“NERVES OF IRON”

Hokitika Guardian, 16 April 1932, Page 6

“NERVES OF IRON”

TASK FOlt STARTER AT OLYMPIC GAMES.

Mil LESLIE EXPLAINS

WELLINGTON, April 11

“If Mr T. W. Leslie is a good .starter with nerves of iron we would he glad to use him at tho Olympic Games at 'Lou Angeles. Therefore we have put him on our list of starter,,. These were the words used by Mr. Edstrom, president of the International Amateur Athletic Federation, when placing the name of Mr T. IV. Leslie, of Wellington, on the list of Olympic Games starters. To the casual reader the message was unusual, as it does not, on the lace oi it, seem a task for “iron nerves” to get men on their marks and fire a gun to start them racing. Really, it is not a simple matter, and nerve is essential if the starts are to be fair.

“Perhaps 1 can best explain.” said Air Leslie, “by telling you how I came to bo a starter. At the big Shrubb-Duffy meeting held at the Basin Reserve in 1894, Mr George Watson was the paid official -tarter. On that occasion 'Shrubb broke three times and Air Watson put him off—disqualified him—and, in my opinion quite properly so. The crowd— some to,ooo people had'paid to see Shrubb run—were in-si,-tent on a race, so the officials took flic gun from Air Matson and handed it to" Afr Pollock senior. Air Pollock got them away all right, hut Shrubb beat the gun by five yards, and there was no one else in the race. I sa " all this at close range, and wn<s very interested. Resides, I sympathised with Air Watson, who was only carrying out the international rules which apply to starting.-’

TWO SECONDS “HOLD.” The international rules ot starting clearly set out that after a starter his given the “get” ready or “set” order, he must hold them for two seconds before firing the gun. The reason for that is apparent, for if you merely said “set” and fired the guh. some of the runners would not he quite ready. Unfortunately there arc some runners who wish to break the rule to the disadvantage of those who wait for the gun. Where the iron nerve is needed is in holding the men on their marks for that two seconds. It is not every starter who can do it. Th t » inclination, once the men are set, it to pull the trigger at once. You often hear the crowd say, “Let ’em go!” hut they don’t understand that a fair start for all i s best ensured by holding the competitors ‘set’ for those two seconds.

“I have only had to disqualify twice during my twenty eight years of starting,” continued Air Leslie. “Once was at the Easter Varsity sport of four years agfo A held in AVcUington. A Dunedin runner ‘broke’ deliberately three times, and I had to put him off. The other occasion was at a meeting at the Athletic Park, when a Napier visitor broke three times, and had to he disqualified. “The international rules provide that if a competitor breaks twice he be sot aside, but in New Zealand we let them have another pop. That 1 have only had to disqualify twice in twentyeight years shows that the practice of “breaking” is not such a common one.

EVEN TIME BROKEN ONLY ONCE

“1 don’t say it at all boastfully, hut it is none the less true, that whilst I have been starting I have only seen even time for the hundred yards broken once. That "'as by tho American sprinter Kirkse.v, when he heat ‘Slip’ Carr at the Athletic Park. His time was 9 4-osec. I have still to see a better performance. The ten seconds man is still a champion if lie does it after the bang does!”

Air Leslie was in his youth a clmmion walker. He commenced walking in Oaninru when sixteen years of age, being aided by a good natural heel-and-toe style. Before he was twenty years of age he was champion of North Otago, and when in 1890 he came to Wellington lie had no trouble in holding his own with the local talent, and went on to become the champion walker of New Zealand and Australia. Ilis best time over the mile was done at Feilding in 1893. when he cut- it out iu fimin. A'lsoes., equal to the then world's record (put up by the Englishman George Perkins in IS7IL Air Leslie walked two miles in Ifiinin. 39see.. and on one occasion walked seven miles in ,V2 mill. Apart [min his ability as a starter. Air Leslie could lie Used ns a judge of walking ui Los ..agios. Ilis Worship the .Mayor f.Mr T. C. A. I! islop) bus assured .Mr Leslie

‘'who is custodian of the Town JlalD Ihat the necessary leave of absence will be granted should lie decide to go lo Los Angeles.