ATHLETES OLD AND NEW

Hawera Star, Volume LIII, 17 June 1933, Page 8

ATHLETES OLD AND NEW

HIGH JUMP RECORD AUSTRALIAN’S GREAT PERFORMANCE. GREAT SPRINTERS OF THE: PAST. (By “Physical Culturist.”) By recent news we read of Rufe. Naylor, who is taking the Australian champion sprinter, A. Robertson, _ to the United States. On the same liner that the athlete and his backer are travelling are the racehorse Wmooka and its owners, Mr A. J. Matthews and Mr W. A. McDonald: Winooka is claimed by its admirers to be even greater than Phar Lap. This, however, remains to be seen. Some passengers on the liner Monterey described the entire party as “the bodyguard of the fastest human and the fastest horse.’’

Once again the question arise# as to which is the fastest, ancient or modern. Periodically this well -worn chestnut crops up. Those of to-day seem to bo jealous of the athletes w-ho have gone before. It seems to the writer, who has seen the most of the best who have run in this country during the past fifty years, that every decade has its superman, and one reared in that period is inclined, to think that no such; has ever been seen before. So far as New Zealand is concerned, and of this I have had : first hand evidence, we have in turn had our Frankie Woods, Mick Monnook, Jack Hempton, Arthur Holder, George Warehain, Lachie McLachlau, who was virtually the last of the professional champions. To the latter-’s credit must ever rest the influence that he had on professional running throughout New Zealand; no other athlete ever dominated the game so much. Each of those mentioned had his admirers, who were prepared to back their fancy that he was the best ever, in 'some instances, the best the world has ever seen. Yet each in turn has been beaten by other men. The same source of argument applies to other countries. So many men and times are alluded to that at times one wonders ,if one care believe what one has seen.

Just at present A. Robertson is undoubtedly the fastest Australian sprinter and if matched against Tolan and Company, stated to be the fastest in the United ‘States, I would not be surprised to see him win. However fast and all as these runners may be, this writer believes there have been just as fast, if not faster, before. My mind goes back to the days when Harry Tlutehens, the English sprinter, was supreme from 50 yards to 440, and later Bill McManus. “Long Bill,” as he was called, was considered to be the best in Australia up to a quarter of a mile Into the bargain, he was a great jumper, being credited with a record hop, step and jump of 49ft. 2Jin., taking-off several inches behind the mark. When McManus was in his prime good judges deemed him the best long sprint runner in, the world. Present-day athletic writers may form some idea of his class as an athlete when they know that the Australian champion defeated Lachie McLaehlan when they met in a match race. Me* Lachlan is still stated by other good runners to be the best from a hundred to 880 that New Zealand, ever produced. As I have stated, this is a matter of opinion;, some think this, and others think that. However, it gets us no nearer finality. Following McManus, Arthur Postle was the bright star whose brilliancy was never questioned by runners of his day. ,1 can well remember when the height of a sprinter’s ambition was to emulate Postle; one never thought to excel him. Postle, by the way,, set an example of integrity for all athletes to follow. Although an out and out professional, it was justly claimed for him that he never lent himself to a schlinter.

Before Postle’s star had set there arose Jack Donaldson, the “blue streak. ” I have written before Postle’s star had set; perhaps I should have said after this brilliant runner could no -longer rely on his pace on account of a sprung tendon in his leg, which had much to do with his in-and-out running when matched with Donaldson, after he (Postle) had passed his zenith. 'Thus E. B. Connell, an “old-time” star, in a recent issue of the “Sydney

Referee”: “I would like to point out that' my knowledge of the sport dates back for nearly four decades and for a number of years I was actively engaged in athletics, both as. an amateur and professional. Comparisons with athletes of the present day and the giants of the past are, if I may be permitted to use an hackneyed term, odious, but nevertheless we of the older generation arc often twitted about our glorification of the deeds of men of the past in all classes of sport to the detriment of. those athletes of the present generation. During my long association with the sport the two athletes that stand out are Jas. Carlton and Jack Donaldson, and, in my humble opinion, have been Australia's fastest humans in their . respective spheres. As for the latter, I have never seen his equal from 120 yards to a quarte% of a mile. His run on the Sports Ground -some years ago carving out the 130 yards in 10 inside evens stamps him as the greatest runner the world has seen. With regard to your query, ‘how many can break evens®’ my answer is that, you can count them on the fingers of your own hand. This not. only applies to the present-day athletes, but also to the runners of the last three decades.” T have in this column in the past stressed the value of intensive training. An opinion which Mr Connell amply endorses when he says: “I endorse the view that the training methods of professionals and amateurs arc as wide apart as the poles, and that the latter for obvious reasons, lack the intensive -system and' concentration of the former, hence the superiority of the professional ped over his amateur confrere. ’ ’ Mr Connell states those far away days were the golden age of pedestrianism. As I have previously pointed out, when the best runner is discussed, not. too much reliance can be placed on times recorded on the watch. It is of comparative recent date that in both Australia and this Dominion the amateurs have kept reliable record's. It- is obvious that. leading professionals were often interested in hiding up their pace. Thence comparisons are odious.

Apart from running, it has taken Australian athletes well upward of thirty years to raise the high jump record a quarter of an inch. Prominence is given to the fact that an amateur, Jack Metcalf, has established a running high jump record of 6ft. ojinehes. This is no doubt wonderful jumping, but during the time of tlie Melbourne Exhibition Mick Conroy, a Melbourne policeman, cleared 6ft. sin., which was then a world’s record. However, he did not long enjoy the honour, for within a few days the cable news revealed that one O. Leary had in the United States cleared the bar at 6ft. 5 5-Bin., thus beating Conroy’s record by 5-Bin. Since then the high jump record has steadily increased, always by an American athlete. Before Conroy’s great leap on the exhibition grounds the record was held at 6ft. 4in. by another American, Bird Page. Previous to that the world’s record was established at 6ft. 2£in., by P. Davlyn, of Ireland.

It must not be thought I am belittling the performances of Jack Metcalf. I simply wish to give honour where honour is due. On liis present form Metcalf gives promise of becoming the greatest all-round jumper Australia has produced.