NEW ZEALAND’S NURMI.

Shannon News, 5 March 1926, Page 3

NEW ZEALAND’S NURMI.

# \''' 'r ■ : * ' ■ ROSE RUNS MILE IN 4.13 3-ssacs. HAHN BEATEN BY 17 YARDS. SCHOLTZ FLIES OVER 100 AND 220: At the park oval at Masterton lait night, 4000 people witnessed Randolph, A. Rose again defeat tlie .American champion, Lloyd Halm, for the third time in four matches. It was a titanic struggle, in which Rose proved his undoubted superiority, and in doing | so clipped 4 4-ssecs off the Australasian record, established on the Masterton track, by J. A. Power in 191.4, and made time which is only one second shorter than the then world’s record established in 1915 by N. Taber, of the United States. / MASTERTON, Last Night. The occasion was marked by unpa alleled enthusiasm, and- the crowd si Armed the track and closed in on tli; two champions over the last 50 y; rds. Both were cheered to the echo, and Rose was carried shoulder h.gh to the accompaniment of more salvoes of cheers. The evening was calm with a trace of wind, it was clear overhead ‘and the track was perfect. Scholtz stated after the meeting that a runner could not have wished for anything better, and liad he been running on d straight track over .' the 120 yards, instead ,of iound a bend, he iwas confident that he would have done better tlmn 21 secs. The Greatest Race Ever. The mile was , undoubtedly the greatest race ever, witnessed on the oval. Rose" stripped in great fettle. Both, men anxiously awaited their call to the mark. They pranced around restlessly, seeming relieved when they got the signal and moved off together, but, it was soon to be learned that the American was to adopt different /.tactics' from his previous matches. Hahn’s New Role. : Instead of lying in behind as he has done in the past, three contests he hit "the front, and, led the Mastertonian by two yards for the -first quarter, which was left behind, in 60secs. , Pace a Cracker. ‘ The second lap saw r the same positions held, and as Hahn crossed the line the lap steward called 2mins., 4 2-ssecs. As may be seen from the time the pace was a “cracker.” The same order was maintained" over the third lap with the American still in the van by three yards, but the gap between the back markers and the limit rrien bad ‘been appreciably lessened. The three-quarters of a mile was covered in 3min., 11 l-ssecs. Seemingly Impossible Happens. It was hardly presumed that the scratch men could se the journey out so terrific was the pace, but the seemingly impossible was to' happen. At the bell Rose, flashed up v to his ''opponent and led him by three yards, In this positiop they rah locked together to the 300 yards peg, where the first of handicap men was overhauled. , The New Zealander did not let. up for a second. He hung doggedly to his task, but? as they raced, past the kiosk the pace appeared to be telling its tale. Hahn’s Last Effort. Turning, the last bend for home, the champions had left the field behind, and Hahn, moving up, drew level. “He’s got him,” dried the frenzied crowd, but it was only a temporary effort, and as they straightened up a deafening roar from the crowd accompanied Rose’s charge to the front. Hahn made a valiant effort to retrieve his advantage, but he was a spent force and Rose romped home a winner by 17 yards. Time, 4mins., 13 3-ssecs.

“He’s Sure a Wonderful Runner.” Hose was in wonderful form and over the last furlong- he seemed more resolute than ever. Against this Hahn had nothing in reserve. He had set himself out to beat Rose by different tactics, but had spent himself over the early stages of the journey. Interviewed after the race, Hahn could say nothing but words of praise for'Rose’s achievement. "He's sure a wonderful runner,’ ’ said the goodnatured American “and his form today could not be denied. When I made my run round the last curve I thought I could do it in to the tape, but it only lasted me 30 yards. Had I been in good shape I think I would have run better than 4.14 also, but I w r as not. and on the day the better man won.”

Wonderful Sprints l»y Scholtz. Scholz won the 100 easily in pOsecs., and the 220 likewise in 21 4-5, equalling the New Zealand record. • . OUR VISITORS. Scholtz was one of the greatest of the great who competed in the Olympic Games last year. He has the record of SRsec for 100yds to his credit, and is the Olympic champion at 200 metres and the U.S.A. champion at 220yds, with a record of 20 4-ssec to his credit. Harold Abrahams has the greatest admiration for his athletic ability. •: Halm is also a runner of excellent quality, and won the American junior mile championship in 1923 on the Stagg Field, Chicago, in 4min 23sec —not bad for a junior. On the day following-, he ran third in the senior mile championship to Joie Ray and Ray Bukerr, the former on that day winning his race for the seventh consecutive, and the eight time in all. Ray was clocked to do 4min 18sec in this race, and was one of the greatest runners .in history. Hahn is the American indoor record holder at 1000yds at 2min 13 4-ssec —a very fine performance, and was second in the IT.S.A. Olympic Trial gt 1500 metres last year to Ray Buker. | BLUE RIBANDS. The following times are interesting

in view of, Rose’s wonderful performance at Masterton last night: 'World’s record: P, Nurmi, 4mins 10 2-ssecs. at Stockholm, 1923. Previous. .world’s record: N. Taber, 4mins 12. 3-ssees.. in America, 1915. * British amateur record: A.. G. Hill, 4mins. 13 4-ssecs., 1921. Previous British amateur record: JFBinks, 4mins. 1G 4-ssec3., 1902. World’s professional record: W. G. George, 4mins. 12 3-4 secs., in America, 18S6. ROSE V. HAHN. The following are .the results of the four meeting’s, to date, Of Rose and Hahn:— . ; , February at Masterton, Hahn beat. Rose b/ 15 yards, in Amins. 18 3-ssecs (a fifth of a second slower than the Australasian record established on ’the Masterton track by A. J. Power, ’the American, in 1914. Hahn stated after- the race that never imagined he would do better than 4.24, butAvhen he heard ' the time-of'.the. first--two laps called, hi vas confident--that Rose could not se4 it out at such a pace. < February 13;- at Wellington; —Rose beat Hahn, unplaced, in 4 mins. 26 2-5-secs. March I.—At Christchurch, Rose beat Hahn, by t\\o yards, in 4mins. 19 2-ssecs. March 4.—-At Masterton, Rose beat Hahn, by about twenty yards, in 4 mins., 13 3 ssecs., this time being neatly five seconds better than the Australian record of 4mins. 18 2-5 secs. Rose also holds the three-mile Australian having broken it a}: the New Zealand Championships, .at Wanganui, on February 28, 1925. Rose’s time then was 14mins. 24 1-5 secs., he having clipped several seconds off W. F. Simpson’s Australasian record, which the Christchurch man put up in 1901. The previous day (February 27) Rose won the mile in 4mins. 26 l-ssecs. Nurmi’s world l’ecord for three miles is 14mins., lljsecs., put up in Finland, 1923.