The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1928-12-08
Claims That Women Who Ran
in Last Race Were Not Ex-
hausted But Merely Playing
the Game; Says Pulses Were
Normal After Woman Had
Run

Berlin, Dec. 8.-(AP)-The elm
ination OF the 800 meter race from
the program of women's COMPETE
tions at the Los Angeles Olympic
games in 1882, as decided by the
International Amateur Athletic Fed
GRAFTON at Amsterdam, was a grave
mistake, in the opinion of DR.. Hede
Bergman, examining physician of
women athletes. German delegates
sought to retain the event.
"The decision was a hasty, emo
tional one, based upon what the
delegates had seen transpire in the
Olympic stadium" DR.. Bergman
explained. "Aftcr Frau Lima Radke-
Batschauer of Germany won the 800
meter race in the world record time
most of her competitors threw
themselves down on the ground
and acted as though they were COM
pletely exhausted. It was a piece
OF good play-acting, for the whole
vast audience pitied the poor girls,
and many spectator was indig-
nant at seeing members of my SEX
thus spurred on to what seemed a
SupeT-numan effort.
Struck Out Race
"A few days later the l. A. A. F.
met, and with the picture of the
PROSTATE girls still vigorously be-
fore them the majority of the dele
gates, including a number who are
opposed to all women's participa-
ton in the Olympic Games, voted
on Humanitarian grounds in favor
Of striking the 800 meter distance
from the Los Angeles program.
"Now. what were the facts in the
case? was with the girls few
minutes after the race. You ought
to have seen how they powdered
their noses, chatted- gayly, did up
their hair and were very much con-
cerned that their finery should be
adjusted just right. Do you sup
pose that GIRLS who have been over
exerted would care about such de-
tails?
II examined their pulses, their
blood pressure, their. general condi-
tion-everything was in order. The
only one who was visibly depressed
was Miss Hitomi Of Japan, but her
case was one of extreme disap-
pointment at not winning the race,
She had counted on victory with
certainty. That the exertion did
not harm her, however, may be
judged from the fact that she ap-
peared in the other competitions
for which she had entered, and that
two weeks later she was in excel
lent form and won first place in the
300 meter race at Berlin.
Canadian Is Pacemaker
"As for the Canadian girls, one
Of them admitted she had entered
the contest only as q pace maker
for her colleague and had not train.
ed for this sort Of distance The
other later vigorously denied at
London that she had been over
exerted. Both girls helped to bring
victory to the Canadian women'a
relay team =. few days later in the
4x10O meter relay. Does this look
- though they had been over
worked?
"Some Of the other young ladies'
like the Italian contestant, also ad-
mitted that they had not trained
for this distance.
1.-THE American entry, Miss Nc.
Donald, also did the stunt Of drop.
ping down flat. but one Of her coun.
trymen must have admonished hel
sharply, for the next moment she
was up on her feet again.
ut was therefore emine:1tly un.
inst for the /. A. A. F., acting mere.
ly impulsively, to strike the lone
ldist4ncs races off the women's