PRINCE OF POLE VAULTERS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 132, 5 June 1937, Page 4

PRINCE OF POLE VAULTERS

SUEO OHE OF JAPAN REMARKABLE FEAT IN AMERICA New Zealanders recently had the pleasure of witnessing exceptional I teats by two Japanese athletes of I world standard. K. Murakoso and K. , Togami. At approximately the same time another prominent. Japanese athlete, Sueo Ohe. was visiting | America. The following article from The New York American tells of his experiences and achievements in ; that country. ! For downright disregard of all sorts iof barriers, pnysical, mental and otherwise, we give you honourable young Mr. Sueo Ohe, of Japan. It was only a few weeks ago on a sunny afternoon that honourable young Sueo Ohe of Japan, he of the polevaulting Ohes, arrived in I>ew York. Honourable Sueo Ohe had just travelled a mere 9000 miles by rail, boat, cab, and other possible means of locomotion and conveyance. He walked blithely down the line at Grand Central terminal, looking lor friends. He found them. There were a number of Japanese and American newspapermen, Japanese notables, honourable Dan Ferris, of the National A.A.U. Dark-haired, good-looking, the 22-year-old from Keio University, w had tied for second in the Olympics, was besieged by questioners. He grinned. “How was he feeling?" He pointed to his head, shook it. The interpreter explained that young Mr. Ohe had headache, large headache. Long way Japan. Much travel, little sleep. Mr. Ohe confirmed the translation with his own smattering of English. Of course, he did not have to compete in the Millrose meet that Saturday if hu did not feel he was up to snuff. After all, he had come a great distance. He could wait till the Boston A.A. games a week later. What did honourable .\oung Sueo Ohe of Japan want to do? If he went into Millrose games he would have to face the Olympic champion, Earl Meadows. He would have to vault against George Varoff, he of the world record of 14ft. 6iin. Was it fair to ask this young Mr. Ohe. who had not competed since last November, who would have a chance for maybe one little work-out before Millrose meet? No Complaints, All Smiles. ' All this was reckoning without I jhonourable young Mr. Ohe. He would I [love to venture against the Amen-1 I cans. Meadows ano Varoff. Ohe I grinned, walked to the suitcase in his i hotel room, took out a Japanese American dictionary, also some pills ■ his doctor-father had given him to use in America in case he caught a cold. More difficulties developed later. Mr. Ohe had brought five special lig.A poles from old Japan. Much shifting from trains to boats to trains to cabs, etc., had split the poles. He did not even have his own pole to use. He looked over two hundred or so at a sporting goods store, selected a few of American make. No, he did not have any shoe* for indoor competiLun. Honourable Dan Ferris escorted him around, and he finally hit on some shoes several sizes too large. No complaints, all smiles, all a large lark to Mr. Sueo Ohe. Nigh of first meet. Sixteen thousand people in Madison Square Garden. Meadows, Varoff, Harding of Yale, great American vaulters are tearing down that runway against slender Sueo Ohe, who has never vaulted indoors before. He fingers pole gingerlj. He is testing it. How will it react? Has he feel of it? *e races down the runway like a sprinter for a preliminary vauit. Young Sueo Ohe or Japan goes over. Not by much at that. The field thins down. Meadows, Haraing, Varon, aad grinning Mr. Ohe ot Japan clear at loft. 9in. At 14ft. Harding and Varoff are through. It is too high. But notw comes honourable young Sueo Ohe of Japan. The crowd shrieks. He is over. Meadows misses twice. The third time he makes it. That is like Meadows, one of the greatest competitors in the world. He will outlast this Japanese boy, just as he did the best of them at Berlin. Second try at 14ft. 3in. Sueo Ohe, with his funny stride, rips down life runway. He darts over, falls grinning. It is an inch below the indoor record. Can Meadows match that? Not to-night. He gives it all he has, but cannot come up to honourable young Sueo Ohe. Young Mr. Ohe has bruised heel, else he would go after new world’s record. But it is all very convincing, and indicates that determined Japan will be the country to beat in those 1940 Olympics. The Millrose spectators have just witnessed one of the finest performances of all time, and against incredible odds. And honourable young Mr. Sueo Ohe just grins.