Evening star., 1932-07-29
ENTRY Of FINNISH
STAR IS REFUSED
Vote on Question Unanimous.
Method of Procedure Is
Big Surprise.
BY ALAN GOULD,
Associated Press Sports Editor.

r OS ANGELES, July 29.-Like
Hamlet" without the cele
l. brated Dane in the cast, the
Olympic games will launch
their most spectacular athletic
show this week end without Paavo
Nurmi, the most gifted runner
and most colorful personality that
fOOt-Tacing has ever known.
Swiftly and without the remoteSt
1oophole for repeal the great Finnish
athlete stood barred today from all
Olympic competition by curt decision
rejecting his entry, based upon charges
that he profeSsionalized himself by ac-
cepting money beyond his expense re-
quirements for 1881 transforming
trip through Germany.
AS a result, the OlympicS suddenly
have been bereft of their greatest track
and field drawing card, Nurmis ambi-
ton to crown fourth Olympic appear
ance with a marathon triumph has
been shattered and Finlands rugged
little athletic band has been thrown
into a state of semi-revolt.
MO sooner had the ban on Nurmi
~ been formally announced by j. s.
F.iStrom of Sweden, president of
the international Amateur Athletic
Federation, than reports spread quick
1y today that % Finland would con-
slider withdrawing its entire team from
the games, and t2) that Nurmi would
Immediately turn professional for Sc
rieS of match races
Finnish leaders, who fought bitterly
to the last ditch against heavy odds
left the final hearing on the Nurmi
case in shaken spirits, convinced their
greatest athletic figure had been I'M
justly convicted. They told the ASSo-
ciated Press, nevertheless. that they
expected to go through with the games
with their athletes redoubling efforts to
make up for the loss of Nurmi.
T JNDER the decision rejecting Nur-
~ mis- entry there was no recourse
today for either the runner or
Finland in the full Congress of the
International A. A. F. beyond the pos
sibility of vocal aftermath. Any re-
consideration of the matter was blocked
completely by one of the slickest po-
1itical maneuvers in international ath-
1etic history.
Instead of prolonging the issue hag-
Cling over rules and projecting the
Nurmi controversy into the open meet
ing of the !. A. A. F. today. the execu-
tive council of the federation, sitting
as a commission with full powers,
abruptly ended the whole debate by
rejecting Nurmi's entry. This avoided
altogether the issue of whether Nurmi
is an amateur or professional and def
nitely closed the door to further dis
Cussion.
This commission, however, carefully
reviewed the evidence before it, studied
the charges of Nurmis commercialism
and heard two representatives of Fin
lands A. A. A, in a final appeal, be-
fore unanimously exercising its au-
thority to throw out Paavo's entry.
A FTER this final hearing, the vote of
"A the United States, represented by
Avery Brundage, chairman of the
American Olympic Committee, was cast
with two from Sweden, one each from
Great Britain, France, Germany and
Hungary in upholding. in effect, the
previous action of the l. A. A. F. coun-
ell in suspending the Flying Finn.
The Nurmi decision overshadowed all
other Developments in the rush to set
the stage for the spectacular opening
ceremonies and parade of 40 nations
before 100000 spectators in the Olym-
pic Stadium tomorrow. The arrival of
Vice PreAdent Charles Curtis this
morning Preceded round of formal re-
ceptions, international functions and
1ast-minute preparations for the biggest
athletic carnival of Olympic history.