The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1912-03-20
Many Nations are
Bent on Capturing
The Olympic HOnOrS

In few short weeks the eyes Of
the athletic world will be turned to-
ward Stockholm, sweden, where this
years Olympic games will be held.
For some tine the athletes along the
Baltic have been working out plans
for the meet, and entries are already
coming in from the various European
countries.
The meet this year, more than al
any time since the games were re-
vived in 1896, will be a supreme ath-
letic test. In every contest which
has been held thus far the United
States has shown itself the champion
of the world in the track and field
events. But this year we will be
obliged to look more closely than
eyer to our laurels. It will not be
an easy matter for the Americans to
triumph this year as they have in the
past.
OF course, the usual dope-sheets
are being prepared all over the coun-
try; the eligible athletes are being
compared with each other and with
the best in foreign countries, and
the results of these comparisons are
being quoted to prove either that we
will or will not win. But such dope
sheets are really of little value. What
enters into this contest more than
into any other that has yet been helC
is the revenge that European nations
are seeking for their former defeats.
This is an all important factor and
might very well upset any expecta'
tions which might be based on the
merits of the individual athletes.
At Athens in 1896, at Paris in 1900
at St. Louis in 1904, again at Athens
in 1906, and at London in 1908, the
Americans scored an overwhelming
victory in the track and field events
At the last games, We had to our ere
dit ia 2-3 points as against sc ID
for the United Kingdom, our neares'
competitor. This has put the Euro
peans on their mettle. They want
revenge for these successive and
wholesale defeats. 1t is funny
thing about this feeling. The Ole
World countries hate to see any
honors come to the nationa of the
New World. They would naturally
rather see one of their own number
win than the English, and, last of all
the Americans.
Greeks and the Marathon,
Europeans regard the Olympi'
games as in a certain manner thei
own. Each nation has certain tradi
tons for supremacy in certain sport
and they feel that they ought to VII
in those sports. Just as the Swls
are opposed to excel in skiing, tn
Greeks consider the classic Mara
thon the event by all right the
should win, the Swedes think tina
the honors in the horse and weigh
events should be their personal prof.
erty, and the British feel that trad
ton has picked them for the crac
shots of the world. When American
step in and overthrow these old tra
ditions it hurts. In the last game
at Athens it nearly broke the Gree
hearts to see the famous Maratho
race won by an American, and so
Sweden this time should some Of tn
honors in the yacht, horse or weigi
events come across the water
would cause gnashing of teeth.
This spirit was manifested at tn
very first of the modern Olymp
games, the one which was held
Athens in 1896. Uppermost in ever
bodys mind was the old classic stol
of the Greek who ran twenty-ti'
miles from the battlefield Of Mar
thon to Athens to announce to Il
anxious citizens of the capital Il
news of the victory Mithridates hi
= won over the Persians. 1t was
/ Greek who had performed that fe
in the old days. Would it be a Gree
who would do it in modern time
Stories of the famous athletes
Sparta were iii everybody's min
And the Greeks in particular remel
bered the accomplishments of the
forefathers and felt that they mu
uphold traditions.
How Loues Won In 1896.
AS soon as the announcement
the games was made, boy who !
ed in a country village in the neit
borhood of Patras Immediately we
into training. Day afuer day in
spare moments the lad ran for mil
over the country roads, straini
every nerve to get himself into CO
dition for the great event Of
Olympic games He was obsess
by the idea of duplicating the f.
- of his forefather lie paid no ate
ton to what the other contestaI
e. were doing He merely continu
sai training with the idea that he mi