NOTES BY AHATEUR.

Otago Witness, Issue 2892, 11 August 1909, Page 63

NOTES BY AHATEUR.

The most important athletic event in the near future is the Australasian Championships, set down to take place in Brisbane on fine 18th and 21st of the pre&snt month. The New Zealand team is already en route for Brisbane, having left Wellington on Friday last for Sydney, en route to Brisbane. The two Otago representatives in the New Zealand team— G. P Keddell and George M'Knaght— left Dunedm last week in good fettle to join the main body in Wellington. The team left by the Moeraki, doe in Sydney on Tuesday. The difficulties experienced in getting a thoroughly representative New Zealand team away are already' too well known to be e*xp.oited again. Such champions as TT. St. Murray, hurdler; C. JL.- Orbell, high jumper; Guy* .Hastens, half anti miler;- and o. Wallace, lield events, have -been left behind. This *-eft only a remnant of the full strength cf New Zealand to do battle against the l,:ek of the Commonwealth States. All the :oembers of the team, save Moore (who irossed over to Sydney a week ahead), departed on Friday. The full team will meet in Sydney, ■where a day or two's training will be put in before going on to Brisbane. At this stage it may be interesting to give the personnel of the New Zealand team: Miles Dickson (Canterbury)— Three Miles and Marathon. George M 'Knight (Otago) — One and. Three Miles. S. W. Moore (Canterbury) — Three Miles and Marathon. Harry E. Kerr (Wellington) — One and Three-mile Waiks. L. M. M'Kay (Wellington)— Pole Vault, Putting the Shot, and Long Jump. Gerald P. Keddell (Otago)— l2o and 440 yds Hurdles, Long Jump, and High Jump. W. A. Wocdger (Wellington)— loo and 220 Yards. The manager of the team is Mr C. E. Bridge, of Wellington, who will also ,be one of the New Zealand delegates at the meeting of the Board of Control of the Australasian Amateur Athletic Union, to bo held in Brisbane during the meeting. The other delegate from the Dominion is Mr J. H. Pollock, of Wellington, who is travelling with- the team. Prior to their final departure from. New Zealand the members of the New Zealand team Tiad a run on the Basin Reserve. The ground was in a dreadful state, being over the shoes in mud. H. Kerr had a -walk round the track, and appeared to be in good condition. Woodger and Keddell sprinted with Goodbehere and Duncan, two Wellington men. Wocdger showed undeniable pace, even in the heavy going, and was away on his own. Woodger has been unable to get a dry ground for training, and was slow off the mark, Keddell beating him badly in getting away. Diekson, the three-mil© champion, was suffering from a sore knee, which he hoped would be quite well before reaching Sydney. The chances of New Zealand's representatives in retaining the Australasian Championship honours cannot be considered altogether rosy. In the sprints we are represented ty the young Wellington craok, "Woodger, who will find his most dangerous rival in Barker, of New South Welee. Barker has been training steadily for the classic event, and is certain to run welL Moreover, in addition to undoubted pace and experience, Barker is acclimatised, and has a knowledge of Australian racing tracks denied the young New Zealander. Nevertheless I expect to see Wocdger run well, and if he can get off the mark he will set Barker a difficult task to catch him. Keddell is jumping well right on to 22ft, and if he can improve his "take-off" in Brisbane will do over that distance. Should Davis, of Victoria, compete Keddell will have his work cut out to beat him, and will also find the Victorian his hottest rival in the 120 yds Hurdle 3. In the event of Davis not being present at the meeting Keddell should win the Broad Jump and 120 yds Hurdles. Dickson is our most mighty champion, and I can see nothing to touch hinr if in form. Blake, of Yietoria, was beaten by inches in a recent three-nme -test in Melbourne ir 15min 33sec, but better time will have to be put up to defeat DLokson and M'Knight, who may be depended to run well B^ 8 real chance is in the Marathon which he should win, as he is reported to be running in better form than three years ago, when he put up a sensational performance at Athens. Kerr will find a serious r ival in the Walks in Harley, of New South Wales, but I quite expect the New Zealander to win