The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-06-08
| BRlTONS BRACING UP
IN TRACK SPORTS
Recent Olympic Games Tryout Was Not
Notable in Mark Made, but in the
Number of Entries and the
Large Attendance,

London, June S.--British sportsmei
are greatly pleased over the success o
the Olympic games tryouts held at STAN
ford Bridge. This elation was not du'
so much to the records, which in thu
main were not startling, but because
the games were marked by large en-
try list, and We're attended by l0,0Ol
spectators, in striking contrast to thu
meagre entries and attendance of thu
| tryouts which preceded the 1908 0lym
piad. Critics declare that there has
| been real revival of interest in tracl
ard field sports, and while they are
still hopeless of seeing the Union Jack
| flying at Stockholm in a majority Of
the events, they feel that the British
team will make a good showing.
/ In the sprints and middle distances
several good records were made notably
the time of Seedhouse in the 400 metres
He covered the distance in 40 l-5 sec
ords, thereby egualing Hillman's Olym-
pic record. If the .Blackheath Harrier
can improve his finishing qualities he
will be the man the American quarter
milers will have to beat at Stockholm
| If John Paul Jones of Cornell does
net appear as a member of the Amer
| ican team the English runners may have
chance of breaking the tape in the
half and mile runs, as the records made
| in these events compare favorably with
| the best American performances over
these distances. Mann, of the polytech-
mic Harriers, took the half and Cottrill,
of the Hallamshire Harriers, was first
in the 800 metres, the distance closest
to the mile.
In the short dashes, the university
sprinters, who were kept out on account
of examinations, were missed, and it
is quite likely that Macmillan, of Cam
bridge, after a private trial will be Sc
lected by the Olympic committee as
the mainstay of the British team in the
sprints. His ten fiat over wet track
ia the annual Oxford Cambridge field day
stamps him as a formidable opponent
for any sprinter.
In the longer distances no records
worthy Of note were made. The Mara
thon was run in the excellent time of 2
hours 36 minutes So 2-5 seconds, but
the winner was Cookery, young Irish
Canadian, and the second man across
was G. w. Gitsham, dusky member OF
the south African Olympic team.
Any average college team in the
United States could have beaten the
entries in the field events. The only
consolation which the critics can draw
from this division is the fact that Baker
jumped six feet in the high after ty-
ing for first place with a leap of five
feet eleven inches, but that was be-
fore they heard that six feet was not
even good for third place in the recent
Pacific coast college conference meet.
The best that Flaxman could do with
the hammer was toss of 1874 feet l2
inches, which is not likely to take bet
ter than third place at Stockholm.
Quinn, of Dublin, put the shot Al feet
10 l-2 inches, but the news received
here that Rose recently heaved the iron
50 feet indicates that he will have to
improve vastly in the short time inter
yening before the games. Henderson,
with a discus throw Of 1874 feet l-2
inches, made a good impression by his
style, and he is looked upon as sure
point winner.
The trials did not develop any new
material for the British team, but they
simplifed the task Of the solicitors, for
with the exception Of the university
stars kept out by examinations, the best
athletes now performing on track and
field were numbered among the entries
This is fortunate. for when it is all over,
the critic win have no opportunity to
declare that the Judges did not make
the best possible selection from the ma
terial at hand.