Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-09-09
SHRUBB DISCUSSES
AMERICAN ATHLETES
Thinks Sports Are as Well
Conducted in This Country
as in England.

NEW YORK. September 9-Alfred
Shrubb champion long distance runner of
the world. says: ut was my first appear
ance at a regular A. A. U. championship
at Travers Island Saturday, and 1 must
admit that the committee on amateur ath-
letics in this country know how to run off
a great set of games. In England at our
regular championships the officials and
spectators are always speaking of the eff
ficient manner in which the championships
are conducted, but in this respect do not
see where we have 1t the least bit on the
American committee. The different events
were all we'll contested and there was not
the slightest hitch in any Of the events.
The contests were Of especial interest to
me, for 1 was anxious to see the real class
of American athlete and I wanted to figure
the prospective chances of the British ath
lete in the forthcoming Olympic games at
London next year. Judging from the high
standard of performances that were made
by the many athletes of the Irish Athletic
Club it is evident that the old country will
have to buck up is she wants to uphold
her prestige on the track and field.
What in particular struck my fancy as
I entered the beautiful grounds of the
New York A C. was the small crowd that
attended the sports. Perhaps the weather
had something to do with II, but ii seems
at least there should have been double the
number for such a set of sports. At the
championships in England. wet or fine,
there are always from eight to ten thou
sand people If there Is one thing, how
ever, where the championships at home
have it on the American championships. it
is the system of announcing the starters
the non-starters and winners in the differ
ent events to the spectators. l do believe
that if the American conmittee were to
adopt the English style it would be much
more convenient to the spectators. At home
in all sports meetings we use the telegraph
board That is a large revolving stand
similar to what might be seen at any horse
race meeting in this country, and upon
which the numbers of the starters. the
non-starters and winners are placed. At
the games here many times | could not
catch the numbers of the different win
ners and l noticed that many people about
me were constantly crying to the an
nouncer to repeat.
drawers Island makes a most suitable
site for sports meeting and in many
respects resembles the celebrated Ibrox
Park track in Scotland, which is reseon-
sible for so many British records. The
formances. but 1 expected to see much
faster times returned in the distance races.
In particular was the work of Sheppard,
Heating. Hillman. Sullivan and Bonnag
noticeable in the track events and Sheri-
dan McGrath and Allen in the field events.
All these athletes made a fine showing
and could hold their own or defeat any
other athletes in the world.
I'm sprints 1t easily seen that the
American Splinter was much faster out
of the holes than the British Splinter. But
on the finish I noticed that many runners
were inclined to go up In the air and
weaken a bit. In England the sprinters are
all fast finishers, but slow beginners, but