GAMES OPENED

Taranaki Daily News, 1 August 1932, Page 9

GAMES OPENED

ATTENDANCE OF 105,000

brevity of vice-president 2000 ATHLETES ON PARADE SUNSHINE AT LOS ANGELES NEW ZEALAND’S OPPONENTS By Telegraph—Press Assn. —Copyright. Rec. 6.40 p.m. Los Angeles, July 30. The opening of the Olympic Games this afternoon by the United States Vice-President (Air. Charles Curtis) was attended by 105,000 people. A welcome was extended by Count de Baillet Latour, president of the International Olympic Committee. Greek athletes headed the -grand march. They were followed by Argentine, with the Australians next dressed all in green, and then Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Cuba, Czecho-Slovakia, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, France, Great Britain, Haiti, Holland, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Jugo-Slavia, Latvia, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, South Africa and United States. Two thousand athletes took part in the procession.

Mr. Curtis’ opening occupied twentysix words: “In the name of the President of the United States I proclaim open the Olympic Gaines of Los Angeles celebrating the tenth Olympiad of the modern era.”

A welcome was given by Mr. W. AL Garland, president of the organising committee* After the parade artillery boomed and the Olympic Hymn was sung. Two thousand pigeons were released from in the field and the Olympic flag was hoisted. The opening was favoured by bright sunshine with a cool Pacific breeze.

Rene Duverger (France) won the first championship at the Games tonight in the lightweight division of the weight-lifting competition. He lifted 715 pounds to beat the Amsterdam record .of 711 pounds. Hans Haas (Austria) was cecond.

To-morrow’s trials will engage the attention of five Australians. In the 400 metres hurdles Golding will meet Lord Burghley (Britain) and Facelli (Italy). , Elliott (N.Z.) in the 100 metres expects his greatest opposition from Jonath (Germany). Evans (N.Z.) in the first heat of the 800 metres will meet Genung (U.S.A.), Keller (France) and P. Martin (Switzerland). Lovelock (N.Z.), whose time of 3min. 2 2-ssec. for three-quarters of a mile has been recognised by the Olympic committee as the world’s amateur record, will meet in the -■ third heat of the 800 metres Hampson (Britain), S. Martin (France). Savidan (N.Z.) in the 10,000 metres contest expects his greatest competition ultimately from Kusliniski (Poland). The Auckland cyclist Foubister when cycling on the road course. yesterday crashed over an embankment. His cycle was smashed but he escaped injury.. “I see no reason to change my original statement that Australia will win tour championships,” said Mr. J.' S. W. Eve, manager of the Australian team. “We enter the Games determined to carry on the great traditions of amateurism. All the team members will play the game for the game’s saks.” Mr. P. N. Rundle, the New Zealand manager, made the following statement:- “The New Zealand team is taking ite task seriously and all the members are keyed up for the great days ahead. The will to win is not lacking in our team.” , DOMINION ROWERS’ TASK NEXT WEEK’S ROWING EVENTS. FEDERATION ANNOUNCES DRAW. Rec. 5.5 -p.m. Long Behch (Gal.), July 29. The following draw for the Olympic rowing was made to-day by the International Rowipg Federation. August 9.

Four with coxswain, first heat: Lane I, Germany; lane 2, Brazil; lane 3, Italy; lane 4, NeW Zealand. Pair without coxswain, second heat: Lane 1, New Zealand; lane 2, Britain; lane 3, Holland. Singles, first heat: Lane 1, United States; lane 2, Germany; 'lane 3, Australia. August Iff. Eight-oared race, second heat: Lane 1, United States; lane 2, New Zealand; lane 3, Canada; . i The New Zealand eight-oared crew has drawn a hard race for the opening events an the second heat. The eightoared events will be contested in two heats, the winners of each racing in the final. The six beaten crews will then row off and the first and. second will appear in the final. The Australian sculler Pearce will row against scullers from America and Germany in the first heat of the singles on August 9. DISQUALIFICATION OF NURMI. INDIGNATION IN FINLAND. Rec. 6 p.m. Helsingfors, July 30. There is great indignation in Finland at' the exclusion of Paavo Nurmi, from the Olympic Games. Sporting circles, the Press and public are unanimous in their . demand for the withdrawal of the entire Finnish delegation from the Games. The Athletic Association, however, has cabled the representatives at Los Angeles to make ■ up their own minds. . ; ORGANISATION AT LOS ANGELES. PREPARATIONS FOR NINE YEARS. ; Ever since 1923, when it was decided : that the tenth Olympiad should be held n’t Los Angeles, that city has been mak- ■ ing preparations to welcome its guests. ! For the past few years a permanent staff has been, working with increasing intensity upon the multifarious branches of organisation necessary to the Games. It is only the second time that the Olympic Games have been held in the United States since the revival of the old Greek festival in 1896; the 1904 Games were held at St. Louis, but attracted very few competitors from qut-

side the United States. Hence the American nation as a whole, and Southern California and Los Angeles in particular, have spared no effort to make this year’s Games a notable success. They have calculated far ahead, introduced many new ideas, and endeavoured to have everything highly organised beforehand to prevent anything unforeseen from marring the smooth functioning of the Games. Olympic Park, formerly Exposition Park, not far from the centre of Loa Angeles; is the location of most of the international contests. There are situated the vast Olympic stadium, the swimming stadium, the fencing payilion, and the fine arts museum awhile not far away is the enclosed Olympic auditorium, where the boxing and wrestling are to be held. The main stadium. is the old Coliseum, enlarged to provide 105,000 reserved seats instead of 75,000, but the huge swimming stadium has been built especially for the Games, Some of the contests are being held further afield, such as the rowing at the improved Marine Stadium at Long Beach, the track cycling in the famous Pasadena Rose Bowl, the equestrian sports at the Riviera Country Club, and the yachting at Los Angeles’ harbour at San Pedro. Within the main Olympic Games organisation, fifteen international federations governing each sport are controlling the daily programmes. HARD FINANCIAL TASK.

Throughout the United States, .and abroad, season tickets of various kinds have long been on sale, and the response has been an encouragement to the management, for they are faced with a far harder task to ward off a deficit on the Games than was to be expected several years ago, when the celebration was planned and the building programme commenced. It is evident that in the. minds or the people of Southern California the Olympic Games rank as the event, of the decade. Months before, the beginning of the Games the city of Los Angeles was bedecked with banners hanging in the streets, pennants fluttering from cars, and posters everywhere. It is almost impossible to get away from some notice of the Games, for not only in California, but even in the eastern States, one finds special Olympic plates or stickers on cars, .and placards every here and there. Los Angeles shops, too, particularly >the übiquitous cafes, have felt the influence of the Games, for not only are many new buildings called “The Olympic,” but there are specially-branded wares of all kinds, including “Olympic” shirts, salads and sandwiches. Los Angeles has much to make it an ideal place for the Games; its climate is excellent, there is much, scenic and architectural beauty both in the city itself and in the surroundings, the fine roads and traffic control make a motorists’ paradise, and a sightseer has Hollywood, Pasadena, Mount Wilson and scores of other places to attract himAdded to this the people of Southern California are anxious to show real hospitality to their guests, and every indication goes to show that all visitors to the Olympic Games will regret their departure. Los Angeles, at least, after nine years’ preparation, hopes so.