ATHLETICS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1937, 20 December 1913, Page 14

ATHLETICS.

LBl IIIEOCBI.I AMERICANS—SOUTH & HERE. To-day.—Americans at Dune-din. . December 2G and 27. —"American Visit!' Sports Carnival (Athletic Park). Power Finding Himself. ' Last Saturday saw our visitors from tho United Ktates engaged in the iirst serious business of their tour. Naturally this, their first appearance .'■under' sill;," at a big "meet" was watched with great interest wherever athletic .enthusiasts do congregate, and, with one exception,'they, camo through with living colours. Tho exception was, of course, J. Power, tho Jioston half-miler and iniler, who quito failed to reproduco the form that lias earned for him tho name of being tho best man nt his distances in America to-day, which is to say ono of the best in tho world. Tho reason for his failure is not far to seek. Since his arrival Power has not been well at all. His threo thousand milo journey to San Francisco by train, and the subsequent steamer journey to Zealand upset hiin badly, and though his stay in Wellington bcl'oro going south saw a dccided improvement in hjs health, it was obvious that his track condition was a long way below par. No ono was more aware of this than Power, and no ono could liavo been moro disappointed than ho was at his inability to strike form. In this respect Wellington is moro fortunate than the southern centres, as, with the improvement that must come from bis racing, there is a good prospect of our seeing him in good shape on December 26.and 27 at Athletic I'ark. His dead heat in the milo at Invercargil! on Wednesday indicates that ho is finding himself. In tho face of our visitor's indisposition, tho tasks set him by the southern Jiandicappers wero beyond all reason. However, of this moro anon.

The Flier of the Team. Now for tho other—the bright side of tho modal. Tho other throe- members ol tlio American team did great work. Gcorgo Parker, the sprinter, made 110 fewer than eight appearances. His sprinting- was really brilliant, as witness 75yds. m 7 4-Gsec., just 1-3-sec. outside tho world's record, 100 yds. in lOsec. dead,_ and 440 yds. in a shade worse tlian 50 4-sscc. And this, bo it marked, on top of a big day in the field events. Ho covered 21ft. Sin. in the broad jump, which, with liis handicap of Ift. Gin., 6ecured liim a win, and ho also annexed second placo in tlio shot-put, with 39ft., including an allowance of 7ft. Parker made a big impression on tho Christchurch Press critics. His methods are described as under by "Sprinter," of tho "Canterbury Times": — Interest naturally centred in the appearanco of G. L. Parker in tlio first heat of tho 75yds. He stood very quietly on tho marie, whilo the others fretted and fidgeted, lie lacked Unity's quickness off tho . mark, and for at least 50yds. looked no belter than anybody else in tho race. But he suddenly galvanised into life, and with a, compelling dash snatched a win L>v tho shortest of margins. Parker showed tho greatest brilliancy in his finishes, for in the final of tho 75 yards he looked to be a long way back with only a few ! yards to go, but with no apparent quickening of action ho seemed to lengthen his strido and cut tlio opposition down right on tlio tape. His desperate finishing was just as evident in the first heat of the 100 yards, for he came from nowhero right at tho end, winning in tho great lime of 10 seconds. Tho final saw him just squeezed out of first place- in 10 l-ssec. Tho same writer continues: "Parker was present with a handicap of ISin. in the broad jump, and ho won the event with 2lt't. 3in. of'an aetual jump. Thero was no need for his handicap, for I his nearest opponent was 20ft, llin. with his handicap. Directly this event was oyer he stood up on tho scratch mark in tho 440 yds. handicap, and completed a great afternoon's work bv running through a big field into second place, being beaten by a foot by Thomas in 50 4-sscc. His performance stamps him as a great runner, and a still greater finisher. Ho contrasted with Dully, who mftdo his greatest efforts from half-way, inasmuch as he seems to bo hopelessly outclassed until ho puts in that marvellous finish that cuts down tho opposition in the style lie showed at this meeting."

