ALL-NEW ZEALAND ATHLETIC GATHERING AT CHRISTCHURCH

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 223, 9 December 1927, Page 11

ALL-NEW ZEALAND ATHLETIC GATHERING AT CHRISTCHURCH

TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS FOR 1927—NOTABLE ARRAY OF DOMINION’S CHAMPION ATHLETES

Representatives of the five main athletic centres of New Zealand are meeting to-day and to-morrow at Christchurch to decide the annual track and field championships of the Dominion Elliott, representing Auckland in the sprints, although lacking championshir class experience, has been doing well in recent starts and can be expected to

be well up in the hundred yards, while in the 220 yards, that is, if it is to be scampered round a bend, chances ot him romping home look good. In both these events, M. Leadbetter, the present New Zealand champion, is going to be the hardest nut to crack, especially in the hundred, where he looks a moral, while for second place it is likely to be a hard fight between Elliott and Jenkins. If Fleming starts in the furlong and runs as well as he did at Auckland last year and shows better judgment, it is possible that he will be a still harder proposition than Leadbetter. Much has been expected of Auckland's quarter-mile champion, J. L. McCoy, but so far little has been accomplished. He may spring a surprise in Christchurch and do big things; failing this it seems that Fleming will again secure the title. Then, of course, there is another Wellington athlete, F. S. Ransom, who has earned the right to be styled “an upsetter.” He has won some very fine races recently and a few weeks ago managed to clinch a victory from Fleming, although he has since been beaten by the latter. The finish will certainly see Fleming and Ransom very close to one another. As fur as the half is concerned, Oleen, the Otago man, should be very hard to beat. He won last season at the Auckland Domain in 1.59. The defeat of Randolph Rose from the scratch mark by R. Bayne at a recent sports meeting at Wellington

has invested the New Zealand mile championship with remarkable interest, for it has shown that Rose, although riited as one of the greatest milers in the world, is not invincible in New Zealand. It has given a wonderful incentive to the provincial milers throughout the country and all will line out against Rose with the highest hopes of beating him. ROSE, SAVIDAN AND GIBBONS Undoubtedly the race promises to be the feature of the programme. Opposed to Rose will be J. W. Savidan, Auckland’s representative and present holder of the title. At the present time the Aucklander is in great form and his chances in both the mile and three - mile events appear exceptionally bright. He has also sharpened his pace up considerably and in his recent starts has shown great pace over the last lap. Gibbons, who hails from Marton, is reported from the South to be very fit and after his great run in the mile event last year when he went so near to clinching the title, it can be expected that he will be hard to beat. Rose, Savidan and Gibbons will no doubt be the three to Jill first, second and third places. But it is quite likely that this trio will not have everything their own way. Bayne, of Canterbury, who has already beaten Rose, must be expected to do something worth while. It is doubtful if the Auckland high jumper, Shirley, will be able to defeat Skeates in the high jump. Skeates has been doing well in the Capital City and recently managed to clear sft. lljin. But Shirley generally manages to come to light when the big guns are firing and if Skeates beats then he will have deserved to win the title. THE FIELD EVENTS With the exception of Wellington, none of the other provinces look particularly strong in the field events. In E. G. Sutherland ( jumps, pole vault, hop. step and jump, throwing the javelin and discus and putting the shot) Wellington has an athlete who is still nearly good enough to bring the most points shield back to Wellington, with reasonable support from the rest of the Black and Gold reps. Peter Munro, the big policeman, will renew his old duels with the shot and

hammer against his superior officer, Sergeant J. W. McHolm, whom rumour credits with not having misled a championship meeting since Samuel Marsden’s time.

Harvey and McHolm will clash in the hammer throwing, btft it would not be surprising to find these two veterans giving way to Jim the lofty young Dunedinite, who had the lifht heavy-weight boxing title to his credit a year or two ago. Leckie hurled the lead ball (with wire attachment) last Saturday a distance of 148£ feet. That will take some beating. S. A. Lay ought to win the javel. throwing. Maybe, he will crack the existing record. Similarly, Cabot, the bespectacled walker from Dunedin, looks like collecting a couple of titles in the walks, but an aptly named young man from Wellington, W. Lanky, may push him. On form, Wellington ought to win the provincial championship by a fair margin. _ _