Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1932-01-03
BY DANIEL J. FERRIS,

National Secretary Amateur Athletic Union.
n JEW YORK, January 2 (P).-For
the 1882 Olympic games, Fin
Y land, our greatest rival for scor-
ing honors since the war, has
developed in 22-year- Lauri Lehtinen
an even greater runner than Paavo
Nurmi.
A few years ago this seemed 1mpoS-
sible. We all regarded Nurmi as
superman and did not expect to see
his equal, at least not in this genera
ton. Now Finland comes along and
develops another, who they claim, VII!
wipe from the record books all OF
Nurmi's marks.
Although a comparative newcomer, ne
has run 1900 meters, 5000 meters.
miles. 5000 meters and miles during
the past year in times only a 1ractlon
of a second behind the world RECORDS
held by Nurmi. During the past sea-
son he has scored several victories over
the former invincible Paavo.
The Firms expect Lehtinen 10 per
form lust as sensationally at Los An
geles as did Nurmi eight years ago IN
the Olympic games at Paris, Where he
won four Olympic championships.
Firms May Get Clean Sweep.
With such splendid material avail
able as represented by Lehtinen, Nurm,
Virtanen. so-Hollo, Lavrva, Pure, LUX
koIa and Ritola, the latter now IN FLOR
ida training for the Olympic marathon
race, Finland's hopes Of making clean
sweep of all the distance running events
on the Olympic program from l,oUo
meters to the marathon may be real
lied
Despite these Finnish threats, I again
expect the United States to score
decisive victory on points in the
OIvmpic track and field competition:
America will send to the mark poten-
tial point winners in practically every
event on the program. If one OF our
representatives fails to perform up 10
his standard we may reasonably expect
one of the other two to fill the gap.
other Nations Creeping Up.
No other country is yet in that posi-
tion All of the foreign nations, how
ever, gradually are creeping up on the
United States. and Americas margin OF
victory grows less each year.
The field events always have been
Americas mainstay. However, marked
Improvement is being shown in all parts
Of the world in the field events, ana
Americas pre-eminence in this depart
ment is fast reaching an end.
To illustrate my point, eight years
ago at Paris we won all Of the field
events on the program with the excep,,
ton OF the javelin and hop, step ana
Jump. Four years later at Amsterdam
the hammer was added to the other
two. and this year at Los Angeles the
number probably will be increased to
four. namely. the running broad Jump:
javelin throw, hop. step and jump ana
hammer throw. Further than that. the
shot and discus are more in doubt than
ever before. Three of the representa-
tives of foreign countries had better
discus performances the past year than
any American. and two OF the three
bettered $50 feet
Several nations which heretofore nave
not caused us much concern VIII be
represented at Los Angeles by one or
more potential winners. Thew INCLUDE
Italy. Hungary, Japan. Poland and
Czechoslovakia.
Japan scored its first OLYMPIC victory
at Amsterdam four years ago, when
Mikio Oda led the world in the running
hop, step and jump. Barring accidents,
he should repeat his victory OF Tour
years ago. as his new world record OF
81 feet Va inches Is nearly feet BET