Evening star., 1936-01-07
0LYMP|CS CAUSE
MARKED ADVANCE
U. S. Swimmers Especially
Improved, Says Ferris,
A. A. U. Official.
BY DAN FERRIS,
Secretary-Treasurer Amateur Athletic
Union

Union.
(Written for the Associated Press)
n YEW YORK, January TN SO
nj far as the II sports over
" which the Amateur Athletic
= Union of the United States
has jurisdiction are concerned. marked
progress has been shown during the
year just closed, and with the Olympic
games in Germany as stimulus,
there is every reason to believe that
1896 will witness a still greater ad-
vancement in these sports.
This should be particularly evident
IN track and field, swimming, boxing
wrestling, weight lifting, gymnastics
on the Summer Olympic program.
The indoor track season just opened
will have all of the major meets that
have produced such thrilling and
record breaking competition in the
past. And in addition Chicago, Phila-
delphia and San Francisco expect to
announce soon definite plans for in
door track meets which they promise
will be on a par with the big New
York and Boston meets.
Boston will be the scene of the
first of the major indoor meets on
January 25, and athletes who are
pointing toward Olympic tryouts and
the Olympics themselves will have
at least one big meet week in which
to display their skill from that date
until the end of March.
Foreign Runners Shy.
INVITATIONS were extended by the
A. A. u to a dozen outstanding
foreign champions to compete here
this Winter, but one by one they have
been declined. Using the past as a
criterion, however, it is safe to say
their absence will not mar the indoor
season. Few foreign stars who have
competed in our indoor meets have
been able to show anything like their
outdoor form and have not proven
worthy competitors for our champions.
Our defeat in swimming at the
hands of the japanese at the Los An
geles Olympics four years ago has had
the effect of thoroughly arousing the
swimmers of the United States, SWIM
ming coaches and officials and those
who are responsible for swimming in
the clubs and colleges of the country.
AS a result of the good work accom-
pnshed since the surprise defeat by
Japan, as evidenced by the improve
ment of our swimmers in back, breast
and free swimming and the records
made during the last year, We feel con-
fident the team which America will
send to Berlin this Summer will re-
gain Uncle Sans swimming prestige.
Basket Ball Grows.
RASKET BALL, which appears on
the Olympic program for the first
time, has taken on added Importance
and interest, and the current season
promises to set record in the number
of teams playing, the number of games
played and in attendance.
Basket ball has been one of the
most difficult of all sports on the
A. A. U. calendar to keep clean. Our
"a district associations, which cover
the entire United States, have been
asked to be more vigilant than ever,
SO that no one will be able to question
any member of the team which will
eventually be selected to wear the
Stars and Stripes in the Olympic
basket ball championship.
For years athletes from foreign
shores have come to the United States
for competitions indoors and out, but
in recent years the movement has been
in the other direction. The number
Of American athletes touring abroad
Is increasing each year.
Six track teams, including the Yale
Harvard combination which met Ok
ford Cambridge, three swimming teams,
q boxing group and one basket ball
team went overseas for international
contests during 1885,
Demand for Americans.
A MERICANS will be in greater de-
mand than ever for the post
Olympic competitions, judging from
the great number of invitations which
already are in hand for various groups
to compete in Europe and Scandina-
Wan countries Immediately following
the Olympic games at Berlin.
The British Empire-U. S. A. match
in track at London on August 16
heads the list Of these post Olympic
competitions.