ATHLETES RETURN

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 53, 31 August 1926, Page 11

ATHLETES RETURN

THE BRISBANE MEETING

AFFECTED BY HARD TRACKS

SOME NOTABLE PERFORMANCES.

Tho members of the New Zealand amatour athletic team, which competed at the championships of Australia and New Zealand at Brisbane recently, returned by tho Maheno from Sydney to-day. Mr. B. G. Guy, the manager,' reports a very fine trip with excellent weather except on tho return voyage. The team travelled well, but the hot weather in Brisbane played up with them to a considerable extent. The athletes also suffered severely from the vory hard grounds in Brisbane and from the lack of training in Sydney. "The track on which the championships were decided," said Mr. Guy, "is probably the fastest, outside a cinder track, it is possible to find in Australia or New Zealand. It is considerably faster than the Masterton track. Had any of our sprinters been over there they would have stood a good chance with those who competed, as the outstanding two sprinters were Grehan and Parker, over whom at least one New Zpalander has had successes. Some idea of the hard state of the track may be gained from the fact that there had been no real rain in Brisbane for ten months. Then, the annual Showwas held on the ground, and its events, just prior to the atEletic championships, included horse racing, which helped to batter the track into concrete hardness. It was kept in this condition by a tractor roller." The manager further reported that Cabot, the New Zealand walker, had a very bad attack of bruised heels on account of the hard tracks, and this marred his performance on the first Saturday of the meeting. He had to lay up until the following Saturday, when he competed in the mile. With regard to Cabot's disqualification on the first day, Mr. Guy stated that the judge had ruled that the New Zealander had "lifted" in the last 50 yards. "If he did lift," said Mr. Guy, "it was not noticablo to anyone else. In any case there was no need for him to do it, aa the winner had already finished, and the next man was so far behind a 8 to be regarded as out of the race. Old walkers and Mr. "Dick" Coombes said that they could not find fault with Cabot's action. The crowd was mystified as to tho reason for the disqualification, and showed sympathy for the New Zealander. In the mile on the following Saturday, Cabot showed a touch of true form. He went away brilliantly with tho gun, but heel and muscle soreness told on him in the last lap. In this race, he walked at a fast pace, and the judge was unable to fault him."

W. Harvey's performance, said Mr. Guy, was very meritorious, as the New Zoalander was a very sick man when he went on to the ground. He found that the tropical climate did not suit him, and he had to.be attended by a doctor up to an hour before his event— the hammer-throw—which he Won. His throwing was an eye-opener to the other competitors. Had he been well he would have had a good chance in the discus event, from which he was compelled to withdraw. S. Lay's javelin-throwing was received with great enthusiasm. Every one of his throws far outdistanced those of the other competitors, and each one was better than his record performance in New Zealand. Owing to fading light he was unable to attempt a throw of 200 feet.

J. W. Shirley failed to strike form. He won his heat in the hurdles, but spoilt his chance in the final by running into the second hurdle. He was not up to his New Zealand championship form in jumping, being apparently handicapped by having to jump on to a mat and also by suffering from muscle soreness. In the decathlon he was going well until apparently erratic timing lost him several hundred points. He then retired in view of events on the concluding day. One of the pleasing features of the New Zealand team's performance was the Tunning of Savidan in the one and three mile races. In the mile he filled third place, and had he saved his run until a little later he would have been much nearer Hyde at the finish. In the three mile event he ran a fine race under a gruelling sun, and was the only competitor to give Hyde a "good go." That he finished within -150 yds of Hyde in record-breaking time speaks well for his performance in the future. It is worthy of note ffiat in this race Savidan was nearer to Hyde than the latter was to Rose in the race at Wanganui two years ago, when Rose broke the rrecord.

Mr. Guy added that the results of the biennial conference were very satisfactory. Practically every remit put forward by the New Zealand delegates was passed, a notable one being the new reinstatement rule.