Evening star., 1936-06-29
i. S. LONG linked
IN OLYMPIC 1900
Produces No Winner Since
Sheppard in '08-Britain
Points for Race.
BY ALAN GOULD.
Associated Press Sports Editor.

n IEw YORK. - Few Olympic
events have had as fascinating
VI background, or as many Bit
ter disappointmentS for your
Uncle Samuel, as the 1,500-meter run.
The metric mile" has held O jinx
for our lads since those memorable
Olympic days when bowler hats were
the official style and you couldn't get
an American to say kind work for
British athletic officials.
Since Peerless Mel" Sheppard led
the pack home at Shepherds Bush in
1908, the United States has not pro-
duced an Olympic 1,500-meter cham
pion. The books show that milers like
John Paul Jones, Abel Kiviat, Norman
Taber, Joie Ray, Lloyd Hahn and
Gene Venzke did a flock of record
cracking, indoors or out, during the
subsequent years, but you will not find
any Of them listed among the olympic
champions.
A lanky Englishman who now is one
of Louisville's solid citizens, Arnold N
Strobe jackson, gave handsome
beating in 1912 to the best set of milers
We ever sent to the Olympic games,
and that includes any combination 60
ing abroad this year. Ray never had
much luck on his Olympic jauntS,
finally making his best showing in the
marathon in 1928. Hahn was a huge
disappointment the same year, despite
being given special consideration and
not even being forced to qualify for
the 1,500.
Eyes on Venzke.
-FOUR years ago, as most every one
recalls. Venzke. with 4:10 indoor
mile behind him, failed to make the
Olympic team. The stocky young man
who beat him out for the last place
was Glenn Cunningham, who has
since then acquired the world indoor
(4:os.D and world outdoor (4:06.O
records.
Now the boys have good reason to
fear Cunningham has passed his peak;
that Bill Bonthron, despite his win
over Venzke last Saturday, is not likely
TO repeat in the final trials and that
again the pressure will be on the Penn
star. Gene, four years older and a
better finisher, should not have an
other attack of the jitters, such as he
had at Palo Alto in 1882. He has
regained confidence, seemingly has
Cunningham's number" after three
years Of trying, and should be the No.
/ American at Berlin.
There are one or two contenders
who cannot be ignored. One of them.
Gus Fenske of Wisconsin, was on Don
Lashs heels in a 4:10.8 mile this
Spring. Another, Archie San Romani.
Kansan, who won the National Col
legiate A. A. title year ago, has
trained intensively for comeback.
Lovelock 10 Shift.
IT MAY or may not be good news
to our crack milers that New Zea-
lands Jack Lovelock is considering
shifting his Olympic bid from the $500
to the 5000 meters. Our boys, on two
memorable occasions at Princeton,
we're beaten thoroughly by Lovelock.
But the British think they have run
ner who can take" Lovelock consist
emily in Stanley Wooderson. The fact
is Wooderson has beaten Lovelock
twice at the mile within the past year.
which may be one treason why the
feathery footed medical student Is con-
templating a change of focus.
Luigi Beccan. from all accounts. is
training to defend the title. The
black-haired italian boy showed ter
rife stretch kick" at Los Angeles four
years ago. Britain has running-mate
for Wooderson in Robert Graham, 27-
year-old Scottish farmer. Australia
has high hopes of Gerald Backheuse.
whose times have not been so impress
sive as the manner in which he has
won most of his races. He sticks to
the British system of running to
win," which has proved effective
against our "clock-conscious" feot-
racers