ATHLETICS

Hokitika Guardian, 28 December 1931, Page 3

ATHLETICS

AN ENGLISH TEAM. POSSIBILITY OF TOUR WELLINGTON Dec. 22. A suggestion that if the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association extended an invitation to an English Universities’ athletic team to tour the Dominion it probably would be accepted, was made to Mr C. -S. Thomas, of Christchurch, when he was in London. Mr Thomas returned by the Ulimaroa from a tour of Great Britain and France.

Mr Thomas, who himself once competed in important athletic contests |in New Zealand, and who has later been interested in athletics in Canterbury, said he had seen the head of the Olympic Council in England (Mr E. Hunter) and had suggested that if a British Olympic Games team got away to Los Angles it might come on to New Zealand and compete at an athletic meeting in this country. Mr Hunter, however, had' replied that there was little chance of an Olympic Games team being able to go on to New Zealand, mainly because of the difficulty of obtaining sufficient leave for athletes. He had suggested the possibility of a Universities’ team making a tour, but had pointed out that such a tour would have to be made during the Universities’ vacation, in which case probably New Zealand would be caught in the off season and there lvould be little to be gained. While he was in England Mr Thomas attended ;the amateur athletic championships at Stamford Bridge and also the Harvard and Yale versus Oxford and Cambridge Universit'es tournament. He had guided the impression that if the British team could get away to Los Angles, it it would prove difficult to beat in track events, although there undoubtedly would be a weakness in field events. Rampling,-; Hampson and Thomas, he thought, would be strong competitors in the : r distances. Rampling had done the quarter-mile in 48 seconds, Hampson probably would run the half mile in 1 minute 52 seconds and Thomas probably would beat his own time of 4 minute 12 seconds for the mile. Lord Burghley was still a force to be reckoned with in the 120 yards hurdles event, hut he could not now last out* longer distances. The Army champion, Finlay, was a firstclass hurdler and had run Lord Burghley to within feet for the 120 yards event under 15 seconds.