Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-08-05
Finnish Athletes Onpcs: Nationals p
YRJOLA SETS MARK
IN THE DECATHLON
Jarvlnen. His Countryman.
Is Second-YankS Land
Third. Fourth, Fifth.
Fl She Associated Press.

r. HE Associated Press.
~ LYMPTC STADIUM. AAfSTER-
DAM, August 4-Paavo
Yrjola. Stalwsrt. curly-haired
~ son Of the northland. capped
the climax OF FinlandS great
est day in the 1928 Olvmpics by cap
turing the decathlon championship and
smashing his own worlds record in the
greatest struggle for all-around ath-
ietic supremacy ever witnessed.
In what turned out to be spectacu~
lar FinniSh-American battle for honorS.
Yrlola beat his countryman. Akilles
Jsrvlnen, by more than 100 points while
three youthful Americans. Ken Doherty.
Jim Stewart and Tom Churchill. finish
ed third. fourth and fifth.
Shattering the worlds record Official
II for the third time in two years.
Yr}ols ended the two-day, l0-event
struggle, the last 5 on q Sodden. rain
swept field. with a grand total of
S0S3,29 points. This ecltpSed his own
world mark Of 1858 set July Is and
II 1927. but formally accepted only a
week ago. Previously the Firms total
OF 7,S209S. made in 1926, eclipsed the
recognized world record of 7,TlO.775
which Hal Osborn of the United States
set IN winning the 1924 Olympic title
Jarvinen Near Record.
Jsrvinen, who threatened his country
man every step of the way also was
within few points of the world record
with 1881 so. sufficient to clinch second
place for him by a substantial margin.
after the California giant, Jim Stewart.
had held the runner-up position most
Of the day.
Stewards chances were blasted in the
final two events. the javelin throw and
1.5o0-meter run. so much so that he
was forced back TO fourth while Ken
Doherty. 23-year-old Detroiter. grabbed
third place with a whirlwind finish.
Doherty's final total Of 7.7o665 repre-
sented by far the greatest performance
he ever turned in. while Stewards
fourth-place total was 7,62413S
Tom Churchill. the husky Oklahoman.
after trailing the first day. also came
through sensationally in the final events
and took fifth place with 7.417Il5,
beating out Jansson of Sweden. who led
the field at the end of the first five
events yesterday. JanSson's final total
was 1886 2S5.
Under the worst sort of conditions. in
the midst Of an almost continual down.
pour and wind OF gale proportions, the
performance OF the all-around stars
vas particularly remarkable Because of
frequent Interruptions by the downpolr.
10 hours we're required 10 complete the
final five events, despite the fact the
last two we're run of virtually stimuli
tsneousiv.
Yri0Ia Best in the Field.
Yriols performed best in IN. field.
leading all rivals in two events. the
Kllot-put and the discus throw. tieing
for first in the high Jump and ciinching
the championship in the jsvelin In
which he beat his foremost rivals for the
title. although led in this particular
event ny the Esthonian, Meimer, and
the American Dohertr.
Jarvinen starred in the track events,
winning the 40o-meters, having the
second best time in the 100 and tieing
for first III the ii0-meter hurdles. Stew
arts tie for first in the high Jump was
the only event IN which an American
topped the field
Among the Americans, Stewart and
poferty divided the honors. Doherty
surpassed all three OF his compatrioGs
IN four events besides tieing Stewart for
best in the broad Jump. while Stewart
se0 the American quartet In four others
Churchill shared American leadership
II one event. the pole vault with Bar
ney BerlingeT. who finished well back
n the title hunt with total not yet
compiled. but certain 20 be under 7,00G
points.