at least one of the events. M Jtay will have to vault up to his best, as, on the word of a Victorian, Walker is doing over 10ft with ease. Wheatley, of Melbourne, in the absence of H. . t». Has Kins, ehould account for the Half and Mile, while O'Reilly should win the Shot and ainmer. Practically the competition will be between New South Wales, Victoria, and New Zealand, and I place them thus: New South Wales, 1; New Zealand, 2; Vici- ~ia, 3. competitors in the open events r.t tho Otago University inter-faoulty sP Ol^ are reminded that entries close on Wedriesday next, August 18. The open events are: 300 Yards (for which the entry fee is Is) and One Mile and a-fcalf (entry fee, as 6d). Hearty support from local athletes should be forthcoming for these events. 3. W. Moore p46p 465 *" through Wellington: on- his way to Brisbane last week -{writes "Mercury" in the Dominion). Though he will be a competitor in the Three-mile Championship, Moore's special mifisioar 19 the Australian Marathon, in which, as lie- states he is in good condition, he should rulr-a good race. Of a strong but light build, Moore strikes, the eye as almost the ideal type of c Marathon runner, even snore so- than Dickson, whose brilliancy _is probably greater than hia strength, despite the fact that be finished the 18 miles of tfie Ashburton Marathon with no signs of tflstress showing. Moore will not return ixf New Zealand, his present intention being to take up land in Queensland. While on the subject of Marathon races,

it is interesting to note that the Australasian Council has formally decided that " in view of the special circumstances surrounding the running of the alleged Marathon races at Ashburton and Auckland, the competitors' status should not be affected, notwithstanding rule 21." The fears of the New Zealand Council that some one <f the Australasian States might enter a protest against Dickson, Moore, and M Knight competing in Brisbane on the ground of their having competed for trophies of greater value than the 10gs allowed by rule 21 of the Australasian Union's laws should be allayed by this decision. It is not at all likely that any State in Australia would have raised such a quibble, but the council was right in appealing to the head body. Where ari athlete's amateur status is at stake there is no such thing as being too careful. Victoria will be strongly represented in the-. Marathon at Brisbane. Recently George Blake, J. A. and J. W. Stillwell, A. W. M'Micken, and others essayed a 20£ miles run on the roads, Blake arriving home a "quarter of an hour to the good. Bis time for the distance was 2hr lOmin for the estimated 20£ miles. On June .19. .Reg. E. Walker was at Crewe, where he won the scratch 100 Yards in lOsec. Nat. J. Cartmell (U.S.A.) was second to the South African orack, .beaten a foot. E. R. Voight (Manchesteii won *h« Tfai-ee-mii© Scratch Race in 14mia 3? 3-ssec " Mr Arthur Marryatt, who, since the present council look over the reins of office, has filled the position of acting secretarytreasurer with every satisfaction, has resigned his office. At a recent meeting of the council glowing references were made as to the value of Mr Marryatt's services to the council at such a critical period of its history as tho past few months have been. His successor in office is Mr W. G. Talbot, well known as secretary of the Wellington Rugby Union. An unfortunate accident befell C. L. Orbell, tiie New Zealand and Australasian high jump champion, a few days ago. Orbell was riding in a steeplechase, whenhis horse fell, end Orbell had his collarbone broken in the melee. The Dunedin Anglican Harriers have decided to extend their season for a fortnight. The season was fixed to close on Saturday, September 11, when a run at tbe invitation of the committee was to havebeen held, but as it has been decided to hold the Civil Service 10-mile Cross-coun-try Championship .on that day, and some of the club members will be competing in that event, and as since the drawing up of the second syllabus the club have reosived an invitation to run from the residence of Mt Z. C. Harrison (Hon. Thomas Mackenzie's property, Rutherglen, Kaikorai), the season will now close on Saturday, September 25, as the guests of the committee. . The following will comprise the New South Waks team for the Australasian amateur athletic championship