Evening star., 1928-05-22
YANKS ARE FACING
! STIFF OPPOSITION
BaSkin, Wells, Werner and
LeiStner May Be Americas
Hopes at Amsterdam.
Ey the Associated Press.

Ey the Associated Press.
Olympic high hurdling supremacy
has passed from American hands only
once in eight of the big international
meets. That exception did not carry
much sting for Earl Thomson's triumph
In Canada's colors in 1920 also was a
victory for American coaching.
Thomson. perhaps the greatest hign
hurdier ever developed, was product
of the tutelage Of Harry L. Hillman,
Dartmouth's famous coach and him
self a former Olympic champion. The
raney Canadian was developed at Han
over and turned in his greatest per-
for7nanceS on American tracks. He now
, is coaching at the United States Naval
Academy after serving some time at
Yale.
everything broke right for me that
day." Thomson told this writer in re-
calling his Olympic victory eight years
ago. at Antwerp. The weather and
track were good. felt Just right and
] was pushed all the way by Harold
Barron, the Penn State star, and Fred
Murray of Stanford
Holds World Record. Too.
Thomson set the Olympic record in
that race. i44-5 seconds, but his
greatest performance was turned in
that same wear, a few months before
the Olympics. at Franklin Field, Phil
adelphia. The Canadian ace won the
intercollegiate championship there and
set the world record of i42-5 seconds.
81 felt right and figured l had a
good chance to break the old record
of is seconds, held by Forrest Smith,
SON" he recalls. THE best ] had
hoped for. however. was II AS. When
! came running back. after breaking
the tape, one of the timers showed
me his watch, stopped at IA 2-5, and
the amazement on his face was as
great as mine"
Smithson, the old Pacific Coast star,
set the world record of Is seconds nat
when he won the Olympic champion
ship in 1908 He did 1t on grass and
over hurdles that were made of iron,
except for the top bar of wood.
"Smithson was wonder as good as
any of our present day hurdlers," Law
son Robertson, Olympic head coach,
asserts.
The peak Of Americas Olympic
monopoly was reached in the 1912
games when nine Yankees entered the
Iio-meter high hurdles. They won
z Of the IL preliminary heats. all Of
the Semi-finals and finished l-2-3-4-6
in the final heat. with Fred Kelly
leading Jim Wendell by a thin margin.
Powell. the Englishman, was the only
foreign contender.
Close Competition Looms.
Three Of the six flnalists were Amer
icaus IN both 1920 and 1924. Four
years ago, however, Dan KinSey, Uni
versity of Illinois star, was chased TO
the tape by two Swedes and South
African, Atkinson. in the finals. It was
q close call at Paris, and it may be
closer this Summer at Amsterdam.
Germany. Sweden. England and
South Africa all have developed capa-
bIe hurdlers. Lord Burghley, the titled
British star, has shown Americans how
weE he can perform, but ''Davy" Is bet
ter over the low sticks than the high
ones. Atkinson wIn be a threat once
more.
American hopes probably win be
pinned chiefly On such stars as Weems
Baskin, the Alabama ace; Monty Wells
OF Dartmouth. Chick Werner Of the
Illinois A. c. and Lefgtner Of the Olym-
pic Club, San Francisco. These four.
representing the South, East, Midwest
and Far West. have been consistently
good. There are others, however, TO
be reckoned with, such as Collier Of
Brown, Nichols Of Stanford and Guthrie
Of the Illinois A. c., Kinsey, the 1924
champion, viii not defend hts title.
He has taken up the decathlon.