OLYMPIC GAMES

Otago Witness, Issue 3672, 29 July 1924, Page 21

OLYMPIC GAMES

THE SWIMMING CONTESTS. PARIS, July 20The final of the men's 800 metres swimming relay race resulted as follows: America 1 Australia Sweden o Japan was fourth and Britain fifth. Time, 9min 53 2-ssec—a world’s record. Australia's time was lOrnin 2^sec —an Olympic record. Charlton, who swam second for Australia, by a magnificent effort finished only a yard behind the winner, Clancy (America). This placed Australia practically on level terms with America, in view of this Weismuller, who, though in costume, did not intend to swim in the relay race, but to reserve himself for the 100 metres, w r as instructed to participate. In the fov.rtli heat, taking things easily, he won by 10 yards. At the beginning of the last stage Japan was slightly ahead of Sweden, but Arne Borg, by a heroic effort, turned the tables, and covered 2CO metres in 2min 19 4-ssec. The final of the 100 metres resulted: Weismuller (America) a Duke Kahanamoku (Hawaii) ... 2 Sam Kahanamoku (Hawaii) ... o Arne Borg was fourth. Time, 59sec — an Olympic record. Weismuller, although fully extended, had an easy victory by 2yds. Duke Kahanamoku beat Sam Kahanamoku by a touch, and Borg beat Takaishi by mciies. Taking the lead in the first syds, Weismuller was never seriously challenged. The win stamps him as the greatest sprinter in the world. In some respects, however, Arne Borg’s achievements are even greater. He gained places in the three free style finals and was fourth in another. There never has been a swimmer to equal this performance. The men’s high fancy diving resulted : Withe 1, Fall 2, Pinkeston 3 —all Americans. THE LADIES’ EVENTS. The ladies’ 2CO metres breast-stroke final resulted: Miss Morton (Britain) 1, Miss Geraghty (America) 2, Miss Carson (Britain) 3, Mi3s Gilbert (Britain) 4. Time, 3min 33 l-ssec. The final of the ladies’ 400 metres relay race resulted: —America 1, Britain 2, Sweden 3. Time, 4min 53 4-ssec —a world’s record. The final of the ladies’ 100 metres, free style, resulted : Miss Lackie 1, Miss Wehslen 2, Miss Ederle 3—all Americans. Time, lmin 12 2-ssec. Miss Shand, who was a long way from form, finished third in the semi-final. Her time was 82 4-ssec. She failed to qualify. The final of the 100 metres ladies back-stroke race resulted: —Miss Bauer (America) 1, Miss Harding (Britain) 2, Miss Biggin (America) 3. Time, lmin 23 l-ssec—a world’s record. In the semifinals the respective winners were the Americans. Miss Bauer, lmin 24sec, and Miss Riggio, lmin 29 l-ssec —both world’s records. The ladies’ high and plain diving finals resulted: Miss Smith (America) 1, Miss Decker (America) 2, Miss Topel (Sweden) 3. THE SWIMMING POINTS. PARIS, July 20. The swimming points are as follows:

LAWN TENNIS TOURNEY. PARIS, July 20. In the final of the men’s singles Richards (America) beat Cochet (France) 6—4, 6—4, 5 7, 4—6, 6—2. In the semi-final of the ladies’ singles Miss Helen Wills (America) beat Madame Golding (France) 6 —2, 6—2. In the final Miss Wills beat Mile Vlasto (Greece) 6—2, 6—2. Miss M‘Kane secured third place, beating Madame Golding (France), 5—7, 6—6, 6 in the play-off between the semifinalists. s In the semi-finals of the mixed doubles Richards and Mrs Jessup (America) beat Timmer and Miss Bauman (Holland), 6 —3, 6—o; Williams and Mrs Wightman (America) beat Gilbert and Mrs M’Kane (Britain), 2—6, B—6, 6 —l. V PARIS, July 21. In the final of the men’s doubles Hunter and Richards (America) beat Brugnon and Cochet (I ranee) 4 —6, 6—2, 6—3, 2—6, 6—3. The play-off for third place by the beaten semi-finalists resulted in Borotra and Lacoste (France) beating Condon and Richardson (South Africa), 6—3, 10—8, 6—3. In the final of the mixed doubles Williams and Mrs Wightman (America) beat Richards and Mrs Jessup (America) 6—2 6—3. The final points in the lawn tennis events resulted: America ... «*• ... ««• 65 France ... ... *»« H . 28 Britain ... ~. 16 SCENES OF DISORDER. PARIS, July 21. The boxing bouts ended at midnight amid scenes of such disorder that the gritish Olympic Committee, after a meetg, notified the International Committee that it would he Impossible for British

