OLYMPIC GAMES.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 30 July 1936, Page 3

OLYMPIC GAMES.

BRITAIN’S TEAM. SURPRISING OMISSION. One of the most surprising omissions from the English Olympic track and held team is that of the Cambridge half-miler, J. C. Stothard, who was unbeaten in the season, and generally regarded as a man likely to preserve Britain ’s post-war invincibility in the Olympic -SOu metres. Little lias been heard of him this year, and it can only be assumed that he has lost form completely. He was clearly the finest SSdyds runner iu Europe twelve months ago. The fact that J. V. Powell has been chosen as the first string in the Mifi metres would appear to indicate that, although Britain’s team as a whole is perhaps the best over selected, it has not the strength in the above event that has been the case since HldO. Rowell was placed in the Sdd metres nt Los Angeles, and on his form in this country in it was apparent that he was a very line athlete, but lie did not appear as a world-beater. Unless he has made a material improvement it seems fairly certain that the Olympic SUO metres will not go to Britain this summer. Surprising at tlie omission of Stothard is the inclusion of J. F. Comes as third string in the IbdO metres. Comes, it will no doubt be remembered, was Lovelock’s great opponent during his Oxford days. He ran second to Luigi Becalli. of Italy, in the food metres at Los Angele- four years ago, and then toiled in the steaming heat of Nigeria, returning to Fngland for the Empire Games in IUM4 to mu third to Lovelock and Wooderson. He went hack to Africa, presumably to a premature athletic grave, but returned again this season to light for a place in the English Olympic team. He has succeeded. A GREAT COMEBACK.

The personnel of the United .States Olympic truck and field teams is not known here. Imt one of the most interesting competitors at the Jinal trials was Frank WykoJf. Wykoff is the holder of the world’s .inn yards record of !/ 2-osec. and prior to the lit:-!2 Games was generally regarded as the likely winner of the Pm metres, but he failed to qualify for the American team, thoi;g!i he was a member of the successful 400 metres relay quartet. He fell out of athletics shortly after, but, this year has made a great comeback. Ho won the luo metres at the final Pacific trials in HP.sec. which is pretty good running- anywhere. It will lie interesting to know how he fared in the all-American try-outs. Ben Eastman, mentioned last wee"k as having- run Sot) metres in linin 501see in one of the preliminary trials, turned in an even better effort at the same meeting as Wykoff. He was clocked at Imin 50 1-lUsec, easily the fastest S(»0 metres run of the year. Three pole-vaulter? also tied at 14ft •din on the same ground. A runner named Luvalle. too. ran 400 metres in 4(3 d-10sec.