SCULLING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 65, 3 August 1912, Page 7

SCULLING.

| DURNAN v. RACKET!'. j By Cable—Press Association—Copyright. • Ottawa, August 1. In the sculling match between. Eddie ■ Durnan and John Hacketit, of Beau- • dotte, rowed on the Rainy Tivor, Ontario, • Buman won by seven lengths, paddling I at the. finish. The three miles were cov- • ered in 30min 49sec. L THE 1!1<: RACE. The additional particultars to hand re- ' garding the Barry-Arnst race-go to show that the New Zealander must have been ' far from fit (says "Victor" in the Wanga- ' nui Herald). This is the opinion of Guy | Nickalls and other expert's, and the de- , seriptions of the race as cabled tend to . confirm that view. Granting that he • was not in his best form, then the con-, , ditions met with on Monday would be all against him. As it was, he appears i j to'have led for about three miles, when ; he was beaten, and though he showed ; plenty of grit thereafter, Barry had him at his mercv. Under normal weather conditions Dick might have been able to have pressed the Englishman much ' harder, but it would appear that Barry ' would have beaten, hint even had the 1 water been smooth. That Arnst lacked the dash and stamina he has shown in some of liis previous matches is evident; otherwise he would have rowed a much better race. The chances are that he will challenge Barry to another race, ■ and may be the pair will meet again in ; September, though the Englishman need ; t not row again so soon unless he likes. The manner of Arnst's defeat goes to i confirm the view always held by Mr. W. ' R. Tuck and other good judges that in his last race with Webb for the cham- ■ pionship the big fellow was fairly done ! up at the end of the three and a-quarter miles, and that had there been another ' quarter of a mile to go WtTib would have [ won. On the strength of this belief Mr. Tuck liked Barry's chances for Monday's race, believing that Arnst would crack up at the end, and this is just What did happen. { His race with Barry made the sixth he has rowed for the championship of the . world, five of which he won. Prior to t taking on sculling he had fought his way i to the top of the cycling world. Having succeeded in this department of sport , by winning the Sydney Thousand, he , was at last prevailed upon to take up ■ sculling. He put himself in the hands of Mr. George Towns, an ex-champion of, the world, and after a short course of I 1 theoretical and practical instruction set out in a heavy boat to master the use of > ■ the sculls and the slide. This he did very quickly, and was soon t.imbling out of a ''best" boat. When he had a fair J idea of the art he entered for handicap I races, and so quickly did he come along j that he was put back in the handicapping almost, so to speak."before he knew where he was. Altogether he rowed seven handicap races, of which he won four, came, second in one. fourth in an- j other, and rolled out of his boat in one. He then clinched a match with Webb to row for the championship of the world, but before that row came off he rowed and beat Harry Pcarce on the Parramatta river. lie then went to New Zealand and beat Webb for the championship on December 15. 1908, by ten lengths, in 19min 53sec. On June 22, 1909, he met and defeated Webb again on the W'anganui river; on April 4, 1910, 1 he beat, George Wheleli at Akaroa (New Zealand); on August 18. 1910, he beat Barry on the Zambesi river. South Africa; on July 29, 1912, was beaten by Barry on the Thames. He has thus been defeated once only in match races. Certainly he has everything in his favor as regards physique. He is 28 years and 8 months obi, is Oft tall, about 13»t slb (racing) weight; his neck measures 17in; chest, normal 43in, expanded 49in; biceps (normal) 14in; forearm, 13 in; wrist, Sy/m; thighs, 27in; and calves 1 17y»in. Thus it will be eeen that he has been endowed lavishly with all the necessary physical qualifications of a sculler. Besides these advantages, his health has not been in any way impaired by smoke or drink, as he is most abstemious in both connections. Barry, on the other hand, is not nearly , such a big man as Arnst. He is of the sinewy build, slight, and as hard as nails, , whilo his great reputation has been achieved principally through his stamina. He is noted for the strength he possesses when the greater part of the course has ' been covered, and this is where he beat ' Arnst. He is a slow man off the mark, 1 and rows the first mile at anything but a record rate, but it is hU ability to keep up the pressure that characterises him as a dangerous man. With the exception of the time when Arnst beat him on the Zambesi, he has beaten everybody to whom he has I>een opposed of late, and is. so far as record and performances go, well entitled to the great honor he has so worthily won. WHY THE NEW ZEALANDEIt FAILED. DR. TRACKER'S OPINION. Christchurch, July 30. * Naturally, the opinion of Dr. Thacker, who has always been an active and enthusiastic supporter of Dick Arnst, was sought by a reporter this morning. The genial doctor, of course, was very sorry 1 to hear of the defeat of the New Zea- '' lander, but he .laid that it was just what I' he expected. lie could point to the " n fundamental cause of Arnst's defeat at once. The champion came back from n the Zainlie-i, and apart, from the small p amount of training he put in for his , race against Pearee, he never really—if g ever -got into a boat. The Pearee con- .. te«t was only a flutter for him. He al--2 lowed condition to the extent of four •- stone to accumulate, that condition ags gregaling in two years, and then tried t 1.0 wipe it out in three months. That, il probably, said the doctor, was tie; fundamental reason for his defeat, and. see- <' ondly. lie was without the services of his old friend and mentor. Itari'v Floyd. Floyd hail attended, trained and advised ' Arnst in all his previous contests, and his j ! s would make a great difference. "After the Zambesi race." paid Dr. '' Thacker. "Floyd distinctly told us all, in- \ eluding Arnst- himself, tiiat the big fellow's .-culling was not improving, but was going back, and that, if he did not , T take care he was riding for a fall." No doubt, added the doctor, the very severe lieaJ injury and resultant coneu-sion Arn-t received at Manly hud a dcleriu- ! r:tl hi'.' .-nv< s upon him. more pari HilnrU "- on hi- iv i:- muscular s;. sl>eni>. j '/.it\\'i">i l-'na! tln-v had had enoNwlr. j ni'Verl hclcM. while the winner lias donu nothing since. Barry, on the other hand, j had rei-eired a severe sel-b:rtk by his ilc--.r j feat, and lie went away determined to it I keep on training, which he has eonsi.-t----vr j ently done, together with the other hard • wark that falls to his lot as a lighteris.l man on the Thames. 1( ] \ Barry proved that lie was in absolutely / good condition by the way in which he

