OLYMPIC GAMES.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 174, 25 July 1928, Page 7

OLYMPIC GAMES.

EVE OF OPENING.

Australians Handicapped By Unsuitable Quarters. THE MANAGER'S REPORT. (Australian and N.Z. Press Association.) (Received 9 a.m.) AMSTERDAM, July 24. The Australian athletes are going to the Lloyd Hotel, where the Britishers and New Zealanders are arriving on Friday. The remainder of the Australians, with the exception of Pearce, will also be taken to the Lloyd Hotel the day before their respective events. As the travelling to the track is severely affecting the training of the Australian athletes, the team's manager, Mr. Les. Duff, is immediately transferring the athletes Carlton, Stuart, Whyte and Watson to other quarters in Amsterdam. Mr. Duff explains that lie had given the Velserbreek Hotel a fair trial, but it was too loud and rough, and the journeys daily were extremely bad for the competitors. He was greatly handicapped by the extent to which the team had been committed before arrival in England, and was naturally finding difficulty in cancelling unsatisfactory contracts for quarters and transport, especially as he had not been consulted in making them. Indeed, this unfortunate error of judgment in the selection of quarters had robbed the Australians of all the advantages of their early arrival. In view of the fact that the Canadians and Mexicans were within a stone'sthrow of the stadium, and others at an easy distance, the claim that suitable quarters could not be found in Amsterdam seems indefensible. It is not too much to say the whole team is thoroughly fed .up with the unsatisfactory arrangements. Though four fit athletes will henceforward be better off, a lot of the other competitors will not be greatly improved, the Velserbreek experiment resulting in wasted time. The experience of late and irregular meals, so bard on highly-strung athletes, clearly ought to have been ended days ago.

OVER THE WIRELESS.

POOR TRAINING FACILITIES. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, this day. Station PCJJ, Eindhoven, Holland, was on the air this morning with the first of the broadcasts of addresses by members of teams attending the Olympic Games at Amsterdam. The manager or the Australian team, in calling up listeners in Australia, said that members of the team were in good health. The facilities for training were very poor.' and the team had to go 1.3 miles to obtain a swimming bath. The cyclists also had great difficulty in obtaining permission to use the cycle track there.