OLYMPIC GAMES

North Canterbury Gazette, Volume I, Issue 1, 12 August 1932, Page 9

OLYMPIC GAMES

MANY RECORDS BROKEN. NEW ZEALANDERS RUN WELL. N The Olympic Games of 1932 have been, as far as the breaking of records goes, the most successful held since the war. Records have been broken in nearly every event, both in the heats and in the finals, and some exceptionally fast times have been recorded. The fast cinder tracks of America have apparently made an appreciable difference in the running of the European competitors. Of the New Zealanders Elliot has probably derived most advantage from' the fast tracks, as bis times show remarkable improvement on his New Zealand form. His time in othe 100 metres is the equivalent of 9 4-ssecs. or even better in the 100yds, but although his time for the distance was inside the old Oympic record Elliot was not in the picture at the finish. His Olympic times, however, do prove that his running in New Zealand was quite as good as it seemed, and that his times here have not flattered him.

Lovelock’s Failure. Most New Zealanders will be depressed at the failure of J. E. Lovelock, the Otago Rhodes scholar, to win the 1500 metres after winning his heat in good time. His lack of experience land youth may have had an effect on Lovelock’s performance, hut what probably caused his failure was the fact that the two races in the 1500 metres were held on consecutive days, for Lovelock is yet too young to produce two good runs 1 on consecutive days. An athlete will sometimes produce several remarkably fine times on the same day, hut when his muscles have had time to stiffen this is impossible.

The fact that the Oxford president, Cornes, beat Lovelock will cause many to shake their heads, but Lovelock has both beaten and been beaten by Cornes in the past, who on this occasion obviously ran above his form. Englishmen will be satisfied with the time recorded by Cornes, but when it is considered that the fastest mile run by Lovelock in New Zealand was 4.39, and that he has since decreased his time to the excellent figure of 4.12, we should not doubt that he will again reproduce his sensational times. He has been picked to represent the British Empire in its contest with the United States after the present games, and has every chance of winning the 1500 metres if not of reproducing the wonderful times by which he leapt to fame.

Black’s Bad Luck. Of the New Zealand team the quarter-miler Black was to be expected to improve most, but his illness before the Games greatly lowered his chances. The times returned by Black in New Zealand for the 440yds were excellent on grass tracks, and if he improves at all on his return home he should go close to lowering the quarter record. The grass tracks in New Zealand have of course always made the task of the record-breaker difficult. The fact that Black after a fast run failed to qualify for the semi-final will give sonie idea of the speed a. man must show to win the 400 metres at Olympia. On his . performances in the distance running Savidan has proved his value as a distance man and should again win his event (10,000 metres) when the Empire meets the United States.

Nurmi’s Records. The records of the veteran Nurmi are beginning to topple, as he formerly prophesied they would, and as he foretold, it is the Finns who are doing it. Savidan was fourth in the 10,000 metres when the record was broken and against such good company this place was distinctly meritorious. The suggestions, made before- the Games, that Miss Kench should not be sent to Los Angeles seeni to have been justified by her performance in good company. The fastest time shown by her for the 100yds in New Zealand was 11 1-5, and this time compared with the times of 10 3-5 returned by European women, even considering the advantage obtained on the fast cinder tracks, was not calculated to give this country a win. in the women’s 100yds. The New Zealand cyclist, Foubister, who before the names of the Olympic team were published, had not even been heard of by most people in Canterbury, rode well in his event and returned a good time. It is exceedingly doubtful, however, whether his time is better than the Canterbury cyclist Grose would have recorded. Grose was looked upon as a certainty for the trip, and 4t came as a shock to Canterbury that he had not been included. C. E. Evans, the Taranaki runner, has not shown up very favourably in the Games, where he has failed to

qualify in his. event. Evans has a very bad style and relies mainly on strength of leg alone. Against runners who had a perfect action and had cultivated a definitely good style, the action of the Taranaki man would seem ugly, and besides using any reserve he might have for the sprint would tire him too much for the final. The rowing crew is at present not favoured by public opinion, but their coach seems satisfied and has adopted the wise precaution of resting his men before the race. The Boxers. The great difficulty up to the present with boxing is that bias, chiefly national, causes bitterness. In European countries, as was proved by the New Zealander Morgan last year, a foreign boxer has either to knock out or technically knock out his opponents before he is absolutely certain of obtaining an unbiased decision. At the Games of 1928, Morgan, a strong “ Southpaw ” man, who is by the way at present fighting in Australia, won bis fights in this way and so had to obtain the decision. But this year the games are in the United States, and although we bear of such decisions as that in the Sharkey-Schmelling fight, the Americans generally are good sportsmen. We are entitled to be proud of the fact that the New Zealanders have in many cases run above themselves, and in competition with athletes who are world famous, can record times which are practically world figures.