Evening star., 1932-08-17
T OS ANGELES, Calf, August IT,
~ The aftermath of these last Olym-

Il StO f1lNAGlIG1O, SdAA, 110SdSoV
~ The aftermath of these last Olym-
pic games will move along in
definitely.
They carry more stories, more diff
ferent angles, than any competition has
ever shown.
I happened. for one example, to be
talking with number of coaches about
the speed of the stadium track. Here
we had the fastest track that human
feet had ever raced across before.
That is true enough" one well known
coach remarked. This track was
great help to the runners. But it hap
pened to ruin the hurdlers-especlally
those in the 110-meter hurdle races.
"How was that?" asked.
For this reason" he said. They
had accustomed their strides and their
hurdle take-offs to a certain pace. Over
this track they suddenly discovered by
he third or fourth hurdle that they had
covered too much ground-that they
we're too close to the hurdles to take
them in the normal way. This broke
up their strides and accounted for sew
eral mistakes, for several halting Jumps.
Hurdlers such as Sailing, Beard and
Keller would have run the l1O-yard
hurdles in IA seconds or less If they had
become accustomed to the speed of the
stadium track"
Boyd Comstock and several other
coaches verified this statement. 1t Is
unquestionably true.
THEN there was the mystery OF ia
i pans domination of the mems
swimming
"Ill tell you how that happened" re-
marked Lou Handley. the able coach Of
/ the United States Olympic team.
| Most of it begcn in Amsterdam four
years ago There the japanese talked
with the leading swimming coaches OF
/ the world. They took pictures OF every
known style. They took these pictures
/ back to Japan and submitted them TO
/ expert engineers and such who could
work out the best methods for win
ming stroke. The best methods were Sc
lected and then passed along to young
BOYS Of 10, IL and II years of age. They
were trained along these lines. giving
hours each day to the work of perfect
| ing a winning combination. The result
was thiS-the japanese used our own
stroke much better than we did.
IN Kitamura and other schoolboys
! they had swimmers who could outclass
any one we had. 1t was the triumph OF
patience of instruction and of training.
| IF they stick to this I can't see how
any one will ever beat them, for doubt
! that another race has enough patience
to figure four and even eight years
( ahead"
THE same may be true Of rowing in
! i the years to come. japanese pho
@1r roNf nf n
California crew. the italian, Canadian
and British eights.
These pictures were taken from every
angle. They will be taken back to ia
pan and submitted to experts. The
best system of rowing. Of stroking, will
be figured out. When this system is
finally agreed upon, Japan will then
train its younger oarsmen along win
ming lines. They will go into longer,
harder training than any other ma
ton, for they have greater patience.
And they have their full share of
competitive gameness and coolness and
Smartness.
EOR years the United States has been
l. charged with taking its sport too
seriously.
Japan can give us lessons in this
line. Their angle is that If sport Is
worthwhile, then winning is worthwhile
If you are going into sonething-why
be content with second or third place?
Why not try to be the best at what
ever you tackle?
Japan made a remarkable showing In
the recent Olympics. She won the hop
step and Jump and finished second In
the pole vault Two of their marathon
runners were among the first pack to
finish, ahead of any American.
Japan cleaned up in the water-fin-
ishing 1928 in at least two events.
It was Baron Nishi who won the
hardest of all the equestrian tests
the Prix Des Nations. with ID terrific
obstacles that included 10 jumps.
The flag of the rising sun was out
lined against the deep blue oi
Southern California's sky In a steady
, silhouette.
TTHE one weak feature Of the game;
i was the boxing. Here the genera
average was well below par. Yot
expect action and excitement wher
leading amateurs meet. but the Olympic
boxing program furnished little bu
: careful holding and ducking-little II
: the way of skill or punching power.
e The general verdict of most OF th'
experts IS that AZar of the Argentine
= was well in the lead over Barth OF th'
S U. s. and should have won. Abe Roth
| one OF the best referees on the coast