Omaha daily bee., 1911-02-05
GREAT SPORT ADVANCE
French Gaining Rapidly in Track and
Field Events.
DOING FINE WITH RUGBY CANE
defeat veteran scotchmen, shovyinE
rhey Are Not slew IN PIsyinE
The Most RugEea % the
sports.

Gently OF france IN International Rugby
football. a sport supposed to be entirely
out Of her sphere. once again draws the
attention TO the fact that no nation in
the world has advanced 80 rapidly in the
past decade in the practice OF track and
field sports. II this performances AZ foot
bah had been achieved over some Euro
pean team newly acquainted with the
game the critics might admit that Il was
Of no account but TO down Scotland. the
old tried and aggressive veterans At
Rugby leaves no word OF question az to
the wonderful strides OF the Frenchmen
even in 30 rugged a sport II Is only the
second year OF France In the international
struggle and the meeting with England
Wales and Ireland IL eagerly awaited.
a little more than ten years ago France
had nothing In the way OF athletic per-
formers except some crack fenccrs. but
the few years have made q marvellous
change. Today France can boast OF men in
every branch Of sport, and. like the foot
bsliers. they belong 60 the front brigade.
There are spriuters and long distance runt
ners. cyclists and field performers galore,
while aided by their government the Gauls
are fast pushing to be the great horse
racing nation OF the world The work OF
the horse Lutteur in the Liverpool Grand
National two years ago may be taken as
proof IN the racing line. Neither the
horse nor the Jockey Prefarfnent. who hap
pens to be English born, ever saw the
course or went over one OF the jumps,
yet In faultless style he took every one
+, % the fearful fences and won handily
Frenchmnn Revives OIympics.
TO Frenchman. Baron Pierre de Cou-
bertin. belongs the credit OF the olympic
games revival IN 1895, yet on the occasion
OF the initial celebration France did not
figure among the winners though men
wearing the tricolor were seen among the
competitors, and it was seen that they
we're sadly lacking in anything like first
class form But II the Gauls did not score
at Athens they derived benefit. for they
took home some valuable hints on how to
handle themselves at the different contests
They also imblbed the athletic spirit, which
they spread when they arrived home, and
II grew 80 contagious that when the time
for the next Olympic games came sroupnd
In 1900 the Frenchmen wanted the fixture
Consequently the games were held at Paris
the American and English teams dividing
the spoils. But France did better than ct
Athens, for Or. Teato. q native born
Frenchpan, won the Marathon. though the
time was by no means wonderful
When America got the Olympic games in
1904 France did not send q man. but In the
meantime she had been making great
strides IN the different branches OF ply
steal culture. A brace Of first-rate con-
tenders at standard events were unearthed
In O. Gender. who made a worlds record
OF u feet ~ inches IN the pole vault and
NJ. Eynard who threw the discus 1I feet
inches with turn. Both these marks
have since been bettered but they were
the best when made and are the French
records at the present time Gender was a
member OF the French team at Athens in
the game OF 1906 and showed himself to be
Of the real caliber OF champion for he
beat the best men in the world On ac-
count OF the ground being in bad condition
and the take Off not being able to hold the
pole the Frenchman was contented TO win
with vault Of II feet 6 inches.
Used Bamboo waiting Pole.
Not only did Gender win, but he intro.
duced an innovation which has prevailed
ever since He used bamboo vaultine
pole which at that time was laughed at BY
the Americans, but after they used thai
class OF pole few times they found that
for stiffness and llghtness II was unsur.
passed Some time afterward the bamboo
poles we're IN universal use on this side a
The water. Az this same meeting tn,
French cycle riders swept everything and
20 did the fencers, and though the TRACK
men captured no flrsts they were wen II
the hunt In every race they started.
In the olympic games OF 1908. held a.
London, the French were not as prominent
az other nations. but they were a good dea
IN evidence all round, showing that wher
they begin to specialize they will be a,
much OF a factor In the Olympic fixture a.
the Americans or English. A first IN IN,
2.ooo-meter tandem cycle lace was she mos
distinctive win among the traek and fiel,
coAtests though OF course. they score,
effectively in the fencing and shooting. :,
purely athletic way the hest French com
petitor was G. Andre. a youth OF a litr,
over 49, who appeared in the high juInpln,
contests He was one Of three Sho sies
for second and third with a leap OF Zee
2 Inches In the running high jump. an,
ihough he failed TO secure q place In In,
standing high jump he did feet 10 inches
On his r.stiye heath Andre negotiated tn
lao-yard high hurdles in l5ss seconds. an.
these aehIevements for a youngster not ou
Of his teens could not be well improved
upon In the most. athletic country in tn,
world. BY the time the Swedish games ar.
capable OF performances out OF the or
binary.
Coed 10 Professional sports.
In the professional line the French hav,
been in evidence OF late. When the bl,
professional Marathon took place at tn,
polo grounds. 81. Yves ran away from ,
field OF the foremost pros in the world
The last six-day go-as-you- please held a
Madison Square garden was won BY
French team, Gibot and Orphee ana botl
have been winning races ever since II
the last professional Marathon held a
Edinburgh. Scotland. a Frenchnaan name,
Rouehard made a,great race. and probabl,
lost because he was not a better Judge o
pace. In the early stages Of the race hi
pace was too fast. as can be gathered from
the fact that he covered the first ten mile
IN s. minutes Is seconds. To think that
runner could do that and continue on 10
Is miles a5 Yards IL inclusive evidence o
the qualify % the Frenchman. and he
only little fellow AZ that.
An English expert who saw the rae
said Or a.; Had Bouchard been coaohe
properly instead OF being taken IN hand b