OLYMPIC PROSPECTS

Evening Post, Issue 12, 14 July 1936, Page 8

OLYMPIC PROSPECTS

It is, perhaps, a liltle too curly lo canvass prospects in the Olympic Games, soon to take place at Berlin, but performances in the British athletic championships at the White City, London, on Saturday gave a good indication of the relative strengths of the national competitors, which included members of both the Australian and New Zealand Olympic teams. The results showed that British athletes wore well able to hold their own undey conditions by no

means favourable lo record-breaking. Apart from Metcalfe, llio Australian high jumper, none of the visitors won events. Even the great Lovelock had lo admit defeat, if only by a yard, in the mile, run in excellent time considering the weather and track. On the oilier hand, llic British athletes in almost every ease did well enough to justify high hopes for their success at Berlin. The British team will include the majority of those who were placed in the championships and is described as the finest Britain has ever sent to an Olympic Games. From America comes the news that two men lied at 6ft 9sin in a new world high-jump record in the final Olympic trials. This is a marvellous feat and a repetition should ensure that event for U.S.A. at Berlin. The Germans them"selves are by no means confident of success in the track and field evcnls, a Berlin message stales, but there are such things as "dark horses" even in athletics and it never does to take any opponent too lightly. With prospects of peace in Europe improved by the latest developments the outlook for the Olympic Games this year, as the world's greatest international athletic meeting, is certainly promising.