PLACINGS REVISED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26848, 12 August 1948, Page 5

PLACINGS REVISED

400 METRES RELAY BRITAIN LOSES ONLY TITLE Rec. 8 p.m. LONDON, Aug. 10. The United States team was declared the winner of the 400 Metres Relay final held at Wembley last Saturday. After the international jury of appeal saw a slow-motion film of the event it was officially stated: “The jury, having seen the film and photographs of the 400 Metres Relay, is satisfied an error was made.”

After the race on Saturday the results were announced as: Britain 1, Italy 2, Hungary 3. The United States was disqualified. The revised placings are: United States 1, Britain 2, Italy 3. Britain was awarded the race on the grounds that the United States runners passed the baton at one point beyond the prescribed limit. The jury’s decision means that Britain loses her only Olympic athletic title, and the American tally goes to 13 out of 33 events. The Hungarian runners will refuse to hand back their medals, said their camp commandant, Mr Francis Geroe. He added that he intended to lodge a protest with the International Olympic Committee.

Unpopular Win Weight-lifting contests, the eliminating round in the boxing programme, the final rounds of the yachting, and the semi-final of the Soccer comprised to-day’s Olympics programme. A demonstration of booing and stamping,

which lasted 20 minutes, greeted the judge’s decision in favour of the coloured American fighter, Eddie Johnson, over the Uruguayan, B. Alves, in the feather-weight bout. Johnson yesterday eliminated the New Zealander, R. H. Goslin. Drama and Comedy Drama, comedy and pathos were enacted during the weighing in for the Olympics boxing. Pascual Perez, of Argentina, failed to make Bst. Everything possible was done to make him lose the few ounces he carried over the limit.

For 20 minutes voluble Argentinians cut chunks of his hair, rubbed him down with towels, dusted the soles of his feet, and even the scales, with a large paint brush, but Perez could not make it. He cried bitterly, tearing at what remained of his hair, and protesting to the officials. He was still sobbing loudly when ordered to leave the scales.

Later the Argentinians demanded an examination oi the scales, which were found to be inaccurate. Perez, almost bald, easily made the weight after they were adjusted. This time he cried happily as his excited compatriots embraced him.

He later punched his way to a thirdround win over the South African, D. Williams. Perez, who is the Argentine fly-weight champion, had Williams out on his feet in the last round when the referee stopped the fight.

Results Weight-lifting.—Light-weight title: I. Shams (Egypt), 79351 b, 1; E. Hamouda (Egypt), 2; J. Halliday (Britain), 3. Feather-weight: M. Fayad (Egypt) won the title with a record total lift of 732J1b. Middleweight: F. Spellman (America), 85941 b, 1; P. George (America), 2; S. Jim (Korea), 3. Soccer.—Semi-final: Sweden defeated Denmark 4—2. Britain meets Yugoslavia in the other semi-final to-mor-row.

Fencing.—Final (individual epee). L. Cantone (Italy), seven wins. 1; O. Zapelli (Switzerland), six wins, 2; E. Mangarottie (Italy), six 'wins (after fighting off with Zapelli), 3; H. Guerin (France), five wins, 4.