EUROPEAN ATHLETIC RANKINGS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 84, Issue 5, 6 January 1940, Page 5

EUROPEAN ATHLETIC RANKINGS

GREAT BRITAIN TENTH AMERICANS lOP THC WOKLII Great Britain, one would imagine, holds a high place in international athletics. The Americans, of course, have practically taken a permanent lease of the top positions in world rankings of the various countries, so that one does not expect Britain to usurp them. But when the sphere is limited to European countries one looks for Britain among the leaders. Germany and Finland have excellent reputations in international athletics and one can understand that these two countries might he placed ahead of Britain. But one does not expect to find comparatively unknown countries in an athletic sense such as Estonia and Switzerland ranked in front, of Britain. But this is actually what, has taken place this year, for in a recent issue of the Stockholm ’’Jdrottsbadet” a classification of European athletes appears which makes Great Britain's standard look very moderate. There can be no doubt about the fairness of the rankings, for they are based on all the mpst recent performances and times. And Britain comes only tenth in a list, headed by Germany with 364.33 points, Finland is second with 220.50 points and Sweden third with 113.50. They are followed by Italy (87), Norway (33.50), 1 10l lai'<l <25.50), Switzerland (19.50). France (19.33), Estonia (19), and only then Great Britain appears with 18.50 points. She is followed by Poland. Hungary, Greece, Russia, Denmark and Belgium. Of course, this is largely because Great Britain's athletes have never taken any interest in the field events in which the Continental nations amass most of their points. The only performances by British athletes worthy of mention in this “Idrottsbadet” list are Pennington's 48.5 sec. for Ihe 400 metres. Wethered’s Imin. 51.7 sec. for the 800 metres, Wooderson's 3min. 51.4 sec. for the 1500 metres and Lockton’s 14.8 sec. run over, the 100 metres hurdles.