ATHLETICS IN ENGLAND

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 299, 13 September 1919, Page 9

ATHLETICS IN ENGLAND

„A NEW ZEALAND SUCCESS. Tho great meeting off* amateur athletes at the championships at Stamford Bruiitn. although it did not produce any "bests on record," was made memorable isavs J. E. Fowler-Dixon in tho "Daily Mail") by some splendid performances .and a contribution to athletic history in tho two non-related Hills' dual wins.

Memories of Ramsdell, Kerr, ana Applegarth were roused when W. A. Hill won the 100 yards in lOsec., and tho 220 yards in 22 3-ssec., for owing to the holding condition of tho track, the excadet's achievements were not flattered by tho times. And then., when A. G, Hill scored his double success by winning Hi- h"it>'(■■ in Msi. .V) l-.'i s-v., and the mile in liniu. 21 l-Ssec.—the heavy track adding to the values of these figures—onh naturally called to mind simila" dnuhlo successes in bygone years, by 1?. J. K. Cross and W. G. George. To my mind tho best individual peiformance was that pf tho old Harrovian

•in i •'••>nt- , h O. M." Butler, in the qtiar-ter-mile. His 49 Msec, was worth some, thing well inside 4flsec. under normal track conditions. ■ It was a wonderful achievement for a "nineteen-year-old." But ho ran with the judgment of one many years his senior. Butler in the "quarter" and Hill in the "milo" gained, and richly deserved, the lion's Share of applause. The "hurdling," both over the 120 and ■M 0 yards courses, was sound. H. E. Wilson, of New Zealand, who won in 15 ff-sse'c., had a bit better speed than his pursuer, G. H. Gray, who won in tho samo time five years ago. Gray's staying power served him in tho longer hurdle race, which he won in 59 4-ssec., beating the holder, \T. C. English, a bit easily in the run in. When English won in 1914 ho did precisely the same timo as that in which he was beaten. Any man who can cover a quarter-railo and cover ten flights of Bft. hurdles en route inside a minute deserves to win.