GYMNASTICS IN U.S.

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28158, 22 December 1956, Page 2

GYMNASTICS IN U.S.

Judge Complains Of Coaching

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

CHICAGO, December 20. Mr Charles Pond, one of the Olympic gymnastic judges, today complained of Olympic judges and the United States physical education programme. “American women gymnastic teachers spend most of their time arguing with men over who should coach girl athletes,” Mr Pond said. “Our whole physical development programme is all fouled up. Mr Pond, the University of Illinois gymnastic coach, was one of four men who were sent to judge the 1956 Olympic gymnastics m which the Russians gained 11 first places, and 110 unofficial team points, while the United States failed to score a point. “We got just what we deserved,” Mr Pond said. “I’m not going to be a cry-baby about it and say ‘who cares about gymnastics anyway?’ The simple fact is we’re not ill the same class with Russia and Japan when it comes to body-building sports.” Mr Pond placed most of the blame on United States education officials — specifically women education officials. “Women gymnastic teachers don’t believe in athletic competition for girls,” he said. “AH a girl need do is have a body that can fill Marilyn Monroe’s dress. That doesn’t necessarily mean it is. a healthy body.” Regulated exercise made a girl even more attractive and the appearance of European women athletes supported this, he said. “In Russia, they start boys and girls on non-apparatus gymnastics at the kindergarten level,” he said. By high school, they’ve graduated to apparatus work. Here, all we do is throw them a ball and tell them to go off somewhere and play. “American educators feel it is a lot cheaper to have someone stand by a window and watch the kids play than it is to hire someone who knows what he is doing.” Mr Pond also attacked the Olympic ■* U Japan, not Russia, should have won the gymnastics, he said. The only way we’re ever going to get fair judging is to take the national emblem off the boys’ uniforms. He said that the opinion of women gymnasium judges at the Olympics were even more distorted. “Thev spent more time trying to match-one another’s scores than they did watching the participants. “It takes a lot more talent to perform on the gymnastic bars t than it does to run around a track, ne said.