The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 1908. MAORILAND PHYSIQUE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2131, 4 March 1908, Page 2

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 1908. MAORILAND PHYSIQUE.

It was only the other d ly that New Zealanders were overjoyed because of the great victory obtained by our representative in the sculling world and now comes additional news of an equally gratifying nature. The Dominion’s representatives at the Australasian Championship meeting have beaten our cornstalk neighbors on their own grounds and wrested from them the proud honor associated with the championship banner. Like the Australian cricket team which recovered “the ashes,” the lads from Alaoriland were chiefly drawn from the younger athletes who li:ul but recently made their mark in tho athletic arena, and their success is a gratifying indication of the fact that the supply of men of excellent stamina in the land whch produced the famous “All Blacks” shows no signs of falling off. The victory was a very thorough one, the lads from Alaoriland accounting for 7 out of 14 championships against teams representing Now South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and Tasmania. The championships wore won by Kerr, (one and three mile walks), Orbell (high jump), Sharpe (three mile run), Trcmbath (half-mile run), Alurray (440yds hurdles), and .McKay (pole jump). Specially fine achievements were those of Orbell, who cleared oft lOin. in the high jump, McKay who got over lift- lin with the pole, whilst Sharpe, in winning the three miles, defeated so sterling a performer as George Blake, the fine Victorian distance runner, who Jed v* tho last Marathon at Athens for the first ten miles of the journey. It must also he remembered that Hector Burke, tho Dunedin athlete who defeated Alfred Slirubb, the marvellous Englishman, at Lancaster Park in a mile race run in 4miu. 27scc. was unable to make the trip, which involves a good deal of expense and Joss of time to those joining the team. Amongst individual achievements at the meeting the record of the Sydney athlete Nigel Barker,- calls for special mention as he won. the 100yds., 220yds., 440yds. races in brilliant fashion and ran second in the half mile. Past records show that in the field of sport no country has ever made such a magnificent showing when, the limitations of population are considered, as lias New Zealand, and tho recent successes at Hobart may he taken as an assurance that the standard of our athletes is being well maintained.