Sprinter and Sport. C. L. Thomas, who was on the scratch mark with Parker in the quarter, is ono of tho Dominion's host men over this distance, and ho had been saving himself lor it all day. So it will bo seen that, in starting after such a big day's work, and, moreover, straight on top of his efforts in tho jump, against a perfectly i'resli man, the California!) is nob only a great athlete, but is 'also an excellent sportsman. Wonderful Temple ton. Now for Templeton. His appearances also made a full day. Ho turned out in tho 120 yds. hurdles, tho pole vault, tho high and broad lumps, and participated in tho javelin-tlirowing exhibition. Ilis pole vault was a'good one—lift. 'Ibis is only J-ineh outside the Now Zealand record, aiid 1$ inches outsido tho Australasian record. His high jump, sft. 9 3-Sin., was just J-iucii short of tho Now Zealand record, aiid thcro is no doubt that had he been put to it-, ho could liavo beaten both, records in both events, but ho was content to win, and Jeavo it at that. His Jiurtllo performance is thus reported by "Sprinter":— "Excitement was most keenly ■ manifested in tho first heat of tho 120 yds. hurdles, for tho only foemail worthy of the. American steel was Gerald Koddoll, who with a record of 15 -3-sscc., was expected to. givo tho Califoruian lad, with a similar record to his credit, the run . of tho meeting. Templeton industriously dug his holes on tho start-ing-mark with a garden trowel, and then ensued a long wait, for tlio hurdles were found to bo incorrectly placed. Thero was not much to chooso between tlio contestants in styles, the visitor perhaps throwing ■ his left leg a littlo strnightur in jumping. The race itself admits of littlo description, for after a false start, and a 'stand-up' by both runners, impatient with the starter holding them so long after tho 'set,' .' both men jumped out of their holes at tho Bamo instant, and though Keddell rose to tho-firsfc hurdle a fra.cti'oll before liis opponent, tho--Califoruian had evened at the third, and from then on there was nothing to chooso between them until tho.'.last hurdle, when tho New Zealand- -> er had a fraction of advantage that he hold in tho rim home, Jiotwith-. standing a desperato ehalleiigc by Templeton. Considering the Tieavy } going, lGscc. was a very fino performa line." * Tho world's record is held by A. C, Kraenzlein, A. B. Shaw, I l '. Smithson, and AV. Edwards, with 10.1-s.soe, though K Smithson, at, the Olympic Sports at the Stadium, in London, ran the 11(1 metres, which equals 120.2yd5., in losec., .winning easily by live yards.' Temploton's 15 3-ssec. at Stanford Olympic meeting, in March of this year, and KoddelFs champion perfornmnccj makes both very little hclmv the best." Of our visitor's high jumpini; tlio Hhristchuroh critic sajs:—j'Xoißjjlotoii's

high jumping '■ was : 'nqt/only''moro' Vcffcc-'. ■ tivo than anything seeriun,Now''Zealand,:. . i bnt-'ib was (listinctly.;::attractivo. q]i''ac-. f j count of tlm novelty of Ji!^;;:;{: i J*y .' ! "Sprinter'! winds-.up his comment on . Tempietoii thus: —"Added to undoubt-, ' ed skill in this department of athletics, j 'iVmpleton has a- charming ■ personality that willfHin him hostsijofj,friends .on, : this tour.:'' The stylo, adopted ;by Tcm"pletou in tho high jumpjisjthat'' worked out and dovcloped bv GSli'^llorine,'and is iiow: , a()opt«l { } of., this the. world's rectiiYl,. ivit h': a i u;ti ti ;of.- Of v.;. > Till; ■' Shot and Javelin Man, E. : .K..;'Caiighej; ; f cules ". ? Ilia . : ? plit "with 'Mft.' J sufiicioist.Jor perfonnance,. ahiiougii it is a ioi!g. : «ay j below' his ■■'previous'jbest.ip'^His':discus; U and"javelin .throwing', proved,'to bo'...very ■■ entertaining .. items, Jjand^hof-nkofcamo,; out-in ft new'light/;[is-jfarfas.New Zea'-!". : Jand'; expectatio-iaj. t fiynrin" vas a ■■ sprinter. :'. In -.tho .70 5 yards nandicar) ho rass into ~ second ■ placa in his Jir-iu-, '. and : w;u, ..third ..in l. tlio final,'"..' To .< i iho third hoat-'- tuVUlw' 15yds: lhin'!;.* For n heavy,: iliirk-st'S inaii - ho. vra:i '!■ quickly ■ rlr h'.s mark, and running: with; I a short and- low {strido..he...just- failed; ;. to catch Drake,,' who'wonyiV BWsccJ,"' *: Gaughey was unableiittf fdtf.'.any.- liam- 1 '; nier-throwing; .'. tics feared • :€tho)n:crieket s ■ pitehes, so this event,had..to.'bo'cuti.out oi tho proiiiamnie, mtieh to'tho.rofjrot 1 of tho officials ■ and?piiblic?|'i§;SajK' '

