Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-05-13
nv ALAN II. n

NEW YORK, OFF there was one
branch of track sports outside of
sprinting in which America has most
eagerly sought supremacy it is in
mile running.
Yet it has been twenty years now
since the United States has won the
1900 meter race, Olympic equivalent
OF the mile. This championship has
shifted to Finland after a s~ojourn
in England. The worlds record for
the mile, long a cherished American
possession, has now been held by
that Phantom Of Finland, Paavo Nur-
mi. for five years.
American prestige in the Olympic
1900 has skidded downward without
interruption since 1908 when Peer
less Mel Sheppard scored the last
Yankee triumph. Subsequently. the
best America could do was second
in 1912, third in 1920 and fifth in
1924.
So il will be something to cheer
about even il Lloyd Hahn. Ameri-
cas- chief hope this year, is only
able to check this decline. II will
be cause for national athletic iubi-
lation If he is returned the victor
as many Of his ardent followers ex-
pect.
Hahn, successor to Joie Ray as
the king Of American milers, is BY
far the best prospect this country
has turned out for the 1900 meters
since 1912. Ray was never at his
best abroad. but Hahn. with the ex-
p%erience of one Olympiad already
behind him and an early start in
preparation abroad, should be &C his
peak in Amsterdam.
The rugged Nebraskan ran sixth to
Nurmi in the 1900 meter race at
Paris four years ago. Ably coached
by the veteran Jack Ryder, he has
steadily improved since then. He
has shown enough speed % run the
fastest half mile Of all time and
also set the worlds 1500-meter rec
ord indoors.
After tackling super-opposition in
the Olympic 500 Hahn will find lit
tie respite in the 1900 against such
cracks as Nurmi, the worlds record
holder and champion, Edwin Wide Of
Sweden, Lowe and possibly Stallard
Of England, and Peltzer Of Ger
many. The American he's raced all
of these men. however. and beaten
two of them in this country, Wide
and Peltzer.
Hahn will play virtually a lone
hand in the 1900 as well as the 800
meter races. Ray has turned mara
thoner, and there is 10 other miller
in sight of the Nebrasksn's class un-
less Nick Carter. Ray Conger or Joe
Sivak show some startling i'm
provement.
1912 Band Greatest
The greatest band Of milers Amer
lea w mustered was shipped to the
1912 Olympics, but they were out
U and outgeneralled by the young
English collegian, Arnold n. S. Jack
son. There was no fluke to Jack
sons victory, for he shattered the
Olympic record by nearly seven sec
onds, but before the race he had
been conceded little more than an
outside chance against such Ameri-
can aces as Abel Kiviat, Norman
lager, John Paul Jones, Mel Shep-
pard and others. Seven of the four
teen finalists were Americans, and
three of them, Kiviat, Tabor and
Jones, appeared to have the race 20
themselves until Jackson, TO quote
the official story, "came on, passed
the pumped out U. S. A. men with gi-
2antic strides and broke the worsted
three meters in front Of Kiviat, who
suffered a complete surprise"
Some years later, Jackson, now a
resident of America, told this writer
he thought the Americans had kill
ed their chances by too much early
sprinting.
Four years ago Nurmi won the
1900 on the same afternoon ne cap
tured the 500-meter race. SCATTERING
the Olympic records in each. II was
a romp for the great Finn after he
had shaken off the American, Ray
Watson. For two-thirds of the dis
tanse. Watson stuck to Paavo like
a shadow. as he had teen instructed
20 do. Il was dramatic as far as il
went, but Watson finally faltered.
300 meters from the finish. so bad
ly spent that he was unable 70 fin
ish among the first six.