Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-12-12
SPECIALIZATION
IS NOT POPULAR
Scandinavian Athletes Are
Devoting Time to ALL
Round Competition
HENCE POOR SHOWING
By ]. E. (TED) MEREDITH


Worlds Half Milc Champion
The real development Of athletes in
Sweden haa not been no much that the
men have become better Ia the individual
| events hs II has been that tho coaches have
| developed great men and men who are good
in Rll.around competition. The Swedcs are
not 20 much for specializing aS they are
| men who show good results in several events
and In different sports. Any OF the men
who have made good over there always las
| spent his frat two years or competition
along tho lines OF the modern pentathlon
and some even try the c,cathlon They
| think that this IL the best and most coveted
| event, which In II way accounts for their
| great appreciation OF Jim Thorpe In 1912.
Each man starts In track work with a
| standard, This is for "A certain number ~
| events, and when no has reached this stand
| ard he iH given IA badge and becomes a
member OF n club comprised only OF these
men. In this way the coaches also get
line on the men and see tho event for which
they are best htted After this is done they
are allowed TO specialize In the event IN
which they have shown the greptest apt-
tude.
BOlin All-Around Athlete
They were very much surprised when.
after being questioned answered that |
never had tried any other event than run
ming Bolin. for instance. used to be nm
all-around man and was fairly good In this
event hut his best events were the middle
distances and the broad jump.
The Swedes seem to have all good rec
ords on their books. and In fact. In nearly
every event their marks are as good aa
those held by the men In this country. !
cannot how they can he proficient in
numerous events from what I saw OF their
men, or course, we struck there In the
of season and few of their men were In
real good shape hut Just the same. in some
cases I could not see a fash of champion
ship form,
Take their sprinterR, for instance The
Swedish record for the 10 meters ia 10 as
seconds while the Olympic time was the
same. LIndberg the Swede, who holds this
mark ran In the 100 meters when we were
tlkra and the four Americans beat him In
fine style, As say they were not In
good shape at the time. Lindberg having
just come back from military duty; hut he
did not look to me like tho man to do 10 as
seconds,
High Class Jumpers
on tho other hand. they have IN other
events a host OF men all Of whom are doing
close to record performances, In the high |
jump, broad jump and hop, step, jump |
Hjertberg can boast Of nearly dozen men |
who are doing as well as the boys tn this |
country In each event,
Kullerstrand, one OF his best high jump |
srs took the measure OF I.oomis twice dur |
ing our stay lie does not have the style |
OF good high jumper, but he gets the |
height, which Ia the necessary thing The |
middle e,dlstance and distance runners are |
the hest bunch that they can boast Of, for |
in Bolin, Zander and Melen they have three |
men who can show fine performances in |
any distance from the half mile TO 1900 |
meters
Both Bolin and Zander have done 1.55 for
the half under four minutes In the 1900 /
meter race and were running alone az the
time heien Is just young and green
runner who, In my opinion. will be the best
present he 10 attending college and does not
get. the training that the other two re-
eeve.
No College Coaches
Right here would like 10 mention that
the college men do not pay very much stten-
tiOn 10 track work. and none OF the uni-
versities has a coach 10 direct It's work. |
This is a thing to which they have paid
little attention. The students who enter
the unlYerstlss try 20 finish In as short
time as they can and they All try for special
honors and put sport In the back
ground until later years
l think Hjsrtbers has one Of the best. II
not the best, pole NaulterH In the world,
gnle. who finished third 10 Babeoek IN
I
IS Z finished jumper, While We were In
stockholm 0llie, competing alone and on
4 very cold day. cleared twelve feet ten
Inches This would be wonderful per
loFmanee under good weather conditions
and with lots Of competition, but 10 clear
his height IN the cold weather and with.
,ut any ineeRtive was 10 me great thing,
re tried for the worlds record that same
lay and just missed it by fraction
stroag In JayeIln
Another branch Ia which the swedes ez-
sell Is the iaxelin. and IN this they have
& an over our men, Our record e 1al feed.
shila the Swedish mark Il around sos
ssl. ana thay have several men who can
ieitar our record Lemmina. the winner OF
hls event q ths eanea u 1919. = SIN II
competition hut IS not seFs active AZ
zezabazz. Hhara - Ass eazuaezed, -
H14Hsa EHa ahuI nat sHd Hoa - zsanI
|llasash = Ia 80 lfzIaza - ezeE s