! beef, both Alhnnv snd Fngwcll, and his | titncas was emphaiiied by the light work 1 he was indulging in during this course of training. Moreover, BaTry had a great point in hia favor through being in his own territory. All athletes from the southern hemisphere are at a great climatic disadvantage in England, as there are other conditions which are unseen to contend with. A man has to become acclimatised in England, and if Arnst intends to regain his championship he will have to reside in England till next summer. "I know these circumstances to be true personally," said the doctor, "for I left New ) Zealand absolutely fit to play football, but I could not get into decent form in Edinburgh gor over a year." Arnst had also shown signs of muscular rheumatism, he continued, and this would not only tend to harden his muscle, but also the sheath of the muscle fibre, and having got grossly fat, the fat would crowd out the muscle tissue itself. Oonse-, quently Arnst's muscular system would not regain the same elasticity or response to nervous impulse. All would be sorry to see the champion beaten, but no doubt it had been done fairly and squarely, and it might eventually prove the greatest event in Arnst's athletic career. He no doubt would at once re-challenge Barry, as ] when arranging the, match he had held \ out for another month, wanting to row the race in August: but Barry was now in the unique position of being' chami pion and dictator. Tie could dictate his i I own terms, rules and course. lie was ! such a fine sportsman, however, that I he would, no doubt, treat all who challenged him to reasonable conditions. "Perhaps those people who were inclined j to doubt my statement that Arnst was absolutely rowed out against Barry on > the Zambesi' will now realise that I was { correct," concluded the doctor to a Star I reporter. "Arnst had the race of his life, j and I was very glad when it was all s over. Arnst had the greatest respect J

for Barry's ability." j