ENGLISH SPORTS LETTER.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 174, 26 August 1909, Page 4

ENGLISH SPORTS LETTER.

ATHLETIC CHAMPIONSHIPS.

(From Our London Correspondent.)

London, July 0. Although the first championship meeting of the Amateur Athletic Association was held as far buck as 1806, few of the fixtures have produced a more interesting ailtornoon's sport than that seen at Stamford Bridge (London) ou Saturday, It was a beautiful day for sports, and quite fifteen thousand peoplo were prv sent. Thf entries were of an international character, and several of 'lie honors wen/t to visiting athletes. Undoubtedly the meeting of Walker (South Africa), Kerr (Canada), and Cartnwll (United States) in the 100 yards vr;u the most interesting feature of the afternoon. They each did 10 l-ssee in their heals, but Walker appeared lo have nio.it in i-eaerve. Cartmeil was the slowest of the cracks oil' the mark in the final, and Kerr just led Walker at 00 yards. The South African then drew away «nd looked to be winning by a good margin, hut Cartmeil finished the 1 fastest, and, coming up at the end, was only a foot (official distance) behind lValke r at the tape. The time was first announced as 10 1-lQeec and later as lOsec. Considering the wind was of some assistance, this was not in keeping with Walker's South African records, and there must be a lot in the lighter atmosphere. Cartmelie running pointed to his success in the 220 yards, from which Walker stood down, and the American easily defeated Kerr —by quite 3'/> yards—in 22sec. This is good running around <a turn and on a loose track, like Stamford Bridge, and Cartmeil now in great form. Kerr is not the runner lie was, .and does not finish out big races with the dash lie displayed a year ago.

Turning to o.ther events, Lieut, Allan Patterson created a record by winning the "quarter" twice in the one afternoon. The judges, however, declared lie had only dead-hented with L. J. de Reed at the first attempt, but on running off the soldier won easily. Germany sent over a flue strider in If. Braun for the half-mile. This young man was third in the Olympic Games 800 metres race, and lie again proved his worth by easily hiking the final by four yards from Astley, of Manchester, in imin 57 3>ss?c. An evenly-contested "mile" ended with E. Owen (Manchester) just heating A. J. .Robertson (Peterborough) in 4min; 23see, and the latter was four yards | behind E. Voigt in the four miles, run in 19min 57 3-osec. A. H. Healey was a good winner of /the hurdles in 15 4-ssec, V. Duneker, of South Africa, and K. Powell, London 0.C., apparently finishing together, a yard behind, though the South African would certainly have been i-ear winning but for hitting the eighth hurdle. The genial Denis Horgan (Inland) put the shot 44ft lin, and T. R. Nieolson (Scotland) threw the hammer' 104 ft Bin.

Viewed altogether, the results are ».iot satisfactory from an English point 01 view, and we arc still without a good sprinter. Lieut. Patterson would probably make a fine half-milcr if he trained j for the distance, and Owen ie sure to: improve as a miier, while Voigt, Robert-1 son, and Wood are top-notchers at dh» tancc work. Nicolson goes on improv-' ing with the hammer, and may yet roach the record mark. Our jumpers are only moderate, and Henley, of course, is not in the same class as the best of the American hurdlers. Walker and Cartmell received a flattering roeeption ou going up to take their medals from the Prince/ of Wales, and if the Pennsylvania man will mention this on his return home it may do something towards removing the unhappy relationships between the athletic authorities of England and the United States. Walker and Cartmell again met *»t Abergavenny on Monday in a 100 yards handicap. The allotter of the starts eet Walker to give Cantraell nine inches start (a gooil tip for the championship), end tiie South African again proved i; top dog," for he won first prize in 10 2-ssec (new track), while Cartmell finished second. Bobbie Kerr was also tunning at Keltering on Monday, but the Canadian is not himself. Walker thinks of going on to Canada and meeting Kerr in a race or races at Hamilton, but it is possible he will not take part m the American championships at Seattle. This is owing to the expense of the journey, etc., the South African Athletic Association (defraying Walker's expenses) not being overburdened with riches.

A GREAT CYCLE RIDE. After a lapse of thirteen years, a 24 hours' (human paced) cycle race was held on a track in London on Friday and Saturday. , The Stadium was the venue, and the venture proved a oig success. The feature of the race was the great struggle between H. Combes, n finely-built Frenchman, and J. H. Bishop, a wiry little Londoner, who has been riding about twenty yeans. Oomops led for eight hours, with Bishop "sticking," but the visitor then had a had time, and Bishop gained several miles. Combeg came round again later, and with the Englishman in distress, reduced the leader's advantage to o miles at 20 hour*!. He could not maintain the efi'ort, however, and was passed, by F. H. Grubb in the 22nd hour. "Bishop rode 513 miles 1430 yards in the 24 hours, Grubb (a vegetarian) doing, 402 miles 1720 yards aad Combes 488 miles 1100 yards, all three thus easily beating F< R. Goodwin's record of 470 miles '1702 yards in the 24 hours' race at Heme Hill nearly thirteen years ago. Of couifc, bicycles have "been imprftv-d, l though not much,, since then, but thei Stadium tracli is no faster than Heme Mill for human-paced races, consequently the performances of Bishop and i»rubb show tkit England can still produce gome fine stayers.

Another big event in the cycle world recently was the British Empire Championships at Glasgow. Ben Jones, of •Vigan, with J. D. Nathaniel and 1). Gould, of Scotland, were the fiqaiists for the "quarter," several cracks standing down because of the wot track. Gould finished first, but as Jones was interfered with the judges ordered the race ta lis re-ridden. The Scots wfuswl to get up again, so Jones rode 6ver. W. .1. p.ailev, of London, again showid what a champion he is on the concluding day, for he carried off the ope and ten miles championships in great style, K Payne, of Worcester, and Ben Jones "running up" wspeetivcly. England also wop the team race, Scotland and Ireland appear to be suffering from a lack of "lliers" just now. swimming.

"Poor Old John Bull" received another heating at the Itoyal Life-saving (Jala, when Oscar Schiele, of Germany, won the King's Cup competition for lifesaving, from p. Hanson, of Sweden, and r*. of England. Tl\e testa were (1) to swinj 440 yards, completely dressed, and carry a supposed drowning niau for the last -tfi yards- (2) to swim 150 yards on the breast and bring in a subject for the last 25 yards. The scoring was by points (time test), Sehiele winning with 25, as against 23 by Hanson. It is worthy of mention that the Royal Life-saving Society was founded in England by W. Henry anil introduced into nearly every part of the world. How well the missionary efforts of Enn. lishiuen have borne fruit Js seen by the results of the latest competition.

UAWS TENNIS. Fortunately the concluding stage of the All-England Lawn Tennis' Championships was favored with fine weather. M. .1. 0. Ritchie, the man who saved England in the Olympic lawn tennis, met the holder of the single? tn the championship round, but was unable to «rest the title frqtp ( 'one of the player* who failed lii* country by standing down, after being selected for tho Olyinpio (tames." Wilding and Ritchie did not defend their titles in the doubles, and the winner of the singles, with H, Roper-Barrett, scored over S. N. Dmist and If. A. Parker. The last-named was strongly fancied for tho All-England Plate, but the 'New #eahinder hardly showed his best {qhh, and was beaten liy n. H. I'wvrtt,