ENGLISH MILER BEATS SAN ROMANI -

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 196, 4 September 1937, Page 18

ENGLISH MILER BEATS SAN ROMANI -

V / iWHUE CITY MEETING iWOODERSON HAS YET T0 MEASURE UP LONDON, Aug. 5. England's distance runner, S. C. Wooderson, has yet to acomplish a performance which will put him in the front rank of mile runners, judged by tlie time test. For all that he continues to win his- races, and more, perhaps, should not be expected of him. There is, in fact, a strong belief that he has still a lot in hand, and that he would approach nearer the best time if he were really pushed from the start. Followers of athletics in England who cling to this belief thought that the English champion would have a supreme test at the White City early this month, especialy when Archie San Romani, the Italian-American who, since the withdrawal of the New Zealander, Jack Loveloclc, is probably the best runner in the world over a distance, was billed to appear. A large crowd of spectators, however, saw Wooderson win in the comparitatively slow time of 4.15 8-10, and Romani beaten into fifth place. While on a honeymoon trip to run in Sweden, Romani was ' invited to break his journey in England, but he only reached Plymouth on the morning of the meeting, and he had to fly with his bride to arrive in London in time. It was a bumpy journey, too, and when he went on to the track he said that he still felt the roll of the ship. Under the circumstances it was scarcely surprising that he failed to do himself justlce: in fact, he never appeared in the race with a winning chance. It was left to M. Szabo, from Hungary, to challenge Wooderson, and 200 yards from the finish the two men were running shoulder to shoulder. Then the English champion lengthened his stride, and, without making his utmost effort, went ahead. In fact it was obvious that he had more in hand than the three yards by which he won. The time was disappointing. , , . , , The only training Romani in prior to his appearance was with a skipping rope on board the Queen Mary, and before liis meeting with Wooderson he confessed that he was not so good on his legs after the

Atlantic crossing. "I would sure like to meet Wooderson," he said, "and despite the little training which I have had I'm game." On his arrival lat Plymouth he was handed a cablegram purportlng to come from Johnny Magee, manager of the United States team in Stockholm, warning- him not to compete in London. It transpired, however, that the message was a hoax. A telephone call through to Stockholm established this fact, but it also revealed that the Swedish A.A.A., which had paid Romani's travelling expenses to Europe, objected to his appearing at White City. A deal was made, however, when General Critchley, organ-' iser of the meeting, offered to pay Wooderson's expenses to Stockholm if Sweden would let him have Romani. While disappointed with the main event at the White City meeting, the crowd was thrilled by the sprinting of the negro, B. Johnson, who won the 100 in 9 4-5s and the 220 in 21 7-10s. Another fine performance was achieved by W. Roberts in the quarter-mile. His time of 48 3 -10s was only three-tenths of a second outside the British record.