Evening star., 1932-08-04
AMERICANS FIRST
IN 9 OF 16 EVENTS
ToIan Is Third Michigan Man
to Score Double Win
in World Sprints.
BY ALAN GOULD,
Associated Press Sports Editor.

They have been waiting a
, - long while, as Olympiads go,
to wave the old flag so
briskly, but today these Ameri-
cans can go the patriotic limit,
with the Star Spangled Banner
draped all over the Olympic
track and field band wagon.
with the big show only half COM
pleted, the United States has already
dominated the greatest outbreak OF
Olympic ecord-smashing of all time,
romped off with nine of the 16 track
and field events for men and women,
including highly-cherished sprint titles,
p and rolled up a staggering margin on
: points.
Talk about picking their spots! After
politely watching the flags of Ireland,
Poland, Britain and Canada wave VIC
toriously in the breezes, the Ameri-
cans, with a startling rush, yesterday
swept all four of the mems track and
field finals conducted in the stadium. A
crowd estimated at nearly $4,000. the
greatest in track history, went wild.
THE record turnout sent the total at
i tendance for four days beyond
225,000 for the stadium alone. The
crowd saw bespectacled little Eddie To-
Ian, American Negro. lead sweep of
the 200 meters final, to become the first
double Olympic sprint champion the
United States has had in 20 years.
They thrilled as sandy-haired Bill
Miller of San Diego, product OF STAN
ford University, outvaulted the sensa-
tional Japanese boy, Shuhei Nishida, in
the first 14-foot duel in Olympic his
tory The American boy finally won at
IL feet 17s inches.
They roared again as three Yankee
tirnber-toppers, led to the tape by
George Sailing of Iowa, swept the final
of the spectacular 110-meter high hur-
dies race
= They volleyed cheers for their IA
Vorite feminine star, Babe" DidrikSon
of Texas. who broke her second world
record in as many events by racing over
the s0-meter high hurdles in the stun
ming time of lib seconds, to lead three
American girl qualifiers for today's
final.
FINALLY, to saturate this homebred
L field day." the crowd watched
two husky Americans six times ex-
Handsome John Anderson, former Cor
nell University star, finally beat Henri
Laborde Of Stanford with final heave
of 1872 feet AS inches.
OF the total of IL flags that futtered
in honor of the olympic medalists in
these 4 events 10 were the American
emblem.
Far from the stadium's tumult and
shouting, Great Britain's game and gal
liant pedestrian, Thomas William Green,
hoofed his way to victory in the $4,000
day. however. to step up on the Olym-
pic pedestal and hear God Save the
King played in honor Of his achieve
ment.
Today. too, Finland and Japan may
take their turn in the spotlight. with
favorites in the javelin and triple
jump, while Americans have their eyes
focused on the chances Of Pen" Hal
lowell, Glenn Cunningham and Frank
Crowley in the classic l 500 meter final,
feature of this afternoons program.
MEANWHILE, and for the next four
1V1 years, the United States can bask
In the outstanding achievement of its
'star spangled day"-the triumph of
Tolan.
The dramatic story of the little Ne
gro's rise to the world sprinting heights
overshadows the record-breaking chap
ters that have made these Olympic
games the dizziest whirl of all time.
Tolan couldn't make the American
team four years ago. Like many an
other youth, he was hard pressed for
funds this year and needed the aid OF
a friend to get to California by auto
mobile for the final American tryouts.
At Palo Alto Tolan twice tra1led the
great Ralph Metcalfe of Marquette to
the tape in the combined race for
places on the American team as well
as national championships.
The experts thought Metcalfe won
from Tolan Monday in the 100-meter
Olympic final, and it took the official
motion pictures to convince them that
Tolan was victorious by the shadowy
margin Of 2 inches in world record time.
THEY said Metcalfe would run away
l. from little Eddie in the 200, be-
cause he was bigger and stronger,
but Tolan came back to win hands
down. He beat George Simpson, the
third American sprint ace, by good
2 yards in the Olympic record time of
2l.2 seconds. while Metcalfe came in
third, handicapped by poor start and
ragged work on the turn.
Two Olympic championships and
two Olympic records ought to be enough
to prove the greatness Of Tolan's come
back. He maintains, too, one of the
most unique traditions Of. American track
history He is the third American
sprinter to take the Olympic double
crown, Archie Hahan in 1904 and Ralph
Craig in 1912 being the others. All
three came from the University Of
Michigan.
If there was any disappointment for
the huge crowd in the stadium 1t was
the failure of the Southern California
faYorite, Bill GRADER, to come through
in the pole vault. Graber had hoisted
himself to the world-record height Of
IA feet Az inches in the final tryouts.
He did no better than 13 feet ia inches
yesterday and finished fourth, beaten
by his team mate, George Jefferson, as