Palatka daily news. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1919-1994, 1922-02-20
Great Britain Is Nearest
Competitor in Track
Events
vERSAT|L|TYUNEQUAlEO
Holds More Varied Ii
ties Than All Others
Combined
(By Associated Press)

of the United States lead the world
as holders of track and field records.
An analysis of the latest list of
worlds records, accepted by the In
ternational Amateur Athletic Feder-
ations, shows that out of some nine
ty-odd standard events the best time
or distance has been made by Amer
lean athletes in 81 contests. This
number, which is trifle more than
one-third of the entire list of ac-
cepted records, is also greater than
the combined total of any two other
nations.
Americas nearest competitor for
the honor of leading the world in
the matter of record holders is Great
Britain, whose athletes have marked
up the best time or distance in
twenty-eight events. Denmark and
Finland are tied for third place, with
seven records each. No other nation
approaches the versatility of the
American athlete, for the United
States performers have established
records in six out of the seven groups
of competition into which the worlds
records events naturally divide
themselves
This country is without record
holder in the walking events in
which Great Britain and Finland
hold all the records. America is tied
with Great Britain in the running
records, each nation having thirteen
to it's credit. The United States
holders are confined to the springs
and the shorter distance. Great Brit
aims stars hold majority of the
long distance running records.
Many New Records.
The records as published in the Of
ficial athletic almanac were adopted
at the conference of the l. I. A. F..
last May. Since that meeting sew
eral American and foreign athletes
have bettered records now listed, but
these cannot be officially considered
worlds records until accepted by the
l. A. A. c., which acceptance may be
delayed another six months or a
year. Such an example is that OF
the running broad jump record cred
tied to P. O'Connor, of Ireland, with
leap of "a feet liz inches, made
in 1901. This record was surpassed
last July, when E. o. Gourdin, of
Harvard, jumped 25 feet 8 inches,
in the dual meet between Oxford
Cambridge versus Yale-Harvard at
Cambridge.
Taking the records as they appear
in the latest official list, however, it
is shown that the American athlete
is better in more events in the record
list than any one other nationality.
Every record from 100 yards to one
mile is held by United States ath-
lete. From two to rs miles English
runners hold sway, although most of
these times were made in the early
nineties. In metric running records
Finland, Sweden and France hold all
but the springs, which go, to Ameri-
can athletes. Walking records are
held by pedestrians of Great Britain,
Canada and Denmark.
Substituting Gourdin's new rec
ord in place of O'Connor's all the
Jumping records are in the hands OF
American athletes and the same is
true of the weight events. Finland,
Sweden and the United States di-
vides honors in the discus and javel-
in competitions. Canada gets two
hurdle records, as E. ]. Thomson, of |
Dartmouth college, was born across
the border. All others are held by
United States hurdlers. Of the ten
relay race records eight are held by
American teams; one by a Great
Britain quartet and the other by a |
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