New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-06-16
HW WEAK SPOTS IN
,,l THE OLYMPIC TEAM
ANALYSIS of Americas Athletic
Strength for Big Games Is
Convincing.
UNCERTAINTY IN DASHES
uurdlers, Too, May Not Be Up
to the Mark, but Otherwise
40, This Country Is Strongly
.... Represented.

n ie hardly conceivable that any COM
r,ittee could have selected a better all
.round team than that which sailed on the
steamship Finland on Friday to represent
the limited states in the fifth revival of the
OLYMPIC games. at Stockholm, Sweden
rItb the exception Of a little uncertainty
IN the sprints and hurdles, the American
team does not appear TO have weak spot.
without question il is a better all around
combination than represented this country
in the 1905 meet at London. Even in the
events referred to there is possibility that
some of the men selected will spring sur
prises on the athletic world.
II is not surprising that there should
have been criticism in some quarters be
cause certain men considered sure Of
Mace on the team were not taken. This
would have been the result, no matter who
nicked the team. Primarily the American
committee was handicapped by lack of
funds. Had II been possible. the committee
would have taken probably fifty more ath-
letes than 1t did.
In 1905 there were a number Of men who
maid their own expenses 10 the games after
having been left off the team by the selec-
lion committee Curiously enough. some of
these athletes scored heavily. while others,
who had been picked before them and whose
expenses were paid by the American COM
mittee. failed absolutely. The statement.
however. cannot be made too strong that
absolutely no partisanship was shown by
the American committee in the selection OF
its team and that its members used their
best judgment
The events in which Americans feel tn,
int, he md etra
dashes. There is undoubtedly some occa-
sion for alarm over the outlook. For in
stance. Ralph c. Craig. the former Mich-
,gan man and holder of the worlds record
fer the 220-yard dash. is not at his best.
He was beaten fairly at 100 metres in the
final try-outs at Boston on June S. when II.
P Drew, the negro high school hoy from
Springfield. Mass, took his measure.
To a good many persons the form shown
BY Drew was d great surprise, not many
having heard of him before He won the
Junior A A L. championship at Pitts
burgh last summer and at that time Mike
Murphy pointed him out as a coming
champion. He has lots of strength and
speed, but is not man who can repeat In
the ?l0-metre, as Craig did.
If Craig can regain his 1911 form by the
time the games are held there will not he
q man at Stockholm who can beat him, un'
less IT be Mcmillan, the Cambridge Cniver-
sity man year ago il would have been
easy for Craig 10 have done 10 80 seconds
for 100 metres, but he gave up training
after his graduation from the University
Of Michigan and did not resume until six
weeks ago. At Boston he gave the impress
sion Of not having had enough practice.
He will not get an opportunity to work into
much better condition at Stockholm. al
though there is a chance that he will round
into better form than that in which hc
nov -if.
by Wilson. Of Coe College, equalled the loo-
metre record at Chicago. and so did Court
ney at Leland Stanford. in May. Practi-
cally all of the other sprinters selected rep
resent what might be called chances. They
NAV make good and they may not.
There will be two other first class men in
addition 10 those just mentioned for the 2oo
metres They are {. d. Reidpath. Of SYRIA
cuse. who did q % seconds for the 22o-yard
cash at the recent intercollegiate champion
ship meet, and y. B. Young. Of Amherst, a
consistent % second man.
In considering the sprnts IT should he
: borre In mind that this country cannot do
any worse than it did in 1908, when every
: body expected the Americans to take both
the no and go metre dashes. At that time
the United States lost the 100 metres TO
South Africa and the 70 metres to Canada.
Then the American team had only two con-
sistent sprinters They were Rector Of
Virginia. and Cartmell. Of Pennsylvania.
Both failed when the final test came
The United states will b. unusually
strong i'm the iCO-metre run. Without ques-
ton the best man on the team for this dis
lance is Reidpath of Syracuse. The ease
with which he did IS seconds for the quar-
ter at the intercollegiate meet indicates
thst he. can do a. seconds II he retains his
form and is pushed
Next TO Reidpsth. tho best men for this
distance are Ira Davenport. of Chicago,
and u. y Young. Of Amherst. Reidpath
has never competed against either. OF the
other selections for this event. Meredith, OF
Mercersburg Academy: Half. Of Michigan,
and Sheppard OF the Irish American Ath-
Ietic Club, can all equal or better ~ sec
onds.
In both the 800 and ,5oO-metre runs the
United States is apparently better off than
It was in 1903, when Melvin Sheppard won
been picked, but. splendidly as he ran at
Boston week ago, Americans Will not have
tue same confidence in him that they did In
1905. The chances for his repeating in the
phenomenal manner that he did four years
ago arc much against him.
At the same time. unless John Paul Jones,
of Cornell, can beat him. Sheppard is the
best half miller on tie team. OF the two
y men Jones has done the best work this
GEAR, his record Of 1.j3 As at the intercol-
rlegste meet having been equalled only twice
sby Sheppard.
81 The verdict OF most Of the critics is that
III Jones were pushed he could run the dis
lance in close to l:5l. OF the other selec-
lions fOr this distance, Putnam, of Cornell
Meredith, Of Mercersburg; Edmundson, OF
Seattle, and Davenport, of Chicago. can do
Ia or better.
There are three men of unusual ability In
-lhe l,50-metre run. First, Of course, is John
Paul Jones, Of Cornell. holder Of the world S
amateur record for the one-mile run. No
body knows just how fast Jones can run the
mile. but his trainer, John +. Moakley OF
cornell. thinks that he can do 4:l0.
The next most dependable man Is A. X.
sfSiiat Of the Irish-American A. {. In the
hJaymDic trials at Boston Kiviat established
!Nnew worlds record Of 1855 20 for the LOO
.ttsire run, this being the third time he had
sqrokfH the record within two weeks. Taber
mas the distinction Of running dead heat
m The mile with Jones at the intercolleg-
,iates. while ne was only a yard and a half
oehnd Kiviat N the 150-metre run at Bos-
ION Taber is capable OF any amount OF
hard work and NAV Droye the surprise al