LOS ANGELES SCENES

Evening Post, Volume CXIV, Issue 27, 1 August 1932, Page 8

LOS ANGELES SCENES

OPENING CEREMONY

BRILLIANT SPECTACLE

PARADE OF CONTESTANTS

tTnited Press Association—By Electric Tele-

graph—Copyright.

(Received Ist August, 1 p.m.)

x LOS ANGELES, 31st July. The opening ceremony o£ the tenth Olympic Games, favoured by bright sunshine and a cool Pacific breeze, was attended by 105,000 people. In commemoration of the Grecian origin of the Games, the Greek athletes headed the grand march, in which'there were two thousand participants representing thirty-nine countries.

The Australians occupied third place in the procession, the competing nations, except for the leaders, marching in alphabetical order. "Boy" Ctiarlton, •who is recovering from an attack of influenza, headed the Australian contingent, and the New Zealanders were led by their flag-bearer, McDonald. Japan, •with 202 athletes, had the largest representation from abroad.

The Vice-President of tho United States, Mr. C. Gurtis declared the Games open with Olympic ritual—a salute of ten guns, the lighting of th,e Olympic torch, the flag-raising ceremony, and the singing of the Olympic hymn. A •chorus'of 1200 voices followed, then 2000 doves were released from the centre arena. Mr. Curtis'a opening speech was very brief: "In the name of the President of the United States I proclaim open the Olympic Games of Los Angeles, celebrating the tenth Olympiad of the modern era." \ A welcome was given by Mr. W. M. Garland, president of the organising committee. Interviewed on the eye of the Games, ■the Australian manager said: "I see no reason to change my original statement that Australia will win four championships. We enter the Games determined to carry on ths great traditions of amateurism. All the members of the team will play the game for the game's sake."

Mr. P. N. Bundle, manager, made the following statement for Kew Zealand: —"The team is taking its task seriously, and all the members are keyed up for the great days ahead. The will to win is not lacking in'our team." Except for weight-lifting in the evening, there was no competitive sport on the opening day. Eene Duverger, of France, won the first championship on Saturday night in the lightweight division of the weight-lifting competition. He -lifted > 7151b,- to beat the Amsterdam.;j;ejsDrd. of 7111b. Hans Haas, of Austria, was second.