Evening star., 1936-03-26

BY ALAN GOULD.
N YEW YORK, March 26.-They
nj probably are keeping their
N fingers crossed, since much
4 can happen between now and
the first week of August, but the best
minds Of our track coaching profession
figure the United States will capture
a majority of the Olympic champion
ship events at Berlin.
To be exact, they expect Uncle
Sans lads to take IL out Of % first
places in the track and field COMPETE
ton.
The consensus is that we will sweep
the hurdles. the relays and the foot
racing events from 100 to 300 meters,
inclusive This is something America
has not done since the 1912 games at
Stockholm.
In the field events the coaches rate
Americans as "best bets" only in the
high jump, broad jump, pole vault and
shotput.
May Be Pessimistic.
THIS may lean toward the optimistic
side. On our home grounds at
Los Angeles, in 1882, we were unable
to capture three of the events listed
here. These were the 800 meters, won
by England's Tom Hampson; the 400
meter hurdles, captured by Ireland's
Bob Tisdall, and the high jump. won
by Canada's Duncan McNaughton.
However. the U. S. A. has turned out
world record breakers in all three Of
these specialties since the last Olym-
pics. Thus the coaches have excellent
reasons for picking Ben Eastman,
Glenn Hardin and Cornelius johnson
to recapture honors.
It Is noteworthy that they lean to
the conservative side in the 1900
meter run, the so-called metric mile"
They rate Glenn Cunningham our
"best bet," but do not concede our
nliddle-d distance cracks more than an
even chance against such runners as
Jack Lovelock, Stanley Wooderson or
Luigi Beccan, the defending cham
pion.
Concede Decatahlon, Discus.
THE coaches do not expect America
= to repeat either in the decathlon
or discus throw, won by Jim Bausch
and John Anderson for the home
forces in 1882. They figure a good
chance" however, for either Singer
Dunn or Ken Carpenter in the dis
Gus, as well as for our hammer
throwers.
The only coach figuring the United
States to have any chance in the
distance races is "Dink" Templeton
Of Stanford, who picks Norman Bright
to "go to town" in the 5000 meters
and succeed where Oregon's Ralph
Hill failed by a close margin in 1882.
Brutus Hamilton. University of CAL
ifornia coach, cautions the U. S. A.
against overconfidence, figuring the
competition this year will be wide
open" Hamilton rates Finland's
Matti Jarvinen as the one "best bet"
to repeat in the javelin, but notes
that Stock of Germany beat the Fin
nish ace with a 240-foot throw last
Summer.
Britains, japanese Menace.
z c. Billy Hayes, Indiana coach,
10 considers England superior at
the middle distances, Japan a real
menace in the jumps, Finland the
favorite in most distance races and
Germany a threat for team honors.
Germany will show well-balanced
strength in practically every event,
with first place in the decathlon
likely" says Hayes. This balance
probably will enable the Germans
to win the games"
= Specialists from widely scattered
lands will cut into Americas track
and field scoring, Hayes believes. He
points out that even Russia Is threat,
with two exceptional prospects in the
pole vault
Based on the coaching consensus,
which also includes the views Of Dean
Cromwell of Southern California. Law
son Robertson of Pennsylvania, Bernie
Moore of Louisiana State and Larry
Snyder of Ohio