The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-07-13
HEAT HAMPERS
 OLYMPIC TEAM
Keane Claims Unfair Coaching By Finnish
 Judge
By TOM KEANE, Distance Coach, American Olympic
Copyright, 1924, For The Age-Herald.l

Copyright, 1924, For The
 Age-Herald.)
 COLONIES STADIUM, PARIS July 12.-The athletes in the Olympic colony are pretty angry about the handing of the 10000 meters cross country team race Saturtly, in which four of the Swedes and Marechal of the French team were dropped by the terrible heat and the strain of running over poorly arranged course. Turis- son, one of the Swedes was in bad shape at last reports and when a 10,- 900 meters race has serious effects on a well-trained athlete something is wrong.
 In the first place, as a specialist in coaching distance men, I have learned something about what they can stand in safety and I don't think it is right to send men that distance in hot wealth CT, no matter how well conditioned they may be. The 10000 and the marathon are cool-weather races and should be run in the autumn. ! think it is out rageous to hold long races at this time.
 But that isn't all. They sent us over a course on which our men had never practiced and being unfamiliar with it, naturally we lost. some effec- tiveness. Then, the last 2 inside the stadium, where the air was so still and hot, should be eliminated and the boys should have been made to run a corresponding distance in the open, only finishing in the stadium.
 Rotten Dead
 Considering that the great Paavo Nurmi of Finland, was first in the 10,- GOO and his team-mate, Ritola, second, you might expect me to be well satis- fled because we landed a man in third place, which was taken by Earl John- son of Pittsburg. But I am not. It isn't the American way to concede first place to an opponent and be grate- full for the also ran positions. Nurmi tnd Ritola are great runners, but we might have beaten them if we had bad a square deal. was mighty sore when l learned that one of the judges at the stadium violated the rules by coaching and helping Nurmi. It may be that he beat us.
 Although a couple of our men had to quit, none of the Americans col- lapsed and all returned to the dress ing rooms without help. Verne Both of Johns Hopkins, did not finish be- cause his legs became numb due to the overnight wrapping of his leg ban dages. Gray had bal deg and couldn't finish.
 While I oppose the idea of running distance events in hot weather, do | think the heat will favor us in the marathon Monday. Our runners are better accustomed to hot washer rum ming. Of course, by holding it in the evening, they maye equalize this ad- vantage sbut we have good chance to. win.
 Relay Men Shine
 Our boys in the 400 meters relay young Hussey, Clarke, Murcvpason and Leconey-surprised the world, in- cluding their teammates, when they went out to race against a new world record, established only a few minutes previously and set another new rec ord of Al 1-5 in the final heat of the trials. The four hikers ran an amaz- ing race and would not be astonished to see them make still another record in the finals, for they are a grand quartette and about the fastest com bination in the world at the dis tance.
 The crowd simply gasped at the rum ming of Hussey, Clarke and Leconey. They had seen Murchison before and knew what to expect of him, but these were new characters to them. Hussey got n bad start that marred his run slightly, but he picked up considerably and did his 100 meters in 9.7 seconds. The other three ran away from their field.