New Britain herald., 1928-07-30
Seem HEADED FOR
ANOTHER VICTORY
United States Athletes Are Lead
Ing Olympic Field
By the Associated Press.

Amsterdam. Holland. July 80 ",
IF the opening days performances
are to be accepted as a criterion, the
United States is headed for its mint h
consecutive Olympic track and field
triumph. On a similar basis, Paavo
Nurmi Is destined to remove any lin
gering doubt that he's the super
runner OF all time.
On day when the worlds shot
put record was broken by the Ameri-
can super-man, John kuck. of Kan
sas, in the first 50 foot performance
Of athletic history, it took another
super-performer to capture the spot
light.
kuck, with toss that measured
eleven-sixteenths Of an inch beyond
the hitherto impregnable figure Of 81
feet. furnished the opening days
sensation but Nurmi provided the
thrilling climax by coming from be-
hind In the stretch TO beat his an
cient rival, Willie Ritola, Finnish
American ace. and outclass Amer.
ica's own Joie Ray along with the
rest of a big field and smashed the
Olympic record.
Many, among them numerous
Firms, were singing swan songs for
Paavo Nurmi to the games. They
Wagged their heads knowingly, des-
cribed how Nurmi's American inva-
sion three years ago had burned
him mt Il
been beaten frequently within the
past two years.
"Paavo. they said, has lost the
edge off his speed" but the peerless
one had enough yesterday to stay
with Ritola's killing pace all the
way and then outrun Ironman Willie
in q spectacular stretch duel. If
Nurmi has lost any of his speed, Ri
tola. and Edwin Wide. the Swedish
schoolmaster, who cracked under
yesterdays pace would hate to race
the Finn when he has any more.
The only noticeable change in
Paavo is that he's considerably bald
er, looking much more mature than
his ~ years. But the same funny
little hop skip is there when he prac
tees, the same smooth, effortless
stride when in action, the same
characteristic arm swing and his
famous stopWatch. He didn't inspect
the time piece as much as usual
yesterday. After the first few Laps
he appeared satisfied that Ritola
was setting fast enough pace and
followed it without once challenging
until the stretch when he passed
Willie to win by four yards in 80
minutes, 1915 seconds, four and
four-fifths seconds under the mark
Ritola set at Paris in 1924.
kuck's shotput victory which sent
the Stars and Stripes flying first on
the Olympic center pole, fulfilIs the
sensational promise of the blond
kansan's practice form. Yesterday
with Herman Brix, University of
Washington husky, apparently as
sured of triumph with a toss of 81
feet. inches. kuck, on his next to
last throw, hurled the ball to
new worlds record. beating not
only BrlX but the German, Emil
as we'll Hirschfield held
the worlds record for the shot nut
Just two days and made a
fine effort to keep the crown by toss
ing the 16-pound ball 81 feet, 67-sl
inches.
BOD King. of Stanford. takes his
place among the first group crown
ed as Olympic champions. bv virtue
OF his triumph in the high iump
with a leap OF six feet, 43-S inches
The United States took three
places each in the high jump where
Zen Hedges, Jr.. of the New York
A. C., was second. and the defending
champion, Harold Osborn, fifth. and
N the shotput where Eric krenz, OF
STANFORD. was fourth, but failed 10
score in the 1000 meters. Raw was
tapped by Nurmi and Ritola and
made no effort to chase the Flvinp
Firms, being content to take a good
workout for the marathon. As It
vas he finished twelfth. The other
american entries, Mac Smith. OF
ale. and Johnny Romig, Meadow
brook club, Philadelphia, dropped
out.
Meanwhile, the Yankee sprint
stars scored clean sweep in their
'lrst and second 100 meter trials
With the semi-finals and finals on
.oday
Lloyd Hahn. Boston A. A. star.
ed the qualifying quartet in the 500
meter competition which reaches the
'emi-finals today. F. Morgan Tay- |
or. Illinois. A. c. crack, and defend
ns olympic champion, doomed as a |
'trons favorite to retain hts 400 |
meter hurdle crown after the unex-
'ected elimination of Johnny Glib
on. Bloomfield Lyceum. and Bob |
Los Angeles A. c..