CHAMPIONS OF THE ANTIPODES

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 237, 27 December 1927, Page 14

CHAMPIONS OF THE ANTIPODES

TRACK AND FIELD STARS IN ACTION AUSTRALASIAN ATHLETIC CHAMPIONSHIPS (Special to THE SUE) WELLINGTON, Monday VESTED with added importance in view of the Olympic Games next year, the opening of the Australasian track and field championships to-day provided a notable gathering of athletic champions from the Australian States and

the Dominion Phenomenal things were done at the first day’s meeting of the championships to-day, and the greatest thrill of all was the finish of the mile, in which

Randolph Rose .showed an amazing return to top form, and beat J. W. Savidan in a thrilling finish. It was a day of surprizes, for New Zealand’s biggest moral at the meeting. Malcolm Leadbetter, was decisively beaten in both heat and final of the 100yds by J. Carlton, the amazing New South

Wales’ schoolboy: and in the quarter-mile New Zealand runners were made to look like hacks while two stars from New {South Wales fought out the issue. The day was beautifully fine, but the sprinters and hurdlers had to battle into the teeth of a strong ’nor-wester, and it was this wind that prevented ne wrecords being made. There was an attendance of about 6,000, and enthusiasm ran very high, and when Rose made his first appearance on the ground lie was given a great ovation. CARLTON’S GREAT RUN The crowd showed great interest when the field for the 100yds lined out, and there was a dead silence when the first heat got down on the marks. Then a roar that started with the gun and swelled as the sprinters hurled themselves at the tape. The first to show out from a fine start was Carlton, and with 50yds covered, only he and Leadbetter were in the race. Both ran splendidly into the teeth of a strong wind, and Carlton won by inches; Elliott being a yard behind Leadbetter. In the second heat, the field rose as one man, and Parker had the lead at 20yds. Jenkins put in a great bid over the last 40yds, but Parker finished magnificently to win .by a yard, w'ith Walker a yard further back. The times, 10 4-ssec and 10 3-ssec, give a good indication of the force of the wind. CARLTON ALL THE WAY The final was a great race from a perfect start. Carlton jumped to an early lead, but the rest of the field was strung out in an almost straight line. At no stage did the schoolboy wonder look like being headed, and he swooped at the tape with a clear yard’s lead of Leadbetter and Les Parker, Queensland, who fought out a great finish for second place, with the field only inches away. It was after some minutes in deliberation that the judges announced a dead heat. Under the conditions, 10 l-ssecs was a wonderful performance, and Carlton, who is only 19, is a big, solid runner, very fast out of the holes, and runs with beautiful style. He has no peculiarities of style, and the most impressive feature of his running is his great strength, and he should be good enough to get into the Olympic 100 metres final next year, and it will not be surprising if he equals a world’s record before long. ROSE BACK TO FORM

When Rose lined out in the mile he was an entirely different Rose from, the Rose who competed at Christchurch earlier in the month. He was fresh and fit looking and was dancing round on his toes from the start. W. Barwick, Tasmania’s sole representative, made the pace a merry one, but Rose passed him after going 300yds, and Barwick was not sighted afterwards. At the end of a quarter, which was run in 66sec, Savidan took charge, and it was evident he was out to crack up the field. The half was done in 2min 13sec. Rose and J. Martin, of New South Wales, were in a handy position. but Martin was struggling with three laps disposed of in 3min 20 2-ssec. . , SAVIDAN V. ROSE

Savidan sprinted at the .bell and opened out a gap of 10yds or so. Rose now seemed troubled, but ■ along the back stretch he moved -up yard by yard to the leader. Savidan led by two yards into the straight, and there Rose had enough in reserve to sprint the Aucklander, and midst road after roar of frenzied cheering, the big fellow passed Savidan to win by five yards. The time, 4min 25 2-ssec, was really a phenomenal performance, and there is no doubt that with no wind the race would have been run in under 4min 30see. Savidan ran a- fine, game race, but he was not just good enough. Martin was a long way back. LANDER WINS HURDLES The ■ 120yds hurdlers provided fine racing, and Roger Lander was fully extended by E. Scott, New South Wales,' in the final. This was the only race in which there was any trouble at the start. Twice, A. J. Watson (Victoria) broke, then the field rose to a fine start. At the first hurdle Lander had the lead and he increased it over the next two; then Watson moved up to him, and both were hurdling perbut at the second to last jump Lander’s shoe clicked on the top of the hurdle and at the last fence Watson almost had him. In a thrilling finish Lander just held off the New South Welshman to win by inches. Sixteen and two-fifths of a second was rattling good going. A FAST QUARTER The heats of the quarter-mile were held in .the morning, and E. H. Newton created rather a surprise by winning the second heat in 51 3-ssee, heating the title-holder, R. D. Norman, by fouiyards. The first heat was robbed of interest by the fact that only three

