Los Angeles herald., 1906-06-03
OLYMPIC GAMES
BELOW STANDARD
FEW RECORDS ESTABLISHED AT
ATHENS
Absence of American College Athletes
Detract From Showing of Ma
tional Team-But Two New
Marks Set

Although the track team representing
the United States swept everything s be-
fore it at the Olympic games in Athens,
an analysis of the records made shows
that in only two events were new
figures established. In all of the other
events the performances were either
very mediocre or Enthusiastically poor.
Attention was called recently to the
team that America could have sent had
the games been held in the summer
months or in this country when the col
| lege athletes could have competed. The
clean sweep of the American team was
due in large measure to the weakness
of the opposing teams. Great Britain
had no good athletes outside of Nc
Cough, Crabbe, Hawtrep and OConnor,
while the teams from Greece, Germany
and the other countries would be
laughed at in this country.
The only records to be broken at
Athens were those for the discus throw
and the Marathon race, neither of
which is a standard event in America.
The discus record was broken by Mar
tin Sheridan and the new figures for
the Marathon race were set up by Sher-
ring, a Canadian.
America has now won all four
Olympic meets and from present indi-
cations viii. probably continue to do so
for years to come. The first games held
in Athens in 1896 were captured by an
American team sent out by the Boston
A. A., composed largely of eX-Harvard
and Princeton athletes. An even cleaner
sweep was made by the wearers of the
Stars and Stripes at the Olympic sports
held in connection with the Paris eX-
position in 1900.
The third revival of the Hellenic
sports was held at st. Louis in 1904 and
here the Americans captured nearly
every event on the program. 1t should
be said, however, that there were very
few foreign teams entered and those
who did come were too mediocre to win
much.
Even at st. Louis America was
poorly represented. hardly any of the
eastern college athletes taking part
most of the competition being limited
to eastern club athletes and the western
college men. If the United States could
once muster a team made up of the
best men available from all quarters 1t
would sweep everything before it with
a rush.
For some unexplained reason the
Greek committee in charge of the 1906
games left off the program several
events that were standard at Paris and
st. Louis. These included the 60-meter
dash, the 200-meter dash, the $500
meter hurdle races and the hammer
throw. They also added the five-mile
run, which had never before been con-
tested. If the events omitted had been
put on the program the American VIC
tory would have been more emphatic
than it was.
Remarkable Facts
The accompanying tables show some
remarkable facts. OF the twonty-one
events which may be regarded as
standard the records in all but eight
are held by college men. And of those
which are held by outsiders it should
be said that the Marathon run, the
standing broad and high jumps, as well
as the five-mlle run, are not practiced
by college men, for If they were 1t is
fair to assume that the cOlleglans would
hold the records in them also.
1t is pretty much an accident that
Hillman holds the 2OO-meter hurdle
race, because at Paris Kranzelein made
no effort to set a mark. But the latter's
time for the 220-yard hurdles is Sec
ond faster than Hillman's time for 200
meters distance several yards shorter
than 22O yards.
Most of the Olympic records were
established either at Paris in 1900 or at
st. Louis in 1904 Those which were
made al Paris were far more creditable |
than those at ST. Louis, owing to the
difference i'm the conditions of competi- |
tion. The Paris track was merely
course laid out i'm the public park, the |
Bois de Boulogne, and was filled with |
mud puddles and otherwise about as
bad track as could be selected. At !
ST. Louis and Athens the athletes had
the advantage of a specially prepared |
cinder path.
On the foreging records eight were
established at Paris in 1900 and ten at |
ST. Louis in 1904. The others were made |
at Athens this year, these including the |
ive-mile run. contested this year for
the first time.