AMERICAN ATHLETES.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1926, 8 December 1913, Page 5

AMERICAN ATHLETES.

CAUGHEY BREAKS RECORD. NEW METHODS BY TEMPLETON. POWER COLLAPSES.

Tho touring team of American athletes mado their first appearance in public at Waikanae 011 Saturday, and already dt is a case of "bang went one record.." Taken as a team the men shaped well; Now Zealand will seo some good performances from them, and learn some wrinkles, ignoranco of which would ever keep our athletes at an insurmountable disadvantage.. I'arker, tho sprinter, was in tho best of form. That lie cut out the 100 yds. in 10 l-sscc. 011 a rough track two days after landing from a GOOO-milos sea voyago indicates what he is capable of. The American flyer broke tho tape in 10 l-sscc. on l>oth the occasions on which ho covered tho distance (his heat and tho final), nud iu neither was he "all out." 111 his heat lie ram in with three yards to spare, and 1 ho had about two and a half yards to the good in tho final. 11l neither did ho gain anything at the sound of tho gun, but he neat tho handicap men in getting up full steam, and was with the front-rankers at GO yards. Ho is a broad-hipped', stronglimbed man, who gives one the impression that his best distance is the 220. The "220" 011 Saturday's programme looked a rather long 0110 to thoso who were watching the runners 011 the mark. Parker was obviously perplexed as he flashed down tho straight well in tho lead, and the first thing 'he did after breasting the tapo was to gasp, "That's more than 2201 Timekeeper B. A. Guiso looked blandly at his watch and 1 cjaoulated, "Thirty-five!" And then it was discovered that they had 1 run about 320 instead' of 220. However, everyone was well satisfied to a man used to running on cinders register 10 1-osec. 011 a rough grass course —tho Waikanae racccourse, by tho way.

Tho Collapse of Power. Tho disappointment of tho day was the failure and collapse of Power in the mile. The young Boston runner, very nicely built, and with an excellent style, was too far below form to do himself justice on the so-called track. Hough as tho sprint trade was, it was a Royal Road indeed compared to the long-dis-ta.nco ruote. Power, a record-holder, with 4min. 17 2-osec. to his credit, was hopelessly beaten in a race which was run in 4min. 42scc. Had ho won in 4inin. 42scc., the performance would not havo been n bad one, all things considered, but ho could not havo fin'ished under 47sec. The Victoria College ruuner, Hudson, who was seen out last season, did better than lie was expected to. Ho started off the thirty yards mark, and had disturbed tho tape when Power was still 33 yards awav. Drummofld and Power got alongside one another at about this stage, and tho American made a desperate at j tempt to shako off the Maorilandcr, and gain second place. Drummond declined to be shaken off, and a few yards from the tape Power collapsed, and foil to the track. ' Ho was assisted away in a thoroughly exhausted condition, and owing to iiis want of form deemed it advisable not to start again during tho day. Tho gallop will do him a iot of good, however, and tho next track he adorns will probably find him a very different miler. Ho certainly looks good.

Tempieton Shows Mew Styles. If there were such a thing as physical false pretences, one of. the visitors would havo to bo declared a habitual offender; and that is Tempieton. They tell you that he high-jumps 6ft. 2in. and poie-vaults lift. 10m.; that ho flies the 120 yds. hurdles in 15 3-sscc., broad jumps 22ft. OJin., imd throws the javelin, and when ho comes out you find that he is tho oft. 7in. youth you liavo seen strolling about with his camera during the morning. He throws off his overcoat, and again you seo that you havo been deceived. . Ho with the camera was a slim boy; hero stands Tempieton, the athlete, a beautiful model of the light performer—muscular, and symmetrical to perfection. Ho appeared first in tho high jump, and was opposed by Doyle, of "Wellington. Doyle was in good form, and (prkly cleared sft. Tin., but through slightly misjudging tho take-off (and with a largo share of ill-luck), he just tipped tho bar on two occasions at oft. Bin., and each timo it wobbled and slid off tho pogs. But Tempieton? Tempieton is not a jumper; lie is an acrobat. And tho acrobat carried too many guns for Doyle, who is a good straight jumuer. It is in tho method of negotiating tho bar that Tempieton wins, and unless tho Now Zealand boys learn this method, or somo ot'lier as effective, there will be few skyscrapers among our jumpers. The American takes off at about tho sanio distance from tho bar as the average New Zealand juniper, heaves himself into tlio air, shoots out feet foremost, and. as ho takes the bar turns over face downwards, landing full length wit'h his head towards tho obstacle. By such ■ acrobatics lie accomplishes his 6ft. 2in., and sudi is the method that ho has been brought out hero to illustrate to New Zealanders. On Saturday ho cleared 6ft. Bin., but failed at sft. 10} in.

