Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-11
COMMENT
ON OLYMPIC GAMES
Mismanagement Is AcknoWI-
edged and Loss of Eng
lands Supremacy
Admitted.

The illustrated Sporting and Dramatic
News, which ranks second to no British
authority in athletic matters, comments
conservatively in it's latest issue on the
Olympic games. 1t takes the view that
there was much regrettable mismanage-
'ment. and has this to say on the subject:
1.-The whole management of the compe-
titions themselves should have been in
the hands of a small body of thoroughly
competent and practical officials. Even
allowing for running. cycling. swimming
and one of the field events being in prog
ress at the same time, fifty of these would
have been ample to have attended to
everything instead of which. until mat
tiers improved owing to the energetic pro-
tests of the press and public, as many as
five hundred people were allowed to wan
der about in the center of the course. get
ting in each others way, and spelling the
prices for their seats. Such state of
affairs is not allowed to exist nowadays
at the sports of little school,"
The loss of British supremacy Is frankly
admitted, but the suggestion that the
javelin and discus events, distinctly Gre
clan in origin. be omitted will perhaps
provoke a smile from admirers of those
colossal policemen. Lemming of Sweden
and Martin Sheridan Of New York. This
is the way it is put:
'cided in 1912 it might be advisable to
thoroughly overhaul the program, which
strikes one as being somewhat I'M
wieldy. The interest generally taken In
throwing the hammer and putting the
weight is by no means great, but it would
be hard upon the. strong men of the
world to abolish these competitions. Sure
ly, however. throwing the javelin and the
discus might be quickly dropped. Both
are simply relics of a bygone age, and
seem utterly out of place in these days.
Not Flattering to Britons.
1.-The results. Of the sports as a whole
are by no means fattering to Britons.
Sprinting appears to be a lost art among
them. Our representatives made a poor
show indeed in the 100 meters. and but for
Lieut.. Halswell would have been hope
lessly out of all the short distance races.
In walking we still thoroughly maintain
our pre-eminence. but it is branch of
sport which Is comparatively little prac-
ticed in America, and there is no telling
what that remarkable people would not
accomplish were they to make a speciality
Of it.
1.-The greatest disappointment Of all, so
far as this country was concerned was
the much talked-of Marathon race. Dis
lance. running has always been the strong
point of Britons, yet we did not have a
man in the first twelve. our best repre-
sentative taking hours IN minutes to
cover little less than twenty-sfx and
quarter miles. This seems to be mex
plicable until the time Of each mile &C
complished by the leaders is carefully ex-
amined. Two miles were run in 10 min
utes IL seconds. and ten In 50 minutes So
seconds II men who have more than
twenty-six miles to go will try to cover
iv%% hr Arc hp,,v has =
only one result. Walter George. the
greatest runner from one mile to ten that
the world has ever seen, never took part
in a race over a distance of ground with
out sketching out schedule of times Of
each mile and running as nearly as posi-
BILE to 1t. Any old and experienced long
distance runner will easily understand
that there were at least dozen men
taking part In the Marathon race who,
were they kept strictly to schedule time
for each mile. would easily beat the time
made by Dorando. and yet finish the dis
lance without any undue distress. 1t Is
emphatically the pace which kills. and
even in a quarter annie race q man
with no Judgment can run himself so
completely to a standstill that he cannot
even stagger past the tape"
Loss Of Good Will.
| respect to two much discussed incidents
| where than in the following:
"A great deal has been written as to the
beneficial effects of the Olympic games in
cementing International friendship and
! good will. Do they really have this eff
| feet? It seems open to considerable doubt.
The actions Of the American contingent
will scarcely serve to strengthen the
good feeling existing between them and
| the athletes of .this country Nothing
need be written as to- the successful pro-
| test of Hayes against Dorando in the
Marathon race. The Italian probably
lost the prize through the ill-judged action
| of officials and others in the stadium. He
might or might not have been able to
| finish the last hundred yards without as
sistance, but the fact remains that he
was assisted and Hayes was we'll within
his rights in protesting. No doubt. 1t
would have been more chivalrous to have
adopted the fine that Heneron did. and
: to decline to take chance OF getting the