OLYMPIC GAMES

Southland Times, Issue 19290, 8 July 1924, Page 5

OLYMPIC GAMES

\OPENING CONTEST. ENORMOUS INTEREST EVINCED THE COLONIAL COMPETITORS. (By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.) (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) PARIS, July 7. (Received July 7, 11.5 p.m.). There were great crowds present at the commencement of the athletic section of the Olympiad. Chief interest centred in the preliminary heats for the 100 metres. In the first round, Carr, the Australian runner, with his leg bandaged, finished second behind Abrahams (Britain), who won easily in llsecs. A feature of the race was the brilliant form of the Americans. All the four entrants, viz., Murchison, Paddock, Sholts and Bowman, won their heats. In the semi-finals, Porritt (N.Z.), ran second in his heat to Bowman (America). He ran brilliantly and may reach the final. In the 800-metre heats, the Australians, Boyd, Norman and Newman, ran unplaced. In the second round of the 100 metres, Carr lost several yards at the start. His leg was troublesome in the first half, but he finished brilliantly. He came second, overwhelming all but Scholtz, who won the heat. Carr. is confident that he will win the semi-final to-morrow. The Britishers, Stollard and Lowe, and the South African, Oldfield, won their 800metre heats. Rit-ola (Finland) won the 10,000 metres in the world’s record time of 30min 23 1-5 secs. Wiide (Sweden) was second and Berg (Finland) third. The final of the javelin throwing went to J. Myrra (Finland), the distance being 62.96 metres. At polo, Argentine beat the United States 6 to 5. Abrahams won his heat in the 100 metres in 10 3-ssecs, equalling the Olympic record. AU the other heats took 10 4-ssecs. Porritt ran much better than anyone anticipated. It is certain that a new record will be established for the 400 metres swim, as Charlton, Weismuller, Beaurepaire and Borg are all regularly beating the existing record. WeismuUer, to-day, comfortably registered 310 secs. It is predicted that he wiU win under 305 secs. Later. There is a general belief among the athletes that it is a mistake to defer the sports until 3 o’clock in the afternoon, as several events had to be decided simultaneously thereabout. To-day there were present 35,000 spectators, but the Stadium holds 70,000, so that there were many gaps. Ritola’s feat was remarkable, as it was done on a wet track. He ran on 400 metres, thinking that he had another lap to go. Boyd, the Australian, has so far not started. To date the aggregate points are: Finland .. . 30 Sweden 11 United States 6 Britain 3 Weismuller did a 400 metres trial in 310 seconds, breaking the Olympic record by 24 3-ssecs. At the opening ceremony the procession around the arena of the great Stadium was witnessed by 50,000 people. Australia’s 49 representatives, wearing green caps, blazers and cream trousers, marched in third position. New Zealand’s four representatives were led by Porritt and Miss Shand, the latter wearing a cream costume and hat. America's 365 representatives, headed by naval and military officers and with ladies in smart cream costumes, made up the biggest quota and resembled an army in comparison with the others. The French numbered nearly 300. Ireland appeared for the first time as a separate entity. At the moment of opening, 1000 pigeons, trained by the military, were released, carrying the news widespread.