Nurmi to Run on American Indoor Tracks

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 565, 18 January 1929, Page 7

Nurmi to Run on American Indoor Tracks

Arrival at New York Last Month

IS STILL AMATEUR

“Nope amateur," were the only words a bevy of newspapermen could get out of Paavo Nurmi on his arrival ft* ufS The k of S * P° nth - Rumour had over to , 9k . Phantom Finn had come foot rarw m a bi = Professional loot-iacmg carnival under the reported T i e n X^ iCkar , d ,‘ delth wa's deported m the cablegrams the other at ieast Pe , ak 9 no English, but he S, understood the word “prooul ? ; t nd h^ S denial was as vigorous cLS it was brief. walk(^ a do^ > K P ri Shtly youth who York h, the gangplank at New hair wimg* 1 rnan of 31, with thinning Y ho , 6 appearance belied the ret ability ll6 N,w W ? n through his athletic i l ? s '- Nurnn seems to be so fond °J er f as tours that it may be ordered if any attempt was made to persuade him to come to New Zealand when the New Zealand Olympic tea ut was m the Old World. P ' a hiJ l!it N urmi still retains his remark, able speed and endurance was evi- ” d ! n th ® Olympic Games last sumthl lO t 6 ran a brillia "t race in the lO’liOOmetre event, to defeat some , oC . h; s foremost rivals, among them being Willie Bitola, Edvin Wide, and Geo Lermond, Boston A.A. star. Paavo reached the heights of his career in the 1924 Olympics in Paris. On that occasion he performed the extraordinary feat of winning four titles. The next year he made his famous coast-to-coast tour of the United states, and demonstrated that he was equally effective on board tracks. In his first appearance at the old Madison Square Garden he shattered three records, and then went on to break and re-break world’s marks in various parts of the country. Nurmi’s first tour brought interest in track events to unprecedented heights in America. That the present winter season will be a lively one is further assured by the fact that AY ide has indicated his intention of sailing for America, and may be induced to compete against the famed Finn. Some conjecture was made in track circles as to who could offer Nurmi opposition in the distance events. In addition to Wide, those who were mentioned as likely rivals were Ritola, who has not ben acmtive since the Olympics; Lermond, who finished fourth to Wide in the 10,000-metre race, and is considered one of the best of America’s board-track runners; and Ray Conger. Nurmi was expected to open his American campaign at New York on January 12. No further details are to hand.