New Britain herald., 1928-02-11
NINTH 0LYMP|AD TO START TODAY
Competitors From @ Nations
 Gathered for Winter Events

St. Moritz, Switzerland, Feb. Ii (UP) Bitterly cold weather and a heavy snow marked the opening day of the ninth Olympiad today at 929 competitors of 25 nations gathered for the opening events of the worlds premier sport classic.
 As members of the Olympic ice and snow teams assembled for the opening parade. there was blind- ing snow, contrasting with the fine weather of the past few days.
 President Edmund Schulthess of the Swiss confederation and other national leaders were to review the athletes of the 25 nations.
 Nine days will be devoted to the winter sports after which the scene of the Olympic games will be shifted to Amsterdam, Holland. where track and field events begin on May IT.
 By the time the athletes had lined up at the ice rink for the oath of office there were 1000 spectators gathered to watch the first game of the ice carnival.
 
 a French protest and decided that Canadians might play with Great Britain team, even though Canada I'has team entered in the contests. The four ice hockey games on to- days schedule include:
 Austria versus Switzerland. France versus Hungary. p,-tt n; ,I- Sweden versus Czecho-Slovakia. American has 26 men and women entered in speed skating, fancy skat- ing. ski competition, bob-sledding and teboganing. Although runner up for the ice hockey championship in 1920 and 1924. America is not en- tered in that event. The winter games mark Ger many's re-entry into the Olympic games. Germany was not permit l ted to compete in the Olympic games in 1920 and 1924 because of the war feeling, but the Deutschland Is coming back strong this year and expects to make credi'able show | ing. Germany has 26 men entered in the ski races and q large entry list in all the other events. i Other nations entered include Austria. Belgium, Canada. Esthonia, Finland, France. England, Holland, Hungary, Italy. Japan, Latvia. Lux embourg. Norway. Rumania. Swed- en, Switzerland. Serbia. Lithuania, Argentine. Poland, Czecho- o-Slovakia and Yugo-slavia.
 | America is favored to win the bob-sleigh races which will be held next Thursday and Friday. John Health of New York and William Fiske of Chicago finished first and 1 third, respectively. competing against A representatives of % na- tions in the annual St. Moritz derby held last Thursday.
 {; Valentine Bialis. Irving Jafee and Nathaniel w. Niles are Americas s ! leading entries in the speed skat- ing contests. Claes Thunberg of l Finland. who was successful in the i Olympics of 1924 at Chamonix. is the favorite in the speed skating races.
 cred a likely winner in the women's
 Miss Beatrix Loughran is consid- fancy skating events. However. Son. 1 ja Henie of Norway. a 14 year old girl who won fourth place in 1924, and Andree Joly of France were ex- pected to give her a stiff battle.
 finders Haugen, foremost Aneri- can ski jumper. is second choice in | that event. Jacob Thams of Nor way has outdistanced the field in practice and is picked to win. The big days on the program will be Monday when there will be two i speed skating races for 800 and 5000 meters Tuesday. when there will be the long distance skiing races for 50 kilometers and the speed skating races for 1.5oo and 10000 meters; Friday. when there will be the long distance skiing con- tests of kilometers and next Sat urday when there will be the final ski jumping contests.
 Other features include fancy skat- ing by single skaters and by couples of men and women: long distance contests by military patrols and bob. sled and "belly- busting races or famous "Cresta Run" the speediest most man. n-killing' sled course ir the world.
 Immediately after the Olympic sports, practically all of the inter.
 national winter sports organization