ATHLETICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 October 1920, Page 3

ATHLETICS.

Writing to hia brother, G. Davidson, the New Zealand sprinter gives interesting dntails of the experiences of the New Zealand IOIj-mpir team. The New Zealanders, to intimates, were up against an exceptional proposition, in that they were only cleat day's off the boat before the sports started, and had the neatest difficulty in Retting accommodation and the sort of food they were accustomed to. It was not until a couple of days before the competitions that I hey managed to Ret the food question settled. Meantime, other competitors had had some weeks of training on the spot. Nearly ten weeks on the boat, and n week ashore, was a proposition that was too big a hardship for the Now Zealanders, and he thought the representatives would have had a. better chance had New Zealand combined with Australia. Discussing the prospects, Davidson remarked that on the training form shown there seemed little clanoo for the running and swimming competitors from Maorlland, He himself contracted a cold just before flip sporis. Tlie American swimmers be described as wonderfully fast, and likely to carry everything before them, while Thomson, of Canada, was doing record times over the hurdles Of his performances in the 100 metres, Davidson states that lie was second in the first round (won by inches),' and third to Paddock (America) In tie second round. He concludes: "Paddock won the 1(10 and 200 metres at the Inter-Allied (James in rarls. Fancy geting within a yard of him without training! I am in the 200 metres later, but the Yanks are in too good trim for me."