The Washington herald., 1908-07-15
AMERICAN ATHLETES
TAKE TWO FIRSTS
Big John Flanagan Breaks Olympic Record for
Hamuuer-thrOw, and MeIpin Sheppard Equals
Best Time for the 500 Meter Race.

Olympic games started with weather still
glum and unsmiling. almost more unfa-
vorable than that Of yesterday The great
stadium presented a melancholy spectacle
when the start was made few minutes
after the appointed time this morning
A thousand would have been a liberal
estimate Of the attendance. and to reach
this number one would have been COM
PEELED TO include the officers and commit
teemen. the representatives OF the press,
and even some Of the competitors.
The ordinary spectators numbered only
800 OF 600 at the most
As the sky cleared somewhat the crowd
grew a little larger. and for the afternoon
session the attendance was almost fair"
Three thousand would. however. probably
cover the paid admissions at any period
Of the games to-day
Until 3 O'Clock IN the afternoon there
was an intermittent drizzIe. now dwin-
ding to mere misty fog, now turning to
a light. sIeety rain
Flanagan Sets Record
me I ElEEu STATES team EEtle4AeAA AAS
performance Of yesterday. winning the
first event Of the days programme. the
I 15- pound hammer throw Flanagan s
tarow Of 10 feet ~ inches IN this conpe-
tition established new Olympic record.
! exceeding Flanagan's own record al St
| Louis by more than two feet and break
/ ing all British records
/ When the result Of the hammer-throw-
ing was announced. Il being the first final
Of the fourth Olympiad, the stars and
| Stripes were run up on the arena flag
star 10 announce that the United states
/ had gathered in the first event Indeed.
/ il was q double victory. Flanagan taking
/ the first gold and 1IcGrath the first silver
I medals thus Ear awarded There was a
great burst OF cheering from the Ameri-
Z can sections Of the stands as the flag
broke out Canada Joined IN, for Walsh
won the bronze medal
Rose Out of Event.
Rose. the giant American. who was
representing the Olympic Athletic Club Of
san Francisco. and IN whom the British
spectators manifest the most unusual in
terest. did not compete in the hammer
throw
I The American trainer did not vouchsafe
any explanation for this. but il was gen
orally believed that the contest was con
sidered so safe IN the hands Of Flanagan,
McGrath. Horr. and Talbot that Rose
was saved for other weight-putting con-
walsh won n the first section Of the
hammer-throw. with a throw Of 15s feet
I II inches: Talbot America. second. 81
feet 4 inch; Lemming. Sweden. third,
II feet 5 inches
Il In the second section Of the hammer
throw Nicholson. England. made 15I feet
s1E inches; .TTcT-. America Ii feet 7
inch; Fyfe England. 10 feet 6i4 inches.
Burroughs. America. did not throw
Breaks British Record
In the 1hird section OF the hammer
throw. AIcGrath. America. threw l57 feet
Il inches. breaking the British record
Flanagan, America. threw 165 feet q.
inches. Gius. America, 149 feet q.
inches.
The final round was won by John ]
Flanagan. Irish A A c, United States
with a throw Of 10 feet ~ inches; Mat,
thew J McGrath, y. 7. A. c., United
States. second. with throw of I67 feet !,
inches: Con Walsh, Canada third, with G
throw Of 159 feet u inches
FlanaEan's victory was followed soo1
!
Melvin Sheppard winning the finals IL
the !. I.500-meter race. the preliminary heau
Of which we.e run yesterday Wilson
England. was second. and Halows
England. third.
/ Sheppard's time was ( minutes ?
0 seconds. He eQualed the best time mad
Z IN the preliminariss yesterday. This wa
o done by HalIows, who by making tn
I distance in minutes 3 2-5 seconds. cut Z
Z u full two seconds OF the record made a
0 St Louis in 1905 by Lghtbody. Ameri
y can
ShepPard's Great Sprint.
: The two American runners, Sheppart
? and Sullivan. lay back in the first stage
o. Of the race and let the Enslishmen TAX
: the lead Sheppard was fourth until tn
last stretch. and Wilson and HaIlow
were in the first string. As the mel
/ started 10 sprint on the back stretch o
the final lap. Wilson was in the lead. A
they turned IN the straight Sheppard
sprinted the last 100 yards. and. passinl
his competitors. crossed the tape a var,
and a half ahead Of Wilson. HaIIow
was fye yards behind Wilson. TAFT. o
Canada. finished fourth The runner