U.S. OLYMPIC TEAM

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28158, 22 December 1956, Page 3

U.S. OLYMPIC TEAM

COMMENT BY MR BRUNDAGE

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

(Rec. 10 p.m.) SANTA BARBARA (California), December 20.

Mr Avery Brundage, president of the International Olympic Committee, said today that the United States was about 20 years behind the Europeans in wrestling and fencing. Mr Brundage made the comment upon returning to his winter home from the Melbourne Games. He praised the United States track and field team for its “outstanding” showing at the Games.

Mr Brundage said: “The teams that withdrew from the Games because of sympathy for Hungary must feel pretty foolish now. I feel they were misguided in their loyalty, iarticularly since Hungary itself took part.”

He also praised the Australians for doing “a good job” of staging the Games.

In London the Marquess of Exeter, who is president of the British Olympic Committee, said he measured the success of the Melbourne Games by the atmosphere which existed there rather than by the number of medals won.

He said the people living in the Olympic Village were a splendid crowd, spreading goodwill and fellowship. He had never before seen the like of the happy atmosphere which existed between the teams of the 70 nations represented in the village. It was an encouragement for the future to know that people from so many countries could mix together and respect each other.