CHAMPION SPORTS.

Gisborne Times, Volume VI, Issue 297, 23 December 1901, Page 2

CHAMPION SPORTS.

NEW ZEALAND EASILY WINS THE CHAMPIONSHIP. (By Telegraph—Press Association. Auckland, last night. The Australasian Championship Meeting concluded yesterday, under tho most favorable circumstances. The track was dry and fu=t, there was little wind to interfere with competitors, and the heat was tempered by t clouded sky. New Zealand easily retained tho championship, tlio points at tho conclusion being:—

New Zealand ... ••• 8 Victoria 3 New South 'Wales ... 3 Queensland ... ••• 1 About 5000 persons wore present, and great enthusiasm was displayed. The periormauccs, taken on the whole, were excellent, the standards being broken no less than thirteen timos, while one Australasian record was broken and another equalled. The racing throughout was of tho most interesting character, tho meeting being the best held in Auckland for many years. In the High Jump tho only competitors were Harper and Laurie, both of New Zealand. Both cleared sft Sin oil tho Wednesday, but to-day the best performances were Laurie Oft Bin and Harper an inch less. The Half-mile Championship was a splendid race. Campbell, of Queensland, cut out the pace for Wentworth, and they kept in the same state for the first quarter, when Wentworth ran into the lead, and at the beginning of tho second lap lie raced clean away from tho field, winning by syds from E. T. Harper, who finished splendidly. Wentworth’s time equalled the Australasian record, and lie would have beaten it had he been pushed. The final heat of the 220yds was won in grand style by Moir, of Victoria, who came at a great rattle a hundred yards from the tape. The winner was warmly applauded. In tho Mile Walk the old rivals, Wilson and Barrett, again mot. Three others started, but the two had the race to themselves after the first half-mile. Barrett led at a solid pace till a furlong from home, when Wilson sprinted clear, and won as ho liked in good time. O’Reilly, who had a walk over in the throwing of the hammer, performed well, his best throw, 133 ft lOin,

being disallowed owing to his foot going outside the ring. In the hundred yards final Smith got away best, and led to half the distance. Moir here overhauled him, and had him beaten at 75 yards. Hunter, finishing strongly, just managed to make a doad-heat witli Smith for second. In the three mile run Simpson began to draw away from the field at the end of the mile, and amid great cheering and enthusiasm, gradually increased his lead from Blake, who left the other starters. At the sixth lap he led by 60 yards, which he had doubled at the eighth, and finished strongly 230 yards ahead, amid a scene of wild enthusiasm, beating the Australasian record by 28 1-5 sec. The 440 hurdles, as anticipated, went to Smith, who won in 1-5 outside the world’s record by eight yards. The results were : 100yds Champion. First Heat : Hunter, Victoria, 1 ; Henderson, New South Wales, 2 ; Webster, New Zealand, 3. W r on by half a yard. Time, 10 1-5.

Second Heat : Moir, Victoria, 1 ; Smith, New Zealand, 2 ; Gardiner, Victoria, 3. Won by two yards. Time, 10 1-5. Final : Moir, Victoria, 1 ; Smith and Hunter a head-heat for second place. Gardiner also ran. Wffin by two yards. Time, 10s. High Jump Championship : Laurie, New Zealand, sft. sin, 1 ; Harper, New Zealand, 5.4, 2. These were the only competitors.

Half-mile Championship : Wentworth, Queensland, 1 ; Harper, New Zealand, 2 ; Sutton, Victoria, 3. Scratched : Cuff, Endecott, Saunderson, McMean, and Anderson. Won. by four yards. Time, 1.59 1-5. This equals the Australasian record.

220yds Final : Moir, Victoria, 1 ; Henderson, New South Wales, 2 ; Keating, New Zealand, 3. Also started : G. Smith, Won by three yards. Time 23 1-5. Mile Bicycle Handicap: Alexander, 90yds, 1 ; Thomas, 80yds, 2; Cucksey, scr, 3. Won by half-a-length. Time 2.23 4-5.

Mile Walk ; D. Wilson, New Zealand, 1 ; Barrett, Victoria, 2 ; Dickey, New Zealand, 3. Won by 12yds. Throwing Hammer: O’Reilly, who had n walk over, threw 129 ft fjtin. Pole Jump: Laurie had a walk-over. He jumped 10ft. 100yds Handicap.—First heat: Endicott 1, Campbell 2. Time 10 3-5. Second beat: Martin 1, Marriott 2. Time 10 2-5. Third heat: Heald 1, Chevis 2. Time 10 2-5. Final heat : Heald, 2yds, 1 ; Chevis, Byds, 2 ; Marriott, 2£yds, and Martin, 4yds, dead heat for third place. Won by six inches. Time 10 1-5.

Three-Mile Bicycle Handicap : Brooks, 70yds, 1 ; Spragg, 50yds, 2; Thomas, 160yds, 3. W’on by 15 yards. Time 7.88. 440yds Hurdles: G. W. Smith, New Zealand, 1 ; L. M. McPherson, Victoria, 2; A. S. Henderson, New Zealand, 3. Won by ten yards. Time 59sec. Three-Mile Run : Simpson, New Zealand, 1; Blake, Victoria, 2; Mahony, New Zealand, 3. Time 14.49. This is an Australasian record.