How the American Pole Vaults. 1 Next we saw Templeton polo vaulting, and hero again lie showed that it was in tbn method that New Zealand was out of date. Ho uses a light bamboo polo with • rubber, hand-grips. Tho place at which lift needs to apply the pole to tho ground is ascertained, and there a h'olo about nine inches square is dug. The side of tho liolo facing the vaultor is graded down, so that the nolo slides into it- easily and surely. One of the advantages of this scheme is that the vaulter has not got to keen ono eye on thebar and tho other on the spot wliero lie is going to place tho polo to the samo extent as a Now Zealander has got to. Templeton takes the usual long run, holding tho point of the polo close to tho ground. Noarintr the holo ho dips tho point, tho polo whips into its groove, thf vaulter shoots up into the air. and as ho approaches t'lm anex of his (li"ht be rises hand over hand bv tho rubber urips. and skims across the liar in n. . beautiful flight. Tho highest thev could / put tho baron Saturday was 10ft. fiin., and that he sail?fl ny*r wilh amnln < to spare. This height of courso, lias been excelled ill New /calami, but the best is.Horo Ernera's lift. Jin., done in Auckland ji 1807. L. M'Kav. tho Wellington all-rounder. beat this by an inch aI- Hobart about, six years ago, and his lift. Hiu. still stands as the Austra-l-Tiian record. In the broad jumn Tenwlotou covered lOin.. the bcs' iunmof the day. and Parker did 10ft. Gin. Templeton seeks to lengthen his jump by paddling his foot while he is flying through tho air, lint his trajectory seems defective; ho does not ris" high enoucrli. An exhibition of hurdling was given bv Templeton, ami it is clear t.hat'his si.vlo and paco will make him hard to Vat.

Caugiicy, the Record Smasher. • Caughe.y had tho interesting experience of being left in tho lurch. ITe had arranged to go to Waikanae in tho side-car of a motor-cycle. The cyclist arrived without Caughey. lie had been informed that Caughey had gono by train; Caughey had waited for the sidecar and allowed all tho trains to depart without him. There was much telegraphing, telephoning, and all that kind of thing, and during tho afternoon Caughey arrivod per taxi. Ho was

not long 011 tlio ground before ho had sealed tho fato of one record. In putting tho 161b. shot 110 hurled tho missile 41 feet, a performance which is 9in. ahead of the New Zealand record, established by llains in Christchurch in 190 G. Cauglicy is a left-hander of the sawn-off Hercules type. Ho has put tho shot 45ft-. s}in. in his own country, and lias beaten 43ft. in practico on the Basin Reserve. Nearing tho conclusion of tho meeting Cauglicy and Templeton gavo an exhibition of javelin-throwing, and Cauglicy threw tlio diccns. Welcome to the Visitors. The outing was a delightful one. Tho team and the Wellington party wont up to Waikanae by tho 9.10 mail train, and they were met at tho Waikanae Station by the local peoplo and the boys' brass and pipe bands. At 'Mahara House Mr. W. 11. Field delivered a speech of welcomo to tlio maneihiri tua rangi— the strangers from beyond tho horizon —and the Maoris danced them a liaka. A run out to 011 c of the flaxmills was arranged for the visitors before lunch, and after tho sports the night was spent at Waikanae, Mr. Field and others seeing to tho entertainment of the guests. A drive to Reikorangi was indulged in 011 Sunday, and tho evening train returned tho picnickers to town. Tho Waikanae gathering was tho initial meeting of tho Waiknnno Amateur Athletic Club, and on tjiis occasion it was run in conjunction with the Council of the N.Z.A.A.A.

Tha Results. Detailed results 'of tho events are as follow: — 100 yds. Handicap.—First heat: Parker (scr.) 1; C. Hubbard (oyds.) 2; M'ln.erncy (7yds.), 3. Gander (10yds.) also started. "Won by three yards. Time, 10 1-usec. Sccond heat: Poole (3y.15.) and Healey (oyds.), dead heat, 1; Murphy (6yds.), 3. Casey (10yds.) raft unplaced. Time, 10 2-ssec. Final: Parker, 1; Pool, 2; Hubbard, 3. Time, 10 1-osec. Won by two ancl a half yards. Mile Handicap.—Hudson (30yds.), 1; Drummond (90yds.), 2; Turner (100 yds.), 3. ■ Also started: Power (scr.), and Hieenan '(120 yds.). Time, 4min. 42scc. Won by thirty-five yards. High Jump.—P. Dovlo (inc. 3in. handicap), sft. lOin., 1; Templeton (scr.),, oft. Bin., 2. Exhibition Polo Vault.—Templeton, 10ft. 9in. Boys' Race (100yds.).—Bennett, 1; Lorigan, 2; Martin, 3. About 320yds.—Parker (scr.), 1; Hubbard (9yds.), 2. Also started: Pool (7yds.), Murphy 1 (14yds.), M'lnerney (16yds.). Time, 3osec. Hop, Step, and Jump.—Healy (2ft.), 42ft. 4iri., 1; Kipper (oft.), 42ft. 2in., 2; M'lnerney (2ft. 6in.), 40ft. lin., 3. Broad Jump.—Hubbard (Ift. . 6iu.), 20ft.,3in., 1; Parker (6in.), 19ft. 10in., 2. Templeton (ser.) did 19ft. lOin. Half-mile.—Doyle (25yds.), 1; Turner (60yds.), 2. Time, 2min. 16 2-sscc. Only starters. Putting 161b. Shot.—Caugkey, 41ft., 1; Parker, 33ft. 9in., 2. Two Miles.—Drummond, 1; Hudson, 2. Turner also started. Two-mile Handicap.—Hudson (scr.) and Drummond (200 yds.), dead heat. Time, lOmin. ssec. 440 yds. Handicap.—Parker (America), 1; Templeton (America), 2. No tiino taken.