Evening star., 1932-07-22
NEARLY |NV|NC|B[E
EVEN SANS NURM|
Other Nations Best Chance
Is in 1,5OO-Paavo Would
Dizzy MarathonerS.
BY ALAN GOULD,


T OS ANGELES, July 22.-Ex-
cept that the pursuit may
IL be more varied and inter-
esting, there appears scant
prospect of any combination Of
talent strong enough to prevent
Finland from taking most, if not
all, of the Olympic running honorS
from 1,5O0 meters up to and IN
cluding the classic marathon.
The Anglo-Saxons have sent some
star milers to this Olympic party, in
cluding Lovelock of New Zealand,
Thomas of England, Hallowell, Crowley
and Cunningham of the U. S. A. Po-
land has one of those rarities, a con-
oueror of Pavo Nurmi, in Jannusc
Kusocinski, candidate for long distance
honors. Argentina, japan and Germany
have sturdy -limbed men for the routes,
especially in the Marathon. Yet about
all most of them will get during this
years Oiympics will be rear view OF
the flying Firms
EVEN without counting on the emil
- nent Nurmi, the Fins have pros
pective and probable winners in
Harry Larva, l,500-meter champion;
Tiovo Loukola, steeplechase champion;
Lauri Lehtinen, record breaking young
ster, Volmari Iso- -Hollo IN the 5000 and
l0,000-meter runs, and Marttelln and
Toivonen in the Marathon, if Nurmi is
ruled out Of the event he has fitted
himself for especially.
Larva and Elmo Purje, in the 800
for Finland, will likely have their hands
full in what every one expects will be a
record breaking Olympic final. The
sensation will be Luigi Beccali of Italy,
if he can duplicate here the time of
3 $50 with which he was credited just
before leaving Europe. None of the
British OF Americans can match this
time, but if the pack is punched COM
ing into the stretch flnisherS with a
real kick" like Hallowell and Thomas
or Loyelock, will have good chance TO
win.
r EHTINEN, a powerfully built young
IL ster. regarded by Firms as the
second Nurmi," may try the 1900,
but his best event is the 5000 meters.
In this he appears in a class by himself.
having already shattered Nurmi'S world
record by substantial margin by run
ming the distance in 14:169. Three
years ago Lehtinen was SO bady Grip
pied with rheumatism he went about
on crutches for months.
Iso-Hollo figures to furnish Lehtinen's
only real competition at 5000 meters,
where the American-tryout winner,
Ralph Hill. Oregon product. can hope
for nothing better than fourth or fifth
place.
Hollo also may run the steeple-
chase and 10000 meters. in which he
will have a good chance to lead the
pack home. He and Lauri Virtanen
will be the Finnish fayorites in the
longest of the track races if Lehtinen
should decide to concentrate on seek
ing other honors. 1t well may be
1-2-3 for Finland in both the 5000
and 10000, however, unless KuSocin-
ski Of Poland, Zabala or Ribas Of Ar
gentina breaks through.
THE Firms will have to reckon with
/ Joe McCluskey of South Man
chester. Conn, and Fordham Uni
versity in the 3,000-meter steeplechese.
The American forces have no more
courageous or determined performer
than this college boy, who has the
endurance and speed to match his
confidence.
Nurmi should run the marathon field
dizzy, If he is allowed to compete.
Otherwise it promises to be fine in
ternational scramble, with the strong
Finnish and japanese teams battling
individual stars such as Paul de Bruyn
of New York and Germany, zabala
and RibaS. The American trio Heni-
gan, Oldag and Nicholson, is conceded
an outside chance to place.