The morning journal-courier., 1908-07-13
AMERICAS MEN
 PICKED TO WIN Uncle .Sam's Athletes Will Be Factors in Great Olympic Games Which Open
 day.
WORLD IS REPRESENTED
Contest of Skill and Strength in Lon don Promises to Be Greatest of Modern Times--2,000
 Competitors.

LOnuOHt July lS'-htntetes iiohh twenty countries are gathered In and near London for the olmpic games, which open tomorrow and which 1t is believed will prove the greatest games of modern times. The competitors from the four corners of the globe constitute small army in themselves, almost every country. following the example of America, and Great Brit ain, having entered In the various events and tho full quota of men al- lowed by the rules, In most cases around dozen. There are twenty five events on the program, the num- Der of athletes taking part will total nearly 2.000, many of the men, of course. representing their respective countries in more than one event. Prellmlnaries all have been arranged for the opening day. The original idea was to devote this day entirely to the formal ceremonies, including a parade of the athletes before the king, but the committee in charge of the games, eventually decided 10 run off some of the prelimlnaries. and the first heat of the 1,500 meter race will be started as soon as possible after formallties are ended. The parade, which will be the largest of It's kind ever held is to be the feature of the ceremonies. The representatives of the various countries will form into groups, divided according to the sports in which they are competing. and will carry their national banners. The preparations are on a gigantic scale. The stadium will seat 6s,000 specta- tors and there Is room for 23,000 more but no seats. By making use of a strip surrounding the stadium. stand ing room also can be found for 50,O00 additional. but this probably will not be necessary. The grounds within the stadium provide three athletic tracks, swimming bath. and dressing rooms for 1000 competitors. The turf track for hurdle racing, the cin- der path for running and 'he concrete banked for cycling have been tested and pronounced the best in England. Several records already have been broken on these tracks and 1t may be confidently predicted that more will go when chosen athletes of the world meet there As was to be expected some little friction has arisen over the rules governing some of the con tests. The Americans have put in a claim that they ought to be permitted the privilege of digging hole for the pole In the vaulting competition, but the amateur athletic association, the rules of which will govern the meet ing, has decided against this To be compelled at the last moment to adopt new method of vaulting prob- ably will go hard against Gilbert, the American vaulter who holds the worlds championship. and who re- gently made vault of thirteen feet in practice. The association also has decided against the American protest in the question of heat drawings. The American committee pointed out that by the method to be adopted 1t might happen that all the athlete of one country would be drawn for the same heat, which would be manifestly un. fair, but the association held that the possibility of this was so remote that 1t need not be taken into consid eration. Slips, therefore. bearing the names of the various contenders will
 be drawn from a hat, with the object of selecting the competitors in each
 heat.
 The sports are to continue for fort
 night and will occupy the morning ant afternoon of each day During the frs
 days of the meeting there will be z number of events going on simultane
 ously, but as the unsuccessful art
 weeded out and the interest grows on
 ly one event of importance will be con | tested at time. The prices of seat. | have been fixed by experts selected
 from athletic associations in consulta
 tion with two committees. They rang
 from 25 cents to s5 for the afternoon performances and practically abou
 half that amount for the morning. Tn,
 American is attracting by far tn,
 greatest attention. It Is realized tha | it Is the American that the Englisl
 have to fear more than any othe
 team, and experts have already prac
 tically conceded them the shorter runs
 the weight putting and some of th | jumping events, The Americans hav
 been putting the finishing touches t,
 their training at Brighton. and vii
 come to London only as the events il
 which they are entered call them in.