meeting at Brisbane:— Barker, sprints; O'Reilly and Morgan, shot and hammer events; Smith, vault, shot, and hammer; Lamrock, hurdles and sprints; Harley and Wireless, walking events; Sime, Marathon Race. The Queensland A.A.A." has arranged that every competitor in the Marathon Race next month who completes the distance in 2hr 30min -shall receive a bronze medal. .» . „ , , „ It is understood that, if invited by the Australasian Athletic Union, Walker and Duncker, the South African cracks, will visit New Zealand after first returning to Africa, where they will pick up Hefferon, the Marathon competitor. Percy Smallwood, the crack Welsh runner, on June 19 established a new world 6 record for 10 miles. He covered the distance in 50min 22sec. This time beate Shrubb's record by 18 3-ssec. Shrubb recently ran 12 miles in 63min 11 3-sseo. At a meeting of the council of the N.S.W.A.A.A. it was decided to ask«*nat the following proposals should be placed on the business paper for the conferenoa to be held at Brisbane in August :— That the Australasian cross-country championship be held biennially, each State to control same in turn in alternate years with the track championship; that the first race be > held in Tasmania in September, 1910; that the championship ba managed and controlled by the A.A.U. of Australasia. From the hon. secretary of the South Canterbury Harriers comes to hand the following circular, wh.ch is being circulated amongst the various harrier and athletic clubs throughout the 9° min lOlirI Oli r- * am instructed by my committee to draw your attention to the Crow-country Tnteiclub Shield Championship to^ be held in Timaru on Thursday, September 9, at tl-e £ffira^fcim4 Jind over the came comse as event of any member of your ol uh be ing selected to represent your centra in .the TS..O. championship/ he will still e lwble to represent your club in this race. The race £ P fof club teams only from »«*n,^d harrier clubs, eight or less men to start six to count. Entry fee Is per man The prize is a handsome silver shie d, value £10 10s to be held one year This is held at present by the Dunedin Harriers. A prize of £1 Is will be awarded to the > first man home. Entries close August 26. B« •sbks-s irssr cfi&S; iKSiOT The nee is to bo hold .t T.maru race-bo instituted, such race to be h ek feam " S "That th« council pive a chamP Shi P standard gold medal to tho individual champion, and four badges to those punting pointe in the winning mterpioVi wSt^rorn'i S e3 to be a remarkable deveSiSnt in the world of ■££!>«*£- vears ago would have been deemed impossible. Athletes, however well trained often find themselves distressed during and after a race— particularly over a long distance. For some time past a number of eminent scientists have been invest yratinp the causes of " dyspnoea,"' or hard breathing. Experiments which have been made with oxygen have brought about some astound-

ing results. Mr Leonard Hill, of the London Hospital, who is very well known in connection with experiments in regard to high pressure in diving, has taken the matter up. With the assistance of a number of noted runners he has carried through some valuable tests. Mr Hill says he has found that a man could hold his breath for very long periods if he washed his lungs out with a few breaths of oxygen. Dorando would never have collapsed at the finish of the great Marathon race had he done that. There were two reasons why one could not hold the breath for long. The first was because oxygen was needed, and the second because the carbon dioxite produced in the blood collected and excited the breathing centres of the brain. If, however, this were cleared out, the breath could be held for a longer period. The results of some trials recently were most remarkable. Several previous best times being beaten. A satisfactory feature also was that, at the conclusion, the athletes showed none of that " grogginess" about the knees, nor any of the distress which often follows a violent effort, but were extraordinarily fresh and lively. Mr Holding breathed the oxygen for two minutes and then ran a quarter mile in 50 I ; SsBC, which was a second faster- than his previous best. In the Olympic trials he took 52sec. He had been out of training for a week, but after the race he was so fresh that he paced Just, and then r»n 100 yards