The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1921-11-23
CALIFORNIA SPEED
MARVEL ELEADnQC
ATHLETE OF YEAR
Head of A. A. U. Declares
Athletics.

CHICAGO. Nov. 22.-Nineteen
twenty-one was the banner year
of all time in athletics.
Records fell like autumn leaves
in a gale before the marvellous per-
formances of sturdy young Ameri-
can men and women. Masses Of
spectators in numbers never before
approached watched them, and the
coming of 1922 finds the banner Of
American athletic prowess flying
over that of all other nations.
The American Amateur Athletic
Union. in session here. has just ap-
proved the records for the year.
The bald statistics tell a wonderful
story Throughout the country
thousands of youngsters turned In
records that a few years ago only
miracle athletes were capable of.
In the past year thirty-five more
entries were registered by A. A. u,
than ever before. This takes no
account of thousands of athletic
carnivals, high school meets. and
other events not under the A. A. u.
As a public magnet, amateur events
outdrew professional sport. In foot
ball. every college stadium In the
country was jammed to overfowing.
AS a result of this impetus, a num-
Der of universities are planning great
stadiums that will hold from $4,000
to 100. 900 people. Los Angeles this
week is breaking ground on a mu-
nlcipal stadium for all athletics that
will seat $4,000. Chicago has APP
proved plans for a stadium in Gran,
Park that will seat 100000. The
universities of Illinois Wisconsin
Michigan. Washington. Stanford anc
Ohio State are also either building
or planning on great athletic sta
diums that will duplicate the seat
ing capacity of the Yale Bowl.
In addition. the grand old game
Of golf won legions of new disciples
There are now more municipal golf
courses in the United States thar
in any other country. and their mum
Der is growing by leaps and bounds
ut was 4 glorious year." said
Robert Weaver. retiring presiden
of the A. A. U. Our records of per.
formances, attendances and the
great increase in interest in ath.
letics Is a wonderful page of Amer.
lean prowess and love for clear
sport. Interest has increased 81
tremendously and so many NOR,
thousands of youngsters are com
peting that we have lad to breai
up five or six big organizations Il
form small ones They in turn will
grow. America is simply athletic
mad.
The greatest outstanding athlete
of the year is Charles Paddock, tn,
Southern California Splinter.
Paddock, who is the creates
Splinter of all time. broke thirteer
worlds records and tied another
and he has been given credit Off
cially for all of them
Paddock broke every sprintinl
record in yards and metres from 81
yards to 800 metres. His creates
performance was in the 220-yart
dash, which he ran in 20 As seconds
clipping a full second from the oil
record. which had stood for years
In addition. he tied the 100 var,
worlds record Of 3-5 seconds nv,
times IN competition. the only tim,
this has been done in history
Gourdin a Wonder.
The next greatest Performance,
of the year in amateur athletics wa,
by Gourdin. the Plrvard jumper
who hurled himself IS feet and /:
inches in the running broad jump
This is an almost superhuman per-
fOrmance-
Swimming records fell so fast IL
is hard to keep tralk of them
Ethelda Bleybtrey. New York
Charlotte Boyle. New York, and
Sybil Bauer. Chicago. all improved
records. John Weissmuller and
Norman Ross, Chicago, also broke
numerous former records. More
swimming records were broken this
year than in any three years. be-
fore" Weaver said that the A. A.
L. would make a drive in 1929
to promote interest in amateur
boxing.
At the final session of the A. A.
L., William Sprout, Boston. was
named president; Charles Lynch,
Detroit. first vice president: Edwin
Schaefer. Buffalo. second vice presi-
dent; Verne Lacy, st. Louis, third