started, and all qualified in winning in fifty-five. W. Hunt showed beautiful style. In the morning the wind was not so strong as in the afternoon. The race was run in lanes, and in the final the three Welshmen drew' the three inside lanes. When the field had straightened out on the back stretch it was seen that the New Zealanders were being outclassed; Hunt went away to a lead of over five yards, and he ran like a -world-beater until he entered the straight, where he had to battle against the wind. Then C. Stuart turned on a great sprint, and moved up to the front 10 yards from the tape. He won by a yard, with Newton four yards further back. Norman, J. T. Fleming, New’- Zealand’s champion, and Ramson, were all outclassed. Stuart is the greatest quar-ter-miler New Zealand has seen for many years. His time, 50 l-ssee, was only one-fifth of a second outside the best performance made by any New Zealander, and he must have beaten the present New Zealand record of 49 l-ssee under good conditions. Although W. -Lankey went out at a break-neck speed in the first quarter, E. E. Austen (N.S.W.) had no difficulty in winning the mile walk. Lankey’s time was 6min 58 2-ssec. “NO RECORD’’ Stan Lay, of Hawera, throw'ing with the wind, smashed his own record of 205 ft lliin with a great throw of 218 ft 2Jin, but he cannot claim a new record because of the conditions. In the pole vault, Sutherland was unlucky, for three times after clearing the bar the w'ind caught his pole and knocked it against the bar. J. W. Batstone, New Zealand champion, jumped better than he has done for a long time, getting over up to 10ft 9in without a miss, but he failed at lift, which E. Keskinen cleared nicely, to score Queensland’s only win for the day. Keskinen is leaving Queensland, and it is possible that he will settle in Otago. At present, New Zealand and New South Wales, with four wins each, are leading for the teams championship, and a very close contest is expected for the second day. Results are;— CHAMPIONSHIPS 440Yds First Heat: W. Hunt (New South vvales), 1; J. T. Fleming (New Zealand), 2; C. Stuart (New' South Wales), 3. The only starters. Time, 555. Second Heat: H. E. Newton (New Zealand), 1; R. D. Norman (New South Wales), 2; F. S. Ramson (New Zealand), 3. Also started: L. K. Costeen (Victoria). Time, 51 3-ss. Final: C. Stuart, 1; W. Hunt, 2; H. E. Newton, 3. Won by four feet. Time, 51 l-ss. "IOOYds. First Heat: J. Carlton (New South Wales), 1; M. Leadbetter (New Zealand), 2; L. C. Elliott (New Zealand), 3. Time, 10 4-ss. Also ran: A. Scott (Victoria) N. J. Grehan (Queensland). Second Heat: L. C. Parker (Queensland), 1; C. H. Jenkins (New Zealand), 2; A. W. Walker (New South Wales), 3. Time, 10 3-ss. Also ran: C. J. Lane (Victoria), W. Hunt (New South Wales)'. Final: J. Carlton, 1; M. Leadbetter and L. C. Parker, dead heat, 2. Won by four feet. Time, 10 LSS. One Mile R. A. Rose (New Zealand), 1; J. W. Savidan (New Zealand), 2; J. Martin (New South Wales), 3. Won by syds. Time, 4m 25 2-ss. Also started: J. J. Morris (New Zealand), W. Barwick (Tasmania). 120Yds Hurdles Championship First Heat: R. W. Lander (New Zealand), 1; G. P. TVischer (Victoria), 2. The only starters. Second Heat: A. J. Watson (Victoria), 1; F. S. Ramson (New Zealand), 2. The only starters. Time, 16 2-ss. Third Heat: E. H. Scott (New South Wales), 1; J. W. Shirley (New Zealand), 2; E. M. Davidson (New Zealand), 3. The only starters. Time, 16 3-ss. Final: R. W. Lander, 1; E. H. Scott, 2: A. J. Watson, 3. Won by Inches. Time, 16 2-ss. One Mile Walk E. E. Austin (New South Wales), 1; W. Lanky (New Zealand), 2; R. H. Cabot (New Zealand), 3. Won by 20yds. Time, 6m 525. Also started: R. Pederson (New Zealand). Putting the Shot P. Munro (New Zealand), 43ft lOJin, 1: A. D. Mclntosh (Victoria), 41ft 3Jin, 2; D. Brown (New -Zealand), 37ft llin, 3. Also competed: E. Keskinen (Queensland), 37ft 7|in; E. G. Sutherland (New Zealand), 34ft sJin. Throwing the Javelin S. A. Lay (New Zealand), 21Sft 2fin, 1; E. Keskinen (Queensland), 183 ft Sin. 2: E. G. Sutherland (New Zealand), 173 ft lOJin, 3. The only competitors. Running Broad Jump C. M. Ebert (New South Wales). 23ft 6in, 1: D. McKay (New South Wales), 23ft 53in, 2; G. R. Lundquist (Victoria), 22ft S4in, 3. Pole Vaulting E. Keskinen (Queensland), lift Oi|in, 1;

G. Batstone (New Zealand), 3 oft 9in, 2; E. G. Sutherland (New Zealand), 10ft 6in, 3. The only competitors. HANDICAP EVENTS One Mile H. McKenna (25yds), 1; A. D. Priestly (scr), 2; A. Hodson (New South Wales), (lOOj’ds), 3. Won by 6yds. Time, 4m 39 l-ss. One Mile Cyeie , Final: E. R. Foulton (120ydsJ. 1: A. Crichton (150yds), 2; J. R. stalker (104yds), 3. Won by two lengths. Time, 2m 30 2-ss. Three Miles Cycle ,T. Carswell (scr), 1; A. H. Scarfe (50 yds), 2; E. R. Poulton (200yds), 3. Won by a length. Time, 8m 32 4-ss.