U.S. “FAILURE” AT THE GAMES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3889, 25 September 1928, Page 60

U.S. “FAILURE” AT THE GAMES.

MR ABRAHAMS’S VIEW. “ BETTER OPPONENTS." (From Our Own Correspondent LONDON, August 10. Mr H. M. Abrahams, the British Olympic team manager, speaking at a meeting held last night at the Stadium Club, by the Amateur Athletic Association, said that when the British team left London he expressed the opinion that it we': the best we had ever sent to the Games. “ .he Games arc over, and I see no reason to amend or revise that opinion in any shape or form,” he declared. Referring to what he said had been foolishly termed the American “ failure " at Amsterdam, Mr Abrahams pointed out that America had only dropped from 24 to 22 places. “ Personally, I see no failure at all," he added. “The only reason that the American figures got lower and lower towards the close is, I think, that they over-estimated their own performances and under-estimated those of the British Empire and other nations. ‘ln the field events the Americans did every bit as well as they have ever done. I think they were over-coached, but I think that the nonsense that has been talked about their feeding is pure and simple nonsense. The explanation is the very simple one that they met better opponents.” Mr Abrahams said that any collapse of women competitors was due, not to the physical exhaustion, but to the psychological disappointment of being beaten. Whereas a man would have said, “My turn next time,” ladies .sometimes cried for joy, sometimes for vexation. “Women have every right to be in the Games,” he added. Captain Cornelius (coach of the Canadian Olympic team) suggested that Empire games should be held every two years or so, commencing in 1930. it was intimated from the platform that in the Amateur Athletic Association there was a strong feeling in favour of more international competitions, and that everything possible would be done to give., effect to the suggestion.