Outrageous Handicapping. "Meicury". lias' no bered among thy prophets, Imt ho docs take credit. for iuakiu^; < oho^ ! <Mrtect < ' forecast- last in'-regard to tho handicapping* attim Christ-, ciiureh and Invercargill, meetings.',,.-i'hc; v,Titer then thought and said, that ; tho troatiiient accorded";; to _ tho visitors would bo too severo in this' 1 respect; and lse is sorry indeed to say . that 'ho was. (jirito right. Tims, last- Saturday; ;to.' luivo won tho 220 yds. event Parker would liavo had to. have beaten 21.4-5 sec. In fact, 0110 heat-was run, in 21 3-osac., tho winner having" 23yds. Tiio limit in the half-niiln wsis lOUyds.,". and in tho miles tho thrco placed men : had 210, 320, and 210 yards .respectively. Tho final of tho 120 yards' hurdles was run in 15 l-ssec. off 13yds.- Thus it would iiavo been necessary to liavo beaten tho world's record to. have' v;on' from scratch. : And so the story runs, and-.very; dis-' tasteful reading it makes.-'.'; j.- Some* oftlio handicaps\ wore, outrageous,® pure and simple, They 'swould.\iiavo ■ been' bad enough had our visitors been'" in'' their, best cinder-path, trained-to-tlio-miimte-homo form, but. when we findsuch tasks sot to men who are just olf a long voyage,' constantly travelling,, and moreover to men who are asked to spend tho timo between their -,races ingiving exhibitions instead of resting— and. furthermore, in the case of Power to a man u'lio was known to be physically unfit through indisposition—well, it "is somewhat inhospitable, to' put-it ; very mildly. It is sincerely to /ho liopod that, at Dun-adm,.;' today,6 the visitors will j inent, ; - -. " | America Hero. 'People who know' Athletic Park .'in'tho football season only-., would , hardly recognise the sward in. its.':prsscnt guise. Caretaker Fenton has been, on bis mettle to turn out a track worthy of the occasion on Boxing'' Day., and ..the day, followinjt, and,- as far as can be judged now, ''his efforts will be..'crowned with success.' Tho sprint track is looking particularly well, and if tho weather is propitious, wo will sec something staining in tho sprint-olid short hurdle events. .

Worth a Pllgrißiaso to sco. These samo hurdle . events will ■*be. something-to sei.».-«-; Gerald 1 KcddelHwill again try conclusions-..with -Templcton, and on their showing down south, tho racing should be exciting td_,.a degree. So far the honours lie with..our champion, but by inches only,,and, as it may. reasonably bo supposed that; Tcmpleton is racing himself into better form c-yery time ho starts,tho should bo "cherry ripe" on Boxing Day.- Keddell, too, as stated last week, has not been, in the best of health, ■ but. ho writes to say that lie is fast- getting into top condition. So the meetings between .-the two should be Homeric —no less, j.; .-■ .. ""... They will come together over two distances here, as in addition to the 120 yards- of convention, a novelty in the shape of a seventy-five yards sprint over six hurdles has been included in. tho programme. ■■ This is-a. very . popular event in the United States'where it- is run over low hurdles, and •Tcmpleton is an expert at the event..; So much so, in fact, that lie holds the world's-,.re-cord for it—his time being Osee/i-^vj Concentrating our Champions. ' '" In order to provide good competition for the Americans'the executive . has been in correspondence with tiso best of New Zealand's talent.' 'in the various branches of the r-port outside. Wellington with the result that, in- addition to lveddell, there will also be present L. l'\ Mark, the 100 yds. champion of Auckland, and J. W. M'Holm, tho hefty hammer thrower from Napier 1 , who holds the Australasian record at this event. Thero is a. difference in inches only between M'Molm's record and- Caugiiey's best figures, so tiierc should be some record smashing before they, have' settled who can heave his missile tho farthest. '■ The presence of Alarlc, the Auckland champioivtoo.'.will make the' sprint rac» inc full of interest. Our own crack, Ashley Duncan,' the New-Zealand 100 and SSJO yards.champion, is running 'well just now, so with Parker there will he three back-markers to push one another along. . It is not often wo ■ see' three actual champions together in a handicap race, and as the handicappers. are not likely to iall'into fho 1 mistake' of asking tho cracks to do' impossible tasks, as was the case in the-three southern meetings, it is probable .that the three will conns together in the finals and then we shall sea; sonio sprinting... .'

..At tho tiroo of writing.it--is'-uncer-tain whether A, W. Dormer, tho Dominion's champion lialf-milcr '' and miler, will 1)0 piesent. Ho lias an engagement that threatens'to'debar him', lint negotiations aro still in progress,' and it is hoped that matters will be .arranged so that ho can appear.-'lf so, practically every candidate for inclusion ih'.tho New Zealand representative ■ team lor the Australasian meeting .in. Jlellxnihiß will bo seen in action on' 0110 or both of tho two days ,of the carnival. '.'This state of things must .ho' unique 'for."a local meeting. - Tho selectors of tlio' Now ' Zealand team, Messrs. W. H. Pollock aiid C. E.". Bridge,- will choeso tho Dominion's, re-' [jresentatives after tho meeting, ■ and'it is intended to. send. tho.Nortfi. Island members from Auckland on' January 12 r.o that they will bo able to compete at tho Auckland meeting on- January,lo.^,