OLYMPIC GAMES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21248, 30 July 1932, Page 6

OLYMPIC GAMES

• / N OPENING CEREMONY TO-DAY, parade of the nations | ' ' ' ELABORATE 7 PREPARATIONS | At Los Angeles to-day, in tho presence of the President of tho United Stales and other prominent officials, t'.> impressive and historic parade of nations, oiio of the main features of 'tho opening of tho Olympic Games, will bo held. Approximately 2000 athletes, representing tlie cream of athletic talent from between i4O and 50 nations, will gather together in order to compete in the greatest of all sports carnivals. This year participating athletes have been carried to the scene of the Games in luxurious liners, speedy aeroplanes and trains. This is in great contrast to conditions ruling in tho days of ancient Greece, the original venue of tho Olympiad. Participants in the ancient days either walked or rodo in horse-drawn chariots to Olympia, and slept in tenia pitched upon tho plains until tho Games were completed.— Unliko these early participants, who were forced to fend for themselves, bolli before, during, and after their events, athletes of tho 1932 Olympiad arc housed in a model city, built on the outskirts of Los Angeles at a cost of moro than £120,000. , Following tho official opening, thero will be held in tho huge Olympic Stadium eight days of track and field athletics, two final field hockey games, three days of demonstration lacrosse, live days of gymnastics, two finals of equestrian sport, a night game, of American football, and . the closing ceremony on August 14. Wrestling and Boxing' During this period there will also bo two days of weight-lifting, seven days of wrestling and five days of boxing in the Oivmpic Auditorium; 13 days of fencing in" tho State Armoury; three nighls of track cycling in the Rose Bowl Stadium, Pasadena; ono day of road cycling; eight days of yachting on Los Angeles Harbour; eight days of swimming, diving and water polo in the Lo s Angeles Swimming Baths; and two days of shooting at the police pistol-range in Elysian Park. Events of the modern pentathlon will take place in five different stadiums. During tho entire period of tho Games the Olympic fine-arts competitions wilj be held in tho Los Angeles County Museum. Tho pivotal point of the Games will be tho Olympic Stadium, which has the greatest reserved seating capacity of any stadium yet built. It has been enlarged and remodelled at an additional cost of approximately £IBO,OOO, to accommodate! 125,000 persons, seating 105,000 on reserved admission. The rowing races should provide one o.t the most spectacular events. They are to be decided at Long Beach, about eight •**' miles from Lo s Angeles. Recent improvements have made this one of the finest; courses in the world. Grandstands will accommodate 10,000 persons, while more than 100,000 will be able to secure an excellent view from the sandy banks along the course, t The Olympic Swimming Stadium has been erected at a cost of almost under tho walls of tho mam Olympic Stadium. The pool is 20 by 50 metres and is equipped with under-'water heating and ■ lighting apparatus. It meets Olympic requirements in every respect and should bo tho scene of many historic contests. Yacht Racing Events

One of the outstanding features of the Games will be the yacht races in Los Angeles Harbour. The picturesque craft will be in full view of thousands of spectators from pointsi of vantage along tho towering cliffs of Point Firmin and from the massive breakwater which juts far out to sea at the harbour mouth. A total sum of approximately £1,200,000 is expected to be pufc in circulation as a direct result of the preparation for and production of the Games. Each country represented finances its own team, the estimated total cost being about £200,000. In making preparations for the Games, California and the City and County of Los Angeles have already spent a fortune. It is estimated that tho expenditure on stadiums, construction work, transportation and housing of athletes, publicity for the Games, printing 15 tons of tickets, .making of medals for the victorious athletes, and many other outlays, will reach £600,000. A portion of this has been provided by a Stato bond issue which is to be repaid from the profits of the Games. The predicted daily attendance is between 300,000 and 400,0 CX) persons, and,, from a conservative estimate of the revenue likely to be prOduced, it l's expected that tho final accounts will show a small margin of profit.