in llsec, or 2-ssec. faster than his previous best Mr Just afterwards inhaled oxygen and then covered the halfmile in lmin 55 l-ssec, thus reducing his time in the Inter-Varsity race by 3-ssec. So fit was he at the close that he ran "a tired man's " quarter-mile in 53 3-ssec, and also pacod another runner for two sprints of 100 yards each, and came in first. These remarkable results convinced Mr Hill that there were great recordbreaking possibilities open to athletes who used oxygen. Mr Hill is extending his researches, and hopes, with the assistance of a few good runners such as A. B. Postle, B. R. Day, and W. Growcott, to capture all the world's records for English runners before the end of the present year. One experiment that he would like vei*y much to try would be to build an awning over a short portion of the racing track and fill it with oxygen so* that when the runners passed through it they would inhale the .gas. It would be_an interesting test, indeed, if it could be accomplished. OTAGO CENTRE, N.Z.A.A.A. The Otago Centre, N.Z.A.A.A., met on 6th inst. Mr J. B. Callan, jun., occupied the chair, and there was a good attendance of delegates. Mr L. West appeared as delegate from the Dunedin Harriers in place of Mr Melville (resigned). Mr West was accorded a welcome. The Secretary of the South Canterbury Harriers wrote informing the centre that the New Zealand cross-country championships had been allotted to the club, and that the race would be held at Timaru on September 9. — •Received. Messrs Love. West, and Mercer to be a sub-committee, with full i-ower to pick a team representing. Otago. D. F. M'Kay, secretary of the Joe Scott Memorial Fund, wrote requesting the centre to contribute to the fund. — To be informed that the centre regretted it had no fund© for the purpose. The Labour Day Association wrote asking for a permit to hold four amateur events at its annual sports at Outram. — Granted on usual conditions. GENERAL - Messrs A. C. Smith, T. Dawson, J. R. Wilson, and the secretary (Mr Willett) were appointed a sub-committee to carry out all details and arrangements in connection with the interclub race to be held on the 14th inst. The Chairman reported that the result of the deputation which waited upon the council in regard to a track around the North Ground was that the council would not do anything until confronted with the whole financial part of the business and with the attitude which the Cricket Association intended to take up in regard to another little matter. — It was resolved that a deputation of the council, consisting of Messrs Callan, Divers, and L. Sanderson, wait upon the Cricket Association in the matter. » Mr O. C. Mazengarb moved — " That ix be a recommendation to the council that in rule (g), page 12, the word ' October ' be deleted, and 'April* substituted."' — Mr H. Divers seconded the motion, which was lost. OPEN* ORDERS. A petition was once more brought up from 66 runners complaining that under the present system runners did not got full value for open, orders ; that in certain cases a psriod of three or four months after the the time specified in the rules was allowed to elapse before the trophies ■ re pivsented; and also requesting that when runners were competing for a cortain trophy, the trophy be exhibited in public before the event. Mr O. C. Mazengarb moved — "That thfc centre approves of the requests contained in the petition." Mr Murray seconded the motion. Mr L. Sanderson moved, as an amendment— " That the whole matter contained in the petition be returned to the clubs for distinct expressions cf opinion." Mr R. G. Anderson seconded the amendment. Mr L. Sanderson expresred the opinion that tho petition had been engineered by a few dissatisfied members, and kept Ly them before the public arid the centre. Mr Murray contended that tho matter had been brought before the public becau&a it had been neglected by the centre. Messrs Divers. A. C. Smith, Wilson, Rudkin, and Willed; spoke briefly on the question, and finally the amendment was carried without dissent. Mr Mazen£jarb then moved — "That this rentr-e approves of the requests outlined in the petition." He did this to test the fealing- of the meeting. Mr Diver eecorded the motion. The motion on being put was lost, Messrs Mazengcarb, Divers, and Murray being the only delegates in favour of it.