boxers to compete at future Olympic meetings. Some of the Erench newspapers are beginning to express the view that the Olympic Games do more harm than good in the field of international relations. THE BOXING CONTESTS. PARIS, duly 21. The leading points in the boxing events were as follows: America ... 38 Britain 30 Denmark 2U Argentine 18 Belgium H SWIMMING RECORDS IN SYDNEY. PARIS, July 21. The International Swimming Federation created a surprise at this morning s meeting by deciding to ratify ''Boy” Charlton’s Sydney Domain Baths records in January last in the 800 and 440 yards, in which he beat Borg; and also Borg’s mile record. It was also decided to recognise future Domain records if swum up and down the baths. The federation will probably recognise Miss Durack’s records, to which Mr Merrett referred. Beaurepaire’s 1500 and 1000 metres records made at Honolulu are also to be recognised. Each record breaker received a medal; but all the foregoing records have since been broken in the Olympic races, as cabled. SYDNEY, July 22. The reference in to-day’s cablegrams to the International Swimming federation’s decision on the question of records is the outcome of the, Australian Swimming Federation seeking to have the bydney Domain Baths recognised as proper baths for making records. It is understood that the federation did not press for recognition of Charlton’s Sydney records, in view of his later records at the Olympic Games. LACK OF SPORTSMANSHIP. LONDON, July 22. “No More Olympic Games” is the heading under which The Times delivers judgment upon the disgraceful scenes in Paris. It says: “The unhappy experiences confirmed with dreadful clearness the longfelt misgivings that the tendency of these games is to inflame rather than to allay international animosities. The Olympiad has been weighed in the balance and found not only wanting, but positively dangerous. Both the actions of the individual competitors and the spectators have given rise to disagreeable incidents of a definitely provocative and volcanic character. Even the judging has not been free from reproach.” The Times adds: “Disturbances of this kind, culminating in open expression of national hostility, might conceivably end in worse trouble. The peace of the world is too precious to justify any risk, however wild the idea may seem, of its being sacrificed on the altar of international sport. The right spirit of such sport was rightly shown at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. Despite the severity of their defeat, 'the Empire competitors and the spectators took their beating in perfect good humour, while the Americans were entirely free from the arrogance of success; but in the Olympiad, apparently, this human camaraderie is not proof against the loss of self-control to which national partisanship may give rise.” The Times concludes by drawing attention to a correspondent’s view that nobodv would feel justified in again appealing for public support to send another full British team to the Olympiad, adding: “It may he expected that the Americans concur in this view, and ihat the death-knell of the Olympiad has been sounded.” The newspapers, without exception, comment in an outspoken way on the disagreeable incidents and disgraceful scenes which characterised practically the whole course of the Olympic Games. The climax was reached during the final stages of the boxing. During the semifinals of the middle-weight contest between an Englishman and a Frenchman the latter bit his opponent’s chest and employed flagrantly foul tactics throughout. Notwithstanding that he was clearly outclassed, the Frenchman was awarded the fight. This was only one of a number of shocking decisions. The Britishers protested, and the decision was eventually reversed, thus averting the withdrawal from the contests of the whole of the Englishspeaking competitors, including the Americans, . . The ill-feeling was continued in the finals at night, when scenes of unparalleled pandemonium followed several decisions. Two hundred gendarmes and squads of soldiers with difficulty restored order. The newspapers point out that instead of friendly and honourable rivalry, bad sportsmanship and international animosity were manifested throughout the Games. Home even say that shameful incidents in Paris spell the doom of the Olympic movement. LATIN TEMPERAMENT BLAMED. LONDON, July 22. The members of the Athletic Executive who have arrived in London generally disapprove of the idea of Britishers not participating in future Olympiads. They are of opinion that as the English-speaking people taught the Continent sport, they should continue to teach them sportsmanship. H. M. Abrahams (the sprint runner) in an interview, said there were hound to be disputes when 45 nations were competing. He suggested that the Olympic programme needed pruning. Far' too many sprouts had been added to the classic list. With fewer competitors and a more restricted range the participants would be able to get together and cement international friendships. Sportsmen who attended the Olympiad take a less serious view of the matter than what is expressed in The Times criticism. It is unofficially learned that the Olympic Council does not subscribe to the idea that the Olympiads are dead. It is pointed

