The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-07-21
AMERICANS TAKE
 SEVERAL PRIZES J. A. Rector Beats All In the
 100 Metres Sprint WEATHER STILL VERY BAD Athletes from United States Capture Several Firsts and Are cheered
 LustiIy by Thier Friends
 in the Stadium.
 
STILL VERY BAD

London, July 20.-1he second week OI ne Olympic contest at Shepherd Bush be- gan with the first day devoted principally 10 field sports such as Americans are ae- oustomed to witness. The track athletes were the stars, and the programme con tained many fast and exciting events. The American and British runners and jump CTS gathered in the lion's share Of tho Iaurels as usual, but the Americans ex- ceeded even the expecta tions of their sup portors.
 Several hundred Americans, mostly tour ists, with many ladies, who were massed together in the seats next to the royal box, gave an exhibition of cheering which suggested an AmericaE college crowd, and immensely amused the foreigners. The at tendance at the games was fair, but the weather in the afternoon was gloomy and threatened rain. The competitors from the United States are deploring the con hnua1 absence of sunshine. under which they can do their best work.
 Tine spectacular features today were the l. trial heats of the 100 meters sprint and the eight trial heats of the 800 meters, These furnished several close and stirring finishes In the sprint America captured eight heats and Great Britain four J. A. Rector of the University of Virginia was the particular star, for he beat quite nand.ly K. c. Macleod of Cambridge, the holder of three varsity blues, who never before was beaten and in doing so he beat tie Olympic record for the distance Of It 4-5 seconds The names of Sheppard
 
 upon the blackboard as the winners of their heats in the 800 meters race. This event proved a disappointment to the Eng fish, who were counting upon more than the two heats they took. The German Braun. much to the surprise of the Eng l,shmen, outran Holding, who was one Of their mainstays. Lunchi of Italy beat h l.. Coe of the University of Michigan in the excellent time of 1:57 1-5. and he and Just. the Cambridge half-mile champion, who finished the sixth heat in 1:57 4-5, will give the Americans a hard tussel in the tnals.
 c. J. Bacon, Irish-American Athletic elub captured his heat of the 400 meters hurdle race in 57 seconds, winning by 1o yards. while Gee distinguished himself bs- defeating Denham, the former British champion, although he had just contested hard 900 meters against Lunghi. The British won six and the Americans three of tho nine heats in the hurdles, but the majority of these were unexeiting because they were Wa1k-overs.
 The American colors were raised to the aagpole three times, signifying victory in the finals in the 100 meter swimming. the standing broad jump, and the bantam eatch-as-eatch-c wrestling, but these t1iumpas did not inspire such thrill as the tack performances. because spectators in the vast stadium could not see them
 The results today added three wins to American scores, and one to France, the other nations not improving their posi- tons In the field events America added SIX points, while Greece, the only other nation to increase it's score in these con- tests picked up three
 America is now only eight points behind the United Kingdom, the score reading:
 United Kingdom, 54; America, 46.