The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-08-23
REFORMS FOR OLYMPIC GAMES
ENGLISHMAN'S POINTS FOR
NEXT HAGUE CONFERENCE.
Two Styles OF Discus and Jayeiin Super
1uous-How the Heats Should he
Drawn-HoIe for the Pole Vault and
Toe Board for Shot Putters-sooring.

Drawn-HoIe for tho Pole Vault and
Too Board for She Putters-scorinE .
The mistakes OF the recent Olympic games
and the Inadequate code Of rules to cover
critical points here and there have attracted
the attention Of the international Olympic
committee. and It 10 more than probable
shat these shortcomings will be Strengthened
ont at the Hague conference next winter.
II Is moro than likely that the free style javelin
and free style discus will be abolished and
the orthodox method In each will be adhered
10. At least II has been shown that o man
who grasped the javelin by the middle could
throw 1t further than were II held any other
way, 10 this style will doubtless be tho stand
ard one of the future.
Attention IL drawn 10 the old way of ar
ranging tho heats. and the "repechase." or
Continental plan. IL advocated. That Is to
allow the winners only to 40 into the second
round while there should be an extra heat
or heats IL necessary for the second men.
Il Ia proposed to do away with the draw and
put only a man from each country In each
of the heats.
The fact that Americans were not per-
mitted to dig a hole for their poles In the
polo vault caused a lot Of fuss at the last
games. Englishmen say that the hole for
the pole Ii an artificial aid 10 the vaulter
but IL Is as permissible as the toe board
for the SnOt putter 10 Keep mn from toppllHR
over. Another artificial aid Is seen In the
hammer throwing. A mar comes on the
ground with a piece Of piano wire attached
to a lump OF lead and that Is called a hammer.
md the exercise Of throwing II Is as much
akin to the original pastime as billiard play
ing ia To pile driving.
There Is a suggestion from the English
critic that some definite law be formulated
70 regulate the point score. The purpose Of
these Olympic contests n0wada KS is st to fp "a
and third men should out nS iGs IN deter,
a third, hut this method OF scoring Is not In
IsiI ,s 81. In & sBy { 9t sSsui sp prsTsll a ss he as oiympis
i Is strongly limited The. more %stringent
race, that competitors have IS q rule too
many attendants and very often men are
Knocked out by Getting soS much 70 eat and
S Of phe se III things Ms'' 9 In Tie |" ls ssaI race aceI . drink Of
champagne was given 70 a man and for a while
he was barely able to crawl along from the
2 man nI 4 PA EH'S' :na,, hs ;h = ne 7 soR sR pT pisaD'
resented England on the International Jury
in the games a. Athens in 1900. IN a recent
s@ For Instance, taking tie list Of events. We
IS. t nGs sa inslu shS1e Of Z Two s Hssris Hass, 81 discus .Ss
s %ia ! sRs aIsep. VI free sa ,tyi sss and I ! Rsn s Ssss f &c
s aSssss t G. nv iss s slSti; s sisS az sT s. Used e e
propel a lavelin further thar any other grip,
and sisc,s shs ssSrs,i thsn' !, 4 e. n .sssn.ss &. ssyl. =
petition would appear 70 lie IN The direetiSn
va orig. orisinsilS Intended 70 hit Something or
somebody, and not to be thrown at random.
cut ( sh tsis S seaiS IN AJAX AZ DISABILITY sSS Sas ' pioSs aS.
s ssEisia'' preeductive oi really isood walking
and the Athens race Of 1909 resulted n a
nasco for this very reason, all the last walkers
We would be inclined to think, too, that in
ieft to the discretion Of any country holding
II we are to have a code. settle thu. conditions
Sfe fSD Sbes cS ysSfi1d1s sv. .s1n ese;D Dt 'e1 RE |, Pc pr e sa%.
ton Of q complete set Of rules would be a mai
ter Of time, for It can n,s scarcely "a r osEs s be snp sS tsa
code, It would have to be carefully considered
and amended in accordance. with the IDEAS OF
nection We must also remember that even
were a complete code laid down and adopted
s ss; q staSE sdGdda 4 4 m ds1,s, IN o tne Sass OF b 1ee a as%ss
modification in detail,
is not. as our correspondent considers the
pss,idi1Isr Of so ssptsra'iffS nd be iT H. ss sri teen Is q fa any
cSnvincsd that in the case Of NJ. W. Sheppard
and j. p. Ralstead lwho came together IN ne
names ont were not aware, OF the men g abil-
man who admittedly had devoted himself sell
the best United States miler' In the self;
SAM heat g. Butterfeld and I. W; Lee OF
on form. the equal Of any other milers In this
country, barring r. 4. Wilson, The point we
would nIsd make ISa, + ,h that Msrs ar tWei snoq hea Pc s snd dra
country enters twelve men. each should be In
a separate heat.
United States sent twelve entries, 90 they
were bound to pave two re rpnnds f. sbouI II
fSe e essy f te arrange aar that fsS0 he r tl%s ses j sRRoouuia
fastest heats in the first round SHOULD be kept
s Entering ne ! team sass ssoufd be sn siioweS, % nomlE-
nate their men for each beat would Pc open
to far graye1 suspioio onT OF an Injustice Ss m ieSt s sde
yocs.s II. adOp!4IPPT1 . Of a 're gonl3ns sse u i ass
only g go into the next round their IunneJsu up
have another contest and the best Of them
sprint s1sf aa WE'VE would IN qualify inf after which
ti2ur would g int he s fS,! i round x Siis
e edf but NS'i little Het 70 the Work Of DE onieials, cor;
Quoting the games. but on the other band
would greatly enhance the interest Of the
FIRST and second rounds In each OF the short
distance contests running. cycling or SWIM
ming. A..
regulation Of the field and track events might
well be modified. II 4. dinicult TO- under
stand Why a man should not dig q hole Ter
the pole Il he. thinks he can Improve his
may naS:'b@ be- urged tSss:t q stop board for ihs SHOT
this branch Of sport. We, do not want too
ma ny adyentitious Ids TO the record breaker.
but when we allow our hammer, mowers
10 use a ball slyng on a wire and call ia
hammer, we need not draw the line too closely
In regulations for other events.
AS regards the Marathon race. the numper
OF attendants Ia unquestionably q !difioulty.
but it ia doubtful whether we could get over
II in the manner suggested by, our Sorre-
spondent. AS a matter Of fact the writer p
becoming convinced that there is too much
attention bestowed upon ,he unhappy sHm.
both walking and running. and quite as many
fail through overindulgence In food on the
journey as through lack Of, 1t. Marathon
Itriormances at the present day are, as our our
exploit Of the ancient original as anything
we could conceive, and while on the one hand
the men have much too much assistance. on