out that any unpleasantness was due to the excitable Latin temperament, which is worse than calculated animosity. It is admitted that Trench crowds do not display the impartiality usually associated with English sporting crowds, but the demonstrations of partisanship perhaps demonstrated national comradeship more than international antipathy. There was certainly not any lack of friendliness among the competitors themselves. A FRENCH DISCLAIMER. PARIS, July 22. Baron de Coubertin, replying to The Times criticism, said if they were discouraged by an isolated case of lack of discipline by the inevitable “black sheep it would be better to cancel the Amsterdam and Los Angeles games forthwith. He considered that a superb sporting spirit was shown at Paris and his colleagues agreed with that view. CRUSADERS IN SPORT. PARIS, July 23. Lord Cardogan, president of the British Empire Olympic Association, refuses to believe that the deathknell of the Olympiads has been sounded. He says that England and America have a most important role to perform—that of inculcating sporting instincts, in which the English are modern crusaders. In England sports and politics are as the poles asunder. International sport must not be killed. The cessation of the Olympics would be disaster to the world. No one imagined that by a wave of the magician’s wand the world could be made a perfect place for sport in a single Olympiad. The recent regrettable and unsportsmanlike acts were isolated cases. Some of the nations involved were still recovering from the nerve-racking effects of the scourge of war. THE CYCLING EVENTS. LONDON, July 24. The Australian Press Association s Paris correspondent says that the result of the Olympic teams’ cycling road race over a course of miles was as follows: France 1, Belgium 2, Sweden 0. Then came in order Switzerland, Italy, Britain, Luxembourg, Jugo-Slavia, Czeoho-Slovakia, Egypt, Finland, and Poland. PARIS, July 2b. The 188 kilometres road .race, in which there were 72 competitors, was won by Blanchenet (France) with Hooveners (Eeigiurn) second, and Ramsden (Australia) third. The winner’s time was 6hr 20min 40sec. COMPETITORS ENTERTAINED. LONDON, July 25. At a luncheon to tile Olympic competitors Mr Merritt said that several of the boxing decisions were most contrary to English ideas of sport, but he deplored tlve propaganda against the Games. He suggested that nations with high ideals of sport should confer to bring others up to the same level. Sir Joseph Cook (Australian High Commissioner toasted Miss Gwitha Shand. PORRITT’S ACHIEVEMENTS. LONDON, July 25. The Standard says that Porritt’s achievements stamp him as one of the world’s three best sprinters. The Charlottenburg (Berlin) Sports Club has invited the foremost Olympians to compete at its August meeting, and is paying all expenses. Porritt has accepted the invitation.

America ... 21 < Sweden ... oti Britain 50 Australia 65 France 1/ Belgium 13 Japan ... .» ... o Denmark 6 Hungary 4 jSew Zealand ... ... 2 Switzerland .v. 2 Holland ... a Czecho-Slovalcia a Austria i Luxembourg ... l