New-York tribune., 1912-07-15
COMMENT ON SPORTS
Reason to Marvel at Triumph OF
United States Athletes.
NJ YMPlC VICTORY COMPLETE
News and Views on Live Topics
of the Day, Both Amateur
and Professional.

and Professional.
!. was not my privilege to travel across
-. waters with the Olympic team 10
S.ockboIm, Sweden, and 1 may cay that 1t
I, the greatest regret of my life as news
roper man. Looking from distance at
20 record breaking. history making per-
<,-r,ances. one must marvel at the remark
.n,a exposition OF speed, courage. stamina
"a skill as displayed by the athletes OF
,nts and other countries. So much has been
,,,r,tten and said in the last week OF this
u,on and that and what has been accom-
ai;sbed at tae games which now stand out
=. the greatest ever held in the history or
,bs world that a review at this time is not
rncessary. even II 1 had the space. II
r,ev he timely, however, 10 say few words
oorcerning some things which impressed
-. forcibly. and which have not been en-
,orosd upon to any extent because of the
outstanding interest in the winners them
selves and the smashing of records.
s FIRST OF all CONGRATULATIONS must be ex-
=. .s,asd 10 the Swedish Olympic committee,
which has done so much TO make the
Games a success in every sense Of the
Uord The healthy spirit of rivalry has
mt been lacking, but good sportsmansnlp
.,d the best of feeling seem to have ex-
,stsa in spite of the fact that little diff
terences of opinion have cropped up, which
,,rder other circumstances. would nave
,,sde for strained relations The SWedes
,avA proved themselves good hosts ana
Judging from all reports everything possible
b.s been done to insure fair dealing, to say
,,otbing Of the comfort and convenience OF
tbs visiting athletes. The games not only
have served to stimulate and arouse fresh
interest in ali sports. particularly those OF
trsck. field and path, but they have been
thA means OF cementing more closely the
friendly relations of the competing nations.
One cannot help but express feeling
NJ prids In the brilliant performances Of the
American athletes, or of showing clauon
=, the total Of points piled up. It is some-
thing to capture the highest honors on
track and field for the fifth time in success
sion, but it is something more TO glance
over the point score and realize that the
men competing under the stars ana stripes
defeated the combined nations of the world
Without meaning TO detract one whit from
the credit due every man who made up the
team. IL is impossible TO overlook the fact
that the athletes of whom most was ex-
pected failed TO run, jump or vault up to
synectations. George L. HORNE. the amaz-
ing high Jumper. OF California, who holds
fhe worlds record of 6 feet inches; Mark
& Wright, of Dartmouth. who just before
sailing for Stockholm established a new
worlds mark of 10 feet 21t inches in the
nole vault; John Paul Jones, the speed mar
vel OF Cornell, holder Of the worlds anna
teur one-mile record of Ais 20; Abel X.
Kiviat, national one-mile champion Who
A., no new figures of S:55 As for the 1900
metre run at the Eastern Olympic try-out
games in Cambridge last June; Mel ohep-
rard, the marvellous middle distance run.
nsr and one Of the outstanding heroes or
,hA games in London, in 1903 Tel Berna
and George Bonhag, the distance stars Ct
this country, were among those VINO sut-
fered defeat
II remained, however, for younger and
less experienced men TO jump into the
breach and to succeed where the stars
failed In upholding the supremacy OF the
g United States on track and field. Once more
vas emphasized the importance OF second
string men. and we'll II was for this coun-
try that several athletes who were on the
Of their friends. who raised the money nee
essary to send them abroad, after the team
selection committee had shown lack Of
confidence in refusing TO include them on
the regular list Alva T. Meyer, Of The
Irish-American Athletic Club, who ran sec
ond In the lO0-metre dash. was one of
these, and Donald F. dppincott was an
other He, II will be recalled, equalled the
worlds record Of 10 3-5 seconds in a trial
heat OF the lO0-metre dash and ran third
10 Craig and Never in the final heat, while
he also finished second to Craig in the
eo-metre sprint. Still a third man must be
mentioned. who made the Journey not as
regular, but at the expense of some ousi-
ness men Of Southern California, who raised
the money 10 send Fred w. Kelly In order
that the University OF Southern California
and Los Angeles could be represented.
Kelly won the llO-metre hurdle race In
close TO record figures and deserves high
credit Ane still one more, CASTOR stro-
bino Of the South Paterson A. c., who ran
third in the classic Marathon. This
accounts for nine points from the ef-
forts Of men who were not named on
the regular team. II may be said in pass
iot altogether 10 blame for overlooking
nme men, as money was lacking to take
in who seemed to be deserving, and nat
urally the stars were picked frat
Mel Sheppard who was beaten In both
2 the 500 and 1900 metre runs, races which
as Won at the games in London in 1903. Is
Greater almost in defeat than victory. one
must admire man, and applaud him, too,
Who under the aching disappointment OF
beng beaten at his favorite distance. will
ut down and write the following words
about Ted Meredith, his conqueror:
was in a race to-day. The man who
teu me nome, the big bricklayer-thiS Is
tot said derisively-from Media, Penn, ran
.1Stfr than ! was ever able TO run or ever
VII % able TO run. The mark OF ] minute
SW seconds that Ted Meredith, school
,uI hung up IN the &O-metre race, be-
,sss rN will stand for many day. Some
,sleA may be able 10 do the 800 metres IN
ssss Time than that, but the only man able
40 II now is Meredith, and 10 do II he
III nave 10 have some runner back OF MN
,sseLn 70 push him TO II. / was behind him
x-uay in that 60O-metre race. So was Ira
,psvsnport, Of Chicago University We were
..ssnhins neck and neck. with Meredith just
ssasso OF US. We couldn't catch him, try
We would. II we tried 10 put on more
Ss.esm he would let out another notch. lie
aso Them 10 let out. II we had been able
" 60 the route in / minute 81 $40 seconds.
~sisdlth would have done II in One-tenth
II, second less. lie was far from being
VI m' while Davenport and l were run out.
We breed men as well as speedy run
nes In this country, and Sheppard has
mace many friends by his show of good
'eesing.