Evening star., 1920-01-15
WILL DINE M'LEAN
ON EVE OF SAILING
Friends Plan Testimonial to
Champion Who Goes Abroad
to Skate Mathieson.

NEW YORK, January 15.-The first
OF record number of foreign sport
lnvasions for 1920 will begin here
today with the arrival of Bobby Nc
Lean, preparatory to sailing for
Christiania. where next month he will
skate against Oscar Mathieson for
the worlds professional champion
ship. Mclean. the American cham
pion, who defeated, Mathieson fifteen
out of sixteen races in this country
IN 1916 and 191S.. makes the trip to
Norway in order to give the Euro
peah champion sportsman's chance
10 regain his skating laurels upon a
larger track than those used when
the american was victor.
Mclean, who sails tomorrow, comes
greet from Lake Placid n. Y. where
ne has been training for ten days,
skating from fifteen to twenty miles
q day. to improve his speed and en-
dprance. Tonight Mclean is to be
the guest of number of sports-
men, who will tender him a farewell
ana beSt-of-luck dinner The Amer
lcan champion will arrive in Chris
tiania about January 25 and will have
close to two weeks in which to add
the finishing training touches before
facing Mathieson on February and 8.
Seven or Nine Events.
the races Will consist of either
seven or nine events at distances
ana the winner of the majority of
these contests will be the undisputed
worid's champion of professional ice
skaters. The racing will continue
over over a period of from two to three
days and will be held on the quarter
mile track of the Christiania Ice
skating Club at what is known as
FRANCES Rink. The rink is an OPEN
ar stadium, which will seat close to
so,oOo spectators. and. as the admis-
SION Zee Will be equivalent to about
81. the gate receipts are likely to
establish record for such a contest.
The club. which is an amateur or
ganlzation of high social standing.
refused to participate in the ar.
rangements for the races, although
perfectly willing to donate the use
OF the rink for the occasion without
remuneration.
The arrangements were left tentire-
~ in the hands of Mathieson. and the
latter soon discovered that he could
not train properly and also promote
the affair. AS a result he requested
that an American promoter and pub
hclty man be sent over to-take charge
of arrangements. The latter sailed
several weeks ago, with thousands of
foreign posters. printed in this coun-
try. and in all probability by this
time norway Is getting an idea OF
American publicity methods, and ap-
pears much like 4 country town here
on the eve of the annual visit of the
circus.
Mclean Seven Years Younger.
Mclean has the advantage OF
youth, for he is twenty-five years old
while Mathieson is thirty-two. The
latter, however, has the longer stroke
when skating at top speed, for his
stride measures forty feet to Nc
Leans thirty-six. The Norwegian al
ways has claimed that the small
tracks in this country hampered his
long stroke. and that he could dc
much faster work on the larger
courses of his own city. His claim
is borne out to some extent by the
records. which show that Mathieson
| holds the world records for the fol.
, lowing distances: Five hundred me-
ters. 43S6b; 1000 meters, 1.31h; 1900
meters. 2.17; 5000 meters, S.36 $40
/ 0. 900 meters, 1929.
Following the races at Christianis
Mclean will give a series of exhibit
tions in Sweden, Denmark, Switzer-
land and England. and will challenge
all corners in those countries if he is
successful in defeating Mathieson.