The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-12-15
Amateur Athletes Break
Records and Make His
tory on Paths.
OLYMPIC GAMES
is BANNER EVENT
Jim Thorpe Tops Ali Competi-
tors, Proving Good in All
Branches-Horine Jumps to
Fame, While Young Ted
- Meredith Runs His
Way to Glory.

With the greatest athletic year In
history just going into the discard. It
10 interesting TO select some men who
made athletic history during the year.
some great meets were held the world
over during 1912. but the Olympic
games at Stockholm topped tho whole
lfxt OF amateur athletic events
The one figure stood head and
shpulders above l. sest OF the ath-
Iesic world after ,..s Olympic games
had been cleared away. was that OF
inn t. orpe. Aside from his recent
marvellous feats on the football field.
Thorpe proved himself unouestionabiy
the greatest an-around athlete that
ever started on any field. He not only
beat his competitors in ali-around
showing, with a good performance In
each event, but he won majority ci
the different events OF the decathlon
and pentathlon series. with perform
ances that would have won a national
chan, pionship in any series OF events
Possibly. after Thorpe. no athlete
raised SO much ruction with the record
book during 1912 as George Horino'
who broke the iong-starding hlsh
limp record of Mike Sweeny- HORNE
Thfs Young Californian, who bore him.
self In a most crediiable manner when
his record was attacked by Eastern
critics. has Just about revoiutionized
high tumping Instead Of twisting his
body over the bar with a short jerk
Horine rolls over with slow. easy
motion.
Manv have criticized Horfnes me-
thod of landing on his feet. sayins
teat he dives over the bar; but. though
his shoulders and head appear to start
for the ground first. when the drop
from over the bar takes place HORNE
lands on HIS feet as often as the
average jumper.
Not One Crstiefsns-
During the Olympic composition
HORNE was watched oy the iofeish
aflciais very closely. bue there was not
single criticism of his style. Ho-
rine's failure at Stockholm was due
10 the fact that he was undoubtedly
sta1e after hard seasons training
ON the coast, and also to the fact that
.ba change of climate affected him TO
a certain extent 1t must be remen-
bered that the Californian Travelled not
less than $500 miles to compete IN
the Olympic games. ana without
chance to stop in any one place long
enough to get acciimated- HIS jump
- over 6 feet l inch under these con-
6ftfons was a very creditable perforra-
ance for even a record-holder.
Tea Meredith earned a place in the
,fbIetic hall of fame, too Meredith
was totally unheard Of until last April.
.,ben he came like bolt from the
br,,e and before his winning streak
wss over. the Mercersburg youth had
furned the trick that every American
athletic enthusiast had hoped FOR Tor
nearly three years.
rhis feat was the breaking OF the
xofId's haIf-mile record that was
down on the books to the credit OF
emilio Luughi- In that wonderful race
in the stadium at Stockholm the young
peunsvivanian earned fame that Will
stick to him to his dying day And
vet Meredith is only boy His career
lies before him. He has sensiolv
,fxen I'D football playing and IS
taking n complete res. from training
ayter which he will come out faster
than ever.
The worlds distance honors for 1917
clearly belong to a foreigner. Hannes
Kob1enainen. Of Finland This youth
from the land that lies under the
great paw of Russia Is one OF the
most remarkable distance runners the
world has ever known
At the Olympic games at Stockholm
he was supreme in all races over the
, sao-u,etre event Once only was he
obliged to show anything like his best.
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