Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-01-09
Old Marks Completely Wiped Out
BY Uncle Sans
Athletes.
SPORTS ENJOY A BIG BOOM.
Olympic Games at London the Cause
of Many Thousands Ia Become
Field and Track Man.


"A ing the past year. There
IS no doubt that track
and field sports are more pop
ular now an over the world than
More men are engaged IN competition.
and the standard OF performances has
undoubtedly risen Several records
thought To- be impreEnable have been
shattered, and IL takes hrst-class men
90 win at ordinary meetings The
days Of the pot hunter ara over. for
every country town can boast good
men. IL requires remarkable athletic
proWess nowadays Co win more than
two prizes at one set of open games,
SO classy are tho performances.
Tho figures for 81 events havo been
changed this year on the official re-
cord book Of the Amateur Athletic un-
Ion, 10 Of them being swimming events.
This is one Of the most remarkable
changes in the official book on record.
Tho big boom in the track and field
sport was beyond doubt due 20 the
great olympic games On London last
summer. Never before did RUNNING.
Jumping, hurdling and weight throw
Ing receive SO much public attention
and the games served % attract
thousands of recruits 20 the sport.
OUR DISTANCE MEN NOW BEST.
The success Of Hayes and the other
American runners 300 the now famous
London Olympic Marathon has al
ready made America the leading couu-
| try for distance running. "a specially
at which Engusbmon had always ex-
celled. Thcrc are now al least a score
OF great distance performers I'm this
/ country. few months ago they could
be counted upon one hand. And IL
the present craze for Marathon run
ming keeps up there will soon be a half
| hundred endurance men OF the champ
| ionship class.
The Olympic games were respon-
Elblo for most of the new records.
says the Now York American, even II
| the records were not made at the
great meeting The cracks trained
| months for this great meeting, and at
/ tained the magnificent form that en-
| ablcd them 70 shatter FORMER figures.
| SHEPPARD GREATEST ATHLETE.
NJ. W sheppard OF the Irish-Am-
| erican A. C., stands out as the lead
| ing athlete Of the year lie was "A
/ double victor az the olympic meet
and established a new worlds record in
each event He won the SOO-meters
] contest IN the grand time OF 1 minute,
/ 80 - seconds. and the 1900 meters
race In Z minutes 3 As seconds. Il is
| likely TO be a good many years before
/ these performances are beaten. Besides
/ these events sheppard won many con
/ tests IN fast time during the year.
Martin Sheridan olubmate of
I Sheppard, was another athlete 70 at
| tain unusual distinction. He beat the
| Greeks In the Olympic meet at their
own game by throwing tho discus
| Geek style) l2f feet 8 inches, a new
| record sheridan did this, too. after
! being handicapped by injuries during
most OF the year. Sheridan also made
a worlds record Of 40 rect So in
ches with the REGULAR discus.
Al the National Indoor Champion
ships =. Mcdonald OF the Irish club.
startled the athletic record of James
,. Mitchell for tJssinv the 56 pound
weight for height Mcdonald raised
the record 20 TO feet g inch.
FLANAGAN STILL A WONDER.
The greatest work of the year with
the weights was the record throw OF
John Flanagan, OF the Irish American
a. O., who tossed the 16-pound missile
trom "a g-foot circle 179 feet 5h inches.
The orthodox throw Is from a 7-foot
circle From the latter circle ne threw
the hammer 100 feet fia inches az the
Olympiad. Ralph Rose. the giant shot
putter, got two records. He put the
l6-pound shot ~ feet inches.
The murders did brilliantly. A. b.
shaw, ~ D1rtsmOuth, proved the
years star by lowering the record FOR
running 100 yards over the high hurdles
in 10 is seconds. Johnny Garrels or
Michigan and Forrest Smithson OF the
Multnomah A g., also got close 70 the
record. j. j. Eller OF the Irish-Ameri-
can A. c.. proved the best over the low
hurdles.
The spriuters were just fairly good
Jimmy Rector being the only one To 90
anything extraordinary. This Virginia
boy equalled the worlds record OF 92-B
HnnnmMn Nae %
won both the hundred" and two
twenty for the third successive year
az tho inter collegiate champlonships.
but De failed 30 be- lu top shape Tor the
Olympic meet The athletic club sprin-
tiers are developing rapidly, however.
ana some good work can boz looked FOR
from them next spring.
In distance running the performances
were exceptionally good. T j. Collins
of the Irish American A. O.. set "a new
American mark Tor i've miles when he
travelled the distance in IS minutes
10 2-5 seconds NJ. y Driscou was an-
other American record breaker. low
erlnB the Yankee figures for two miles
90 minutes IS 20 seconds.
REMARKABLE POLE vAULrING.
The stars OF pole vaultlng were not
behind in record breaking. Several
times the figures were changed during
the year until Dmy finally put the rec-
ORD 90 the stupend0us height OF l2 f-et
3a inches A. g.. Gilbert OF Yale and
n. Cook OF Cornell also did romarllahIe
work with the yaulting stick
Harry q. Porter Of the 1rish-Amerl-
can A. g.. showed himself to be one of
the greatest high jumpers siuro the
days of Mike Sweeney he won am dur
ing the year and ana great work M the
OlympIad where he was "a victor Tho
surprise of the year was A. n. Ir0us of
the Chicago A. a., VINO won ~ H.
olympiad With the splendid iump of ~
feet ta Inches Until Irons ala this
great jump in the London Stadium. Dr.
was NOT clafsed among tho best luinr.
erH of the county. g.. M Daniels wus
again tho best amateur swimmer of
the world creating several now records