The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-09-05
GET READY FOR
OLYMPIC GAMES
America Should Win Contests
to Be Held in England
Next Year.

II Lovers of the American track and
!, field athletics may well congratulate
themselves over the treat in store for
those of their number who will be
fortunate to take a trip TO England
next season to witness the fifth re-
newal Of the ancient Olympic games.
/ From the wise plans which have been
made for this meet and from what we
know of England's ability to manage
such, the conclusion may be accepted
that this will be the greatest meet of
| its kind in the history of the world.
1t will be the first of these meets, with
the exception of that held at st. Louis
in 1904, that has been properly man
aged.
But the principal factors in making
this great meet viii be the method
or selecting teams to represent the
different countries and the fact that
the very best from all sections will
strive for honors in the London arena.
In not one of the previous meetings
nave the picked men from all countries
met. At the first renewal in Athens
in 1896 the United States sent small
team, which in the absence of a rep
reSentative team from England had
no trouble in romping away with the
championship. The country had a
much better team at the Olympic
games during the worlds fair at Paris
in 1900 and virtually swept the field
Here again, England was somewhat
poorly represented, but the wholesale
victories of the American athletes at
the English championships the month
previous probably had something to
do with the absence of the Britons.
The same conditions prevailed in St.
Louis in 1904 and in Athens in 1906
AMERICANS IN THE LEAD.
The American athletes have won the
lions share of the honors in all four
meets. Every time American writers
have reminded England of this the
Britons have retorted that they were
not represented with their strongest
team. For this reason the athletes from
this side have been much pleased that
England was given the sanction for
tIiS 1SUo In6tt. tNGW Fig
land must have on hand her very
strongest team, and as this country |
will be better represented than ever, |
there will be a test between the ath- |
4etes of the two countries from which |
there can be no escape ON the part of |
England. If the United States repeats |
its former victories John Bull must |
take off his hat to Uncle Sam.
l. -. - -. -
nittee in charge of the games mean
that all our universities which have
been planning to send individual teams
abroad will be disappointed. 1t has
been decided that in track and field
sports no country can enter more than
twelve men in a single event. Furth-
armore the selection of the American |,
team will be in the hands of the |,
American committee and no entries
can be accepted unless they are made
through the American committee. The /
University of Pennsylvania, as well
Is Harvard and Yale, had been form
llating plans to send their teams to
.hese games, irrespective of the plans
made by the American committee.
The exclusion of the college men from
he American team at Athens cannot,
II course. be blamed upon anyone. It
vas merely unfortunate that the games
houid have been scheduled at such a
eason of the year as April. Next sea-
on all these things will be avoided.
The team will be truly representative
f the full strength of this country
nd the games will be held at time |
# year when all our men will be at
heir best.
sRITONS WON'T ADMIT DANGER.
English meet is the consensus of opin- ,
0n on ali sides. except, of course in
England. The Brftons still imagine that
heir superiority in distance running
ill take them safely through. But they
re likely to be misled here because the
United States has been making tre-
,endOus progress in the long runs and 9
18th such men as Haskins, Lightbody.
leopard and Rowe, all of whom have
cen developed within the last few
ears, ought to be able to gain con-
derable prestige even in these events. t
The English committee has finally de- :
ded on the following events for the
'ack and field meet: 100 meters, 200
letters, 400 meters, 800 meters, 1900 '
letters, 10 meters hurdle, 400 meters
urdle, 5000 meters steeplechase, five : !
lie run, ten-mile walk, Marathon race,
broad jump, standing high =
imp, running broad Jump, running :
Ugh jump, hop, step and jump, pole :.
ault, hammer throw, shot put, tug
,-war, three-mile relay race, $500 me-
rs walk, discus throw Gree and Greek
yle), and javelin throw. The only y