The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-07-29
EUROPE WILL
LONG REMEMBER.
INVASION OF AMERICAN BRAWN IN
1900 WILL LIVE NAVY YEARS IN
FOREIGN ATHLETES MEMORY.

The invasion of American hrawn in the
year ~" will probably he remembered by
the European athletes
OF the thirteen champion ship events at
the Olympic games held in connection with
! tit" Paris Exposition. the Yankee cracks
won ten, despite the fact that half of thom
would not compete on the Sabbath. on
which day the finals Of several Of the con-
tests wer- held
The refusal Of many Of tn. American
college athletes To- comp.t L. on Sunday
merely saved the Europeans a few second
and third prizes. y" G,ees 10 say. this
proved sore disappointment &, th., Cont
mental cracks who had counted! confidently
on all the Americans refusing to compete
on Sunday. and thereby leaving them TO
fight fer the championship honors among
Themselves
The conduct OF the French officials in
asssur ng the Americans before they sailed
that II" championship contests would he de-
cid"d on SUNDAY. ami then going back on
their word when the New World athletes
w.re safe i'm Paris. has beon severely criti-
rS.G
II was certainly a shabby action on the
rart "f n" French sportsupu. and Yet. in
measure. they were compelled: to break
their promise.
The E''r, pcan athletes protested against
such a favor being granted the Americans.
THAI SUNDAY was tn. ulv dav when a large
enough crowd would visit M, Bots de Rnu-
i"sne To make the games Il financial sue
cess.
II was probably The last reason that
mostly Influenced the officials who. In ar
der to satisfy the Americana offered to add
several special events for their benefit on
the week day prOGramne.
With the exception Of this incident and a
minor one the Americans were we'll treated
IN Paris. The Europeans did not give up
all ncpc of winning when they first heard
Of the ~ize and quality OF the American
team. The climate was counted upon to
put most OF the Yankees hors de combat.
as II were. ard. in fact. the ancient ozone
OF England did detract from the perform
arCes OF the Americans.
When the Americans swept almost every
thing before them at the English cham |
piunships the Continental athletes then saw |
the danger Of defeat at the Paris EXPOSE |
tion. and several of the English athletes |
decided at once TO remain out OF the Paris |
games.
AnG as /, turned ont, surprisingly |
small number Of English athletes visited |
Paris. The failure OF the Drawn of Eng
land to hold il. own with the Americans at |
the London games piqued the English pub |
lie.
This fact is proved by the yelled hostile |
i"dlcal limited that it was better to lose /
ami liv. like a gentleman than to be |
tra!ne! like an animal IN order To win |
This was meant TO b., a slap at the scien- !
ti:ic diet al the average American training /
table. This diet. by the way * now almost |
8 liberal Is that used BY the English ath-
le,ss.
Odd as It may appear, It was the giant |
weight thrCwers of the American team and |
not the little sprnters and jumpers that |
created the most comment in Paris. Me
tra"ken and Hare OF Pennsylvania. Ffana-
gan and Sheldon Of the New York Ath- |
l.tic Club and Garrett OF Princeton We're |
always surrounded by a group of atnlirirg |
Frenchmen when In athletic costume.
With the exception of Flanagan these |
mdryels OF physical perfection were all born |
in America. and the continental athletes !
acknowledged that Europe had nothing to |
show that would compare with them from /
an athletic standpoint.
Lhere are plenty Of big men in Europe. |!
but their muscles have not been trained TO
such physical perfection those Of the |
visiting Yankees.
In regard to the track athletes, one Of |
the French officials remarked that the |
Americans with their long legs and thin
bodies. were built perfectly for running.
II so happened that mos; of the American
team We're of the tall. lanky variety. but
been stockily built and rather short In
stature. In fact, Duffy. the Georgetown 4
flyer. who won the loe-yard dash at the
recent English championships: but unfOr- 1
tunateiy broke down in the final heat of the |
l0o-netre race at the Paris games il a l
rather small and heavily built Young man |
The reason FOR The poor showing of the 4
European athletes Is that they have not yet |
reduced training the muscles To science. |
A. "A matter Of fact. outside of England |!
they hardly know ;he rudiments Of track |
and field sports as understood in America. |
Most of the representatives. of the Con-
tinental nations caused the Americans to
smile. Their style of running and jumping
WIS clumsy and ludiCrous In the eyes OF /
Alike. Murphy and the other American
As the famous Murphy remarked. mos.
OF The European athletes We're good un-
trained material.
A c. Kraenzlein. the Twentieth Century
wonder OF the University Of Pennsylvana.
was revelation TO the athletes Of the oil
country. He even astoniShed the English |
cracks by the ease with which he won the
high hurdles at the English Chamuionc.!.pS |
In 10 % seconds n new English record! Al
though slightly of color at the Paris Meet |
Ing; he captured the ii0-neter hurdles in
nat race; the erl-mcter hurdles and the |
broad jump. with performance of seven
meters and eighteen Centimeters.
l. n Baxter. another OF the Pennsylvania |
athletes won the worlds high tunping |
with loon of 100 centirneterS
at the Paris meeting He also made a new |
French record in the pole vault. putting the
iigures at three meters and thirty cent?
meters; won the handicap high jump. ard
jumps.
George Orten. the veteran Pennsylvania
lE-tilStanCe runner. won the 2.'S-i-neter |
ste"plechase championship and came I'm 500 |
ond in the 4oH-m"ter hurdle race. Orten
has visitei Europe several times before.
he has been on the cindcr path
ten wears he has lost none OF his speed or
endurance.
Meyer prinStein. the great broad Jumper
cf syracuse University. got second place to
kraenZlein in the broad jump. He would
probably have beaten Eraerzipin had he
to compate in the final trials held
on the sabbath. Prinsten did I'm fact. sub |
beat kraenzlein's performance by |
several inches In handicap event
CABANNE CLUB