The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-02-01
TALKING
ITOvER
BY JOE WILLIAMS

NEW YORK, Feb. 1.-"Johnny
4 ' Hayes of New York wins
Olympic marathons" This startling
headline appeared in late afternoon
editions of our newspapers on July
10, 1908. New York was delighted
and New York was amazed. Z
earlier in the day the cables had
brought the information that the
international distance classic, fin
1shing in Shepherds Bush stadium,
near London, had been won in most
dramatic style by Dorando Pietri
an Italian baker.
- INTERVIEWED with the divergent results
1laSheo from the English capital was Tie
olympic story Of stories--a thriller That
collapse and disqualification. and a Strange
International rancor that ran through all
AS We, look forward to the Olympic rack
ana held program. OF 1882. to be con-
Icsted at Los Angeles in the wake Of the
ntting mat we 20 back 70 the. Hayes
triumph. The little shop clerk. who now
rs 1000 broker in this city. was our
most recent winner in the Olympic nara
thon.
=. In fact the international grind has oeen
seven OF the nine revivaIs Of It'll the S ancient
Greek festival. HAYES stands out as
J. Hicks. our only other victor. finished
urSt in the 1904 meet at st. Louis.
Those who were in the OLYMPIC stadium
near London that torrtd afternoon in 1909
never win forget the turmoil Of the SEN
The little baker from Milan was frs. into
the arena. He had only 500 yards of the
long Journey OF twenty-six miles 335 wards
70 90. AS he staggered into the amphl-
theater. Dorando frightened the official
doctor W,hYo eSamined the Italians heart
for twenty wards. and then he fell.
Salient among the rules for the OLYMPIC
marathon was the stipulation that no rnIn
petitor was to be assisted-that help meant
instant disqualification. That still IS the
rule; Dorando was picked up by the
dragged himself few more wards and then
he collapsed again. Jack Andrews. ne
the doctor also went to the assistance Of
the man from Milan.
n
DY this time the stadium was a
ID bedlam. The, crowd, of course,
was with Dorando. Five times the
little Italian fell, and finally he was
dragged across the finish line. Those
who assisted the baker were not
Italians. They were officials and
well informed as to the rules.
While the English officials, with
the best of human intentions, we're
helping Dorando, little Hayes came
scurrying into the stadium.
George Cameron, the professional bicycle
rider, who had accompanied Johnny on
the long Journey preceded him into the
arena and then dashed back to Hayes
shouting, Everybody is goofy in there,
Dorando is down. All you have to do to
win is to stay on YOUR feet.
only $50 yards from the stadium. Hayes
star. In the last five miles, Johnny had
come up from a hopeless third-one OF the
very few survivors of, the proud field of
sixty. that had dashed out of Windsor
Hayes plugged around the track. finish
ing in 2 hours SIS minutes 10 seconds. In
view of the assistance given to Dorando,
James E. Sullivan, the American Olympic
commissioner demanded the Italians dis
qualification, and the award of victory to
Hayes.
TINE officials debated for three
L hours. For three hours they
stood on their first decision in IA
vor of Dorando. Finally Sullivan
took the floor.
Gentlemen of the Olympic committee.
have motion pictures of the finish of the
Irrespective of what you do here,
America win give the race to Hayes. 1t
will look bad for British fair. play"
At o'clock that evening the committee
announced that Hayes had won, that Do
rando had been disqualified
The Hayes-Dorando rivalry was carried
sonal and engaged in a series of races in
which the Italian got the better of the
New Yorker. But Hayes was not track
runner-particularly not an indoor racer.