OLYMPIC VICTORS.

Wairarapa Age, 13 August 1936, Page 5

OLYMPIC VICTORS.

SUCCESS OF THE COLOURED COMPETITORS. NEGRO SPRINTERS & JAPANESE SWIMMERS. FACTORS OF PHYSIQUE (Received Wednesday, 7.35 p.m.) LONDON, August 11. The ‘‘Sun-Herald” Agency’s special correspondent at Berlin says the dominant topic of conversation at the Olympiad is the success of the coloured competitors. There is no suggestion of a colour line, but the whites are wondering whether they W’ill ever be able to catch up with the negro runners and Japanese swimmers. Lovelock, as a medical student, theorises that the American negroes’ phenomenal sprinting performances may be connected with the fact that their muscular formation is more viscous than that of whites, so that they are better equipped for the violent and spontaneous efforts required for sprinting and jumping. Lovelock emphasises that the negroes are less successful in distances, where stamina and tactics are involved. Jack Metcalfe thinks that elements of size and weight may be the clue to the situation. He points out that there is an extraordinary number of negroes and other competitors whose heights exceed those of the average athelete a few years ago. Owens is a six footer whose giant strides probably greatly assisted his victories. Similarly the best four jumpers are all six feet three inches in height. Torrance, the world’s record shot putter, weighs twenty stone. Carpenter and Dunn, the American discus champions, are six feet four inches in height. However, the theory of size does not apply to the Japanese, who are likely to retain swimming supremacy until other nations develop greater stamina and train more vigorously. OFFERS TO OWENS. MAY GIVE UP SPRINTING. (Received Wednesday, 7.35 p.m.) LONDON, August 11. The “Daily Telegraph’s” Berlin correspondent says Owens has been offered three lucrative contracts, including a music hall engagement. Interviewed at Cologne, he said he would probably give up sprinting, but might run in the 400 metres at the next Olympiad. He expressed the opinion that Olympics had become too serious for his liking.