New-York tribune., 1908-07-27
OLYMPIC SNAPSHOTS.
Smiths0n' Feat an Hurdle Race
Surprises for Experts.

Perhans there was no finer performance in the
Olympic Stadium than that of Forest Smithson'
the great hurdler from the Pacific Coast. Smithson.
almost unknown in the East until this year. proved
his mettle in the trial heats when he beat Howe,
Yale, who has twice run the 12O-yard hurdles
in O15 1-5 equalling the worlds record, but he
eclipsed this Saturday when he won the final
heat In A B. Shaw, of Dartmouth; John c. Gar
rells who constituted the Michigan track team
year ago, and w. NJ. Rand Of Harvard, he met
three great athletes, and he the event in O15
fiat. Even time in this event has been regarded
as visionary since the days of the great kraenz-
lein who the figures for 120 yards at OILS 10,
and for the slightly longer Olympic distance at
OILS % latter record being made in Paris in 1900
The struggle between these men, unquestionably
the greatest quartet of hurdlers the world has
ever possessed at time. must have furnished a
superb spectacle, and it was certainly fitting
event for the last day of the games
All sorts of surprises have been developed in the
games and the experts have much that is to
consider figuring the national championships
Irons of the Chicago Athletic Association. for In
stance the new Olympic champion. if he can come
anywhere the leap of "a feet 612 inches that
won for him London, is winner in the
broad jump. Smthson should smash Kraenzlein's
worlds record for the 120-yard hurdles. and
CIoughen who furnished a surprise by beating
Cartmeu in the 2oO-metre dash, must be reckoned
with in the longer sprint.
Carpenter seems to have fallen heir to Taylor's
mantle in the quarter-rnile and have i'm
Sheridan and Horr excited much admiration in
London Here is what "The Daily Chronicle" had
to say of them
Ones eyes were fascinated by the giant Horr,
man whose legs and and chest would have
given Joy to Phidias Myron. the scuptors of the
Reroic age. One gazed at Lemming. the Swede
who flung the hammer with such amazing strength
"a big brown skinned man who .rod the turf with
= long swinging stride. And one watched Martin
Sheridan. another American. who won the OLYMPIC
Drize in 1905 a tall perfectly modelled man with
'S So doubt the absence Of the Greeks themselves
was due to the difference in style between the dis
c,ts tbrowers of the Old and the New World. The
Creeks have been fettered by their old traditions
They stand on a small sloping pedestal and adopt
the attitude in the statue by Myron keeping the
Tipht leg forward until the discus has left the hand
Tho Americans have been very free Disregard
ng rho nose of the classical figures, they throw in
ni7te different fashion and get far greater force
into their fling 49,
II is rather thrilling thing TO see man like
Sheridan making throw. Holding the discus III
his left hand he takes quick run forward then
Transferring the discus to his right hand spins
comnIetelv round. the muscles of the right side
heing contracted like the spring of watch before
tha fuaI effort of the swing forward when. facing
his goal he releases the discus and sends 1t whtz
ing m through the air like a from catapult
In some cases the throwers spun round twice be
fore the circular plate was released. their arms
being extended they revolved like teetotum