The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1906-12-08

winner in the worlds carnival Of
sports, recently held at Athens, Greece,
the man who defeated the Greeks at
their own game, thus told Robert Ed
sren In the New York World, the story
Of his life, and how he won the events
in the Olympic games:
I was born in County Mayo, Ire
land. twenty-five years ago-May 20.
It's a great place for athletes. Ny
father was one of the best in the
county. He was great leaper and
think a better athlete ever lived. My
father could always beat me in every
thing but the light weights. It is a
great game in Ireland to throw the
smoothing iror-that's a datiron with
the handle broken off. could beat
anybody in my part Of the country
at that. and I don't think have found
q man yet who can beat me.
Taking after my father that way.
and my brother Richard (who's fine
atlllete). naturally went in for every.
thing when made my home in Amer
ioa- have the worlds record with the
discus, although have heard it
claimed that some Of the Hungarians
have made great throws. Last year I
won the all-around championship,
smashing the worlds record. The rec
ord was $3.50 points, and raised it
to e,s20k. That was a jump Of 46O
points, and think would have added
another 400 this summer if I hadn't
beat Georgantas in the stone throw
ing.
In writing about Martin Sheridan 1
will say first that he is not only tho
greatest and most modest athlete in
the world, but he is also one Of the
finest men have ever been lucky
sense Of the word Martin is a good
sport" Winning. he Is always ready
with q handshake and q word Of con-
dolence for the loser. To hear him
say: You had a little bad luck to-
day-but you'll win next time. That
was a grand effort you made at tho
finish anyway" is almost enough to
remove the sting Of defeat.
And in losing Martin shows his gen.
erous spirit. remember very well the
Arst incident Of tho recent Olympic
games In Athens. We had been in the
city only day and had not yet taken
the kinks out Of our legs after the long
trip by boat and train. The stadion,
that tremendous Greek athletic field,
with it's serried rows Of white marble
seats that was soon to accommodate
some ninety thousand spectators, was
still open to the visiting athletes for
training purposes. In one day more it
would be closed to allow a. few finish
ing touches to be put in the track
Naturally we all wanted day Of
training on the actual battlefield. So
out we went in the morning, taking
along our athletic costumes. The sun
remember, was shining down from
\ clear sky, and it was very hot. The
white marble walls and the white mar
BILE seats sloping back up the hillside
threw out a white glare dazzling to
the eye. We dressed in the quarters
behind the stadion and then walked
down through the long sloping tun-
mel to the field. It was d wonderful
thing, that tunnel. Cut through the
living rock, it's lower entrance archeo
with marble, opened into the stadior
at the upper end, near the Kings sec
ton.
We came through the tunnel to tl,e
"victor's gate" Martin and were
walking together Just inside the err.
trance Sheridan stopped and looked
4 'ip at the time-yellowed archway over.
head. He was thinking Of the grea
men who had passed beneath it 81
long ago-the champions whose names