The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-01-15


Our unbelieving pal got
records in the Soviet Union.
Who they got over there?
guys ever set a new record?
Sometimes this sneering at the
Russian lads takes on a different
more rbane, more "comradely" form,
Nov listen here, my dear fellow
ne patronizeS, you know-"let's not
kid ourselves. The Soviet Union is
a great place and all that, but where
the hell do they shine in with the
rest OF the world in sports? Those
moujikS can't put one foot in front
OF the other without stumbling all
over themselves. These news reels OF
bunch of guys making exercise in
the Red Square-what's thatP Show
me records, times, split seconds on
the old stop watch. That's what
counts with mel"
n K feller, keep your pants on
W AZ, and well tell you a thing
or two about sports in the Soviet
Union. But first you gotta take your
finger outa my eye, lean back and
listen to man.
You have to remember that they
had a revolution over there in 1917
Then their energies were occupied
for about five years more with re-
Polling Allied and White Guard
armies. After they succeeded in
hurdling intervention, blockade and
famine, they set to the job of re-
construction. With the building up
OF shattered industry came the dawn
OF new era in physical culture.
Cyril, my boy, for the first time
in the history Of the Russian people
did they begin to get enough to eat.
Along with the sufficiency in the
VitaminS, there we're introduced
measures for the building of gyms.
swimming pools, tracks and parks.
Workers whose experience in running
was limited to chasing a bunch OF
Czarist degenerates out of the coun-
try were given spiked shoes and
taught crouch starts. In a word
they were developing athletics from
the ground up. All this with the as
yet meager funds the Soviet Union
could put at their disposal.
The strides forward have been
remarkable. Physical educators like
DIR. Jay r. Nash of New York Uni
versity will attest to that. About
l2,OO0,O00 Soviet citizens are TODAY
involved in organized athletics and
S2,U00,OO0 viii be in the sport asso-
Citations by the end of the Second
Five Year Plan. Tie that, buddy!
put I forgot. It's records you're in
- terested in. Well, I would forget.
You see, we're not so hot about good
individual records, nor are they ex-
cited about these things in the U. S.
5. Il. They-and we-are lot more
concerned about getting millions of
people to enjoy physical culture than
TO nurse couple Of prima donnas as
record-breakers. But they do keen
tirnes, and these are pretty good
index Of the development of at least
one major sport, track. Here, Look
over the 1888 records:
60 meters-6.S secs.
100 meters-10.7 secs.
200 meters-22.0 secs.
400 meters-50.2 secs.
500 nfeters-1 min, 1875 secs.
800 n1eterS-1 min. $50 secs.
LOCO meters-2 Minis, 34.S secs.
l,5OO meters-4 Minis, IA secs.
5000 meters-8 Minis, 57.2 secs.
5000 meters-15 MINIS, 2s.6 secs.
10000 meters-32 MINIS, 81 secs.
2.9OO meters-1 hr., IL MINIS.
ST. secs.
ITO meters high hurdles-le.4 secs.
220 meters hurdles-28.5 secs.
400 metres hurdles-59.6 secs.
COMPARE these records with some
" American records. The Soviet
record for the 100 meters is better
than the 1888 int rcoIlegiate time.
That race was won by Hardy of Cor