hurdles—Wellington men were hrst s and second, and ten of tho sixteen championships,' fell to their lot, truly a' remarkawe performance, aud ono that has but onco been surpass?d—in* 189G-97, when Auckland Scored 105 out of a possible 150 points. v It is worthy of note, too, that, even in the. old days, when : points were allotted C, 3, and 1 instead of 5 aijd 2, as at present (making tho possible 150, ns against 112 nowadays), this total'was beaten on seven occasions only. Many things helped to. make up this big,victory. In the first place, the only other e'entro to. put in ' a team of any dimensions at all : was 'South-land.

Auckland sent down two men, Canterbury—alas! poor Canterbury, one-time home of all that was best in amatour athletics, but now, since the removal of headquarters to Wellington, the worst off of all tho centres in every way—sent tlireo men, as did Otago. Secondly, all the Southland men, not even excepting ICeddell, failed to act up to home form. Thirdly, Wellington, as tho homo centre, had, of course, all her resources to draw upon, and right well those resources stood to her. Others Not So Noble—Pro Tem. , The comparative failure of the Southlaud men is excusable. With the exception of Ke'ddell they are all new to "foreign travelling," and tho journey, as well as the change of air, must have prejudicially affected them. - Still, the promise is there, and in a couple of years the baby ceiilre should moro than come into its own agaip. Auckland is at present hampered by lack of funds, hence the small team, but if tho talent left at horiio is at all up to the standard of Dormer and Mark, a return of the days of old—from 1895 to 1901—is not far off in the Northern 1 City. As for Canterbury and Otago, each produced a champion this year, but beyond that ? ; , That something >-rong in the state of Denmark must exist in a particularly virulent form in both Christcnurch and Dunedin is evident. It is the same old tale—a story of the deelino'and fall of hard work, a too lengthy resting upon the oars that toiled unceasingly in yeara of success until public apathy bred something more nearly approaching slumber in official circles. Under the circumstances, such disaster as overtook both centres at lost Saturday'? gathering may ,raise the blush of shame, that will act as a reviver. Full Table of Points Scored. For the information of readers, the full score-sheet is reproduced here:— ..- i 1-1 II <10 O. CO 100 Yards Flat' 5 2 - - - 220 Yards Flat ...... 5,2 — — — 4111 Yards Flat ...... 5,2 — — — HiUf-nlile Flat 2 5- . — — — One Mile Flat 2 5 — — — Three Miles Flat ... 2 — — 5 — One Mile Walk 7 - -'- - Three Miles Walk ... 7 — — —. — 120 Yards Hurdles ... 2 i—, — — 5 4-10 Yards Hurdles ...- 7 • — — — — Long Jump 2 — — — 5 High Jump 5 ' —: 1 2 — — Pole Jump' ;... 5 . — — . 2 Putting Weight "2 • 5 — — Throwing Hammer.... 5 — - — —•' 2 Hop, Step, and Jump 5 — — — 2 v Totals 63 18 7 5 1G The Sprints and the New Champion. ,; Coming to a roview of the events of the day, ono naturally deals, first with tho sprints, and, right here, '"Mercury" de-sires-to extend the glad hand of congratulation to. Ashley Duncan, the new hundred and furlong champion of New Zealand. Ever a good sport and a trier of triers, ho lias been battling' along for six years now steadily improving under (lie .tonic of most'adverse .circumstances. First competing in 'Varsity championships,. ho ran. up against Goodbehcro in his prime. Then immediately after Gcodbehcro came Opie, and in open company thero were both Opie and Woodger -between'him and a Neiy Zealand championship. Still, he . has outlasted them all, and to-day as a champion ho is .better than ever.. Though; not an Opio nor a Woodger, he is probably as good as Harry Henderson was' in. I9OG-1908. : ' Boih his wins were spWudid 1 performances. . Starting off with tho furlong, he won easily' in 23sec., and though more pressed in the hundred, he: landed homo by a foot in 10 2-ssee., against a strong; lVind. Louis John Mark, of Auckland/ , On Louis John Mark, of Auckland, as a study in sprinting possibilities, one is sore te/npt'eil to go into raptures, despite the tired roinark of a local contemporary that ho; is no champion. Here is a boyhe is little more—who, last year, was inid■wny nian iii handicaps, and to r day when from various'causes—a cold among others —to is not in his best form) he is. tho ruhner-up iu three championships. His improvement.'during' the day was most significant. Starting off in the furlong, lie'was beaten,easily, by Duncan. His. next appearance—in the hundredwas' an . eye-opener , for local quidnuncs. After winning his heat iii easy fashion from Keddoll (but. in 2-ssec. slower time than Duncan's heat) lie went out for the final with hardly a thought among the crowd that lie would extend, the champion. He got '.aWay Iwdly, was last, at yards, and a good yard and a half behind Duncan at sixty. • At seventy-five, with tho pace full on, ho, hail crept 11 1 J to withjn h yard. Still gaining, lie was a bare foot bshind at. the tape, and', with another'five yards to go, ho iuust, have won. Then, at the fitiish of the .day, ho extended "Jimmy" Wilton.to the utmost in tho quarter,"which-, was left behind in 51' l-.fec. In this."race he had tlio worst passage it has ever been "Mercury's" misfortune to witness. Drawing number three position .in. a field of 'six, lie- was nearly bowled over ten yards after the start by tiro three outside, men cutting- across h?3 track. A few ..yards .further on he was bumped again. Pocketed all the- way through. the first half of the journey, he suffered vet another bump before, getting clear. In', the'meantime, Wilton,-go-ing great guns, was clear away, and though the little Aucklander battled-on in the gaiuest possible manner, he was tlireo or four ' yards to the bad at the

finish. Still, lio ds young, and the temporary disappointment will not-set him back. Ho is a champion in-the innliTng, if ever we Imd one iu New Zealand. Some Other Sprinters, Of tho other sprinters, Saunders was a notable disappointment,' but lie, too, being young, has his day before . him. Hubbard failed to run up to his old form, I'nol 'lias, for the timo being, gone all to pieces, and Perkins at present is only a good iniddlc-marK handicap runijor, with possibilities. Messenger, for onco in a while, showed Rood form, finishing cloia upon Mark iu llio-furlong. Game tittle yjinimy" Wilton. Of "Jimmy" Wilton, despite the fact lliut lie was favoured by the ivithtlrnwal of Dormer, and tho' buffeting Marie received, one in list speak in the highest terms: Never did tho little chnmpion run better, and never- did he display better judgment. Mis run homo from the halfway mark was a brilliant piece of wort, and game as the best as well. If ho never wins'another championship, his running this yeur will keep him in memory for many a long day. ' The Ha|f and tho Mile, Tho half and the mile wcro in a sens« laughable eypnts, in that Dormer won both with ridiculous ease. His superiority was most marked in the mile, at tho finish of which he was as frcfli as if he had not run at all, : while "Jack" Bradbury : had almost riin. ' himself blind. ' Tall, and somewhat - ungainly of build, at first sjght tho Auckland Iwy —ho is just twenty—does not impress one till actually in inotion. Then' Tiis long raking strike 'compels attention., Ho is probably the longest' stricter seen out in middle-distance races for some ytars. At first glnrice ho appears to throw" up behind, but his low action-is deceiving, aiid tin's defect is more apparent' than real. What will ho do when Tight run. out? Wo must-wait and see. In Hector Burk and Neville Hill, wo have had-two' brilliant milers, but for pace, (since he can.'probably break Msec, tor ' tlw quarter) ' Dormer can hold them both, and.his running here'syggests that he can slay tho 1 mile ; at least every bit as well. What a draw it would be for amateur athletics 'in Auckland if Conner and Hill'could be matched at a mile! If siich an event ever conies off "Mercury". will plump for Dormer. . Beatspn—Three-mile Champion. Beatspn, three-mile cfianipiori, is a most attractivp runner to watch, and'a' good one, toq j his long, ensy. typical liijvrior stride- carrying plenty of.-pace.'. Beatson has improved every yepr, and 'his tiuie oh Saturday (15min.'23J2-550C.)'lias never been beaten on the. Basin-Reserve. Ho finished Vvpndcrfully fresh,' and'on. his present' form should run: a great ten miles. Our Otago friends certainly slioul4 give him an opportunity <jf. tackling theAustralasian record for this distance. • The One Walker of Note. ; There was one walker of note—"Dare" Cpsliman—but ho is not for correctness of form and for style half as good as last year. Form and style, friend David, are two of the three essentials of walking, Yon havo enough of the other—pace—but you would havo moro if yon studied the other two as well. Kcddell and the Hurdlers. Of t]io hurdlers, .Kcddell, of course, stands out by himself. It -was recognised early in the day that the Southland tvonde'r had iio clianco of' reaching record against the wind, but his appearnncp at--tracted great interest nevertheless. And what an artist hp is. As one enthusiast put it, "You can see brains in everything lie tackles."' "• .' ; • Here, however, let it. be admitted that on Saturday Iveddoll.was miioh below-last year's form. ' lip was slow off the .mark, and in the shorter race was not" in the lead until the fourth hurdle, and when in the lead his.'hurdling fiavq one, lias seen him at his best, the injpression that his preparation had been shprt and hurried—aii impression that -was strengthened by his poor, running in the qutirter .hurdles.-- Though, ns keen as over,'the 'champion confesses to tho thought' that, the time needed' to bring him to' tho top-of his form will be moro than-ho can sparo . in-, tho future, and tl(e. possibilities are that- h'o will not be seen in action ' at! the next Australasian. Championships. So, maybe, the question of supromficy between liiiu and Victorian J. L. Davis will never; be.,settled. ". Kcddell. as, Broad Jumper. As a broad jumper, Kcddell. is 'still the artist of old,, though necessarily, .owing to his accident of some si*/ years back, on a somewhat diminished scale as regards .performances. ' IJis form" was a revelation to local'jumpers. His clean lilting, (lie board'at top speed, liis'liigli .flight iu the air and his reach out'jit the finish, illiistrated better' tban any descripi tipn the- tlij'oe cardinal ' points' of t]ie game. If any piie of the promising junipers we , have hero "at present has the capacity to follow up the lesson he. gave, Wellington should produce a real champion before very'lolig. " Of the other ljurdler's, Hplligan, Doyle, and Mack-jnzie showed fair form, and Dttylo deferred his win in the qyartor for his plucky niii in front all' the Still, had Mackenzie taken the outsido hurd|e on the last juimV he 'mast, harp won. Oil. the whole, however, outside Kcddell,-not one of'tho thrpe'stride men shriiied like an ' Australasian Vcl'.flnjpion, and none was withiii twenty yards or moro of Davi's at tho quarter. ■ , Doyle won the high jupip, but his winning effort was. riot up to his pluvious best. The Civil Service crack earned the congratulations showered upon him .for his double win, which "Mercury" for opq. hopes will be far from his last., After Keddell, Hubbard «\vas easily -tfie best broad juniper, his 20ft. llin. 'being ,a really good'effort. The pole-vault -has already l>een_ referred to. but this on<v remark remains to bo 'added, that never :in . Neiv , Zealand have we ; ,|iad so mnny good polerynulters at'tho pne time. Sat-, urday's displays are not a reliable guido,-' the wi|id keeping all the 'men well below their best. Once asrfiin Len.' M'Kay -yroiV the hop, step, and ' jump, his winning effort of 42ft'. -si*, being a gopd effort at the finish of a strcii\ietis day; De Thler's Effort With the Shpt. For tiie fourth time W. 0. de Thier was returned winner of the' shot, btit hn 3Sft, lOin. is far from being a champioTi--ship performance, compared, .with thoso put up in other countries. M'Kay, in doing 3Gft. Cin., did as well qs : oyer : lie has done,' and remarkably, well considering his weight and the fact that ho has never mastered the "shift," .the. great point in the game. Ex-champion A. S. J'eid was right out pf form; Hats Off to M'Holml - M'Hpliri, i'#§' thfe' oi|)y' re-cord-breaker, deserves a special word for his hammer-throwing.' The bui'iy constable was in splpudid form, his'turning 111 the circle-boing especially good. On one occasion be emulated the Apierican cracks by turning 'foiif time's, and then ho did not touch tho outer edge, In another -.year his 145 ft. 8111. should bo raised to something in the neighbourhood of 160 ft. Kean, fno ex-champion, threw 127 ft., and though' suffering bv comparison with M'Holm showed delightfully clean Wip. \Olle noticeable. feature of his throwing 'is the speed with which he turns in the circle, nntj the speed at which the travels. This speed at the present is, however, counterbalanced bv t]ie |ow trajectory pf Hip hammer. When ho adds height to his' throws ho ijhould put 10 01' 12 feet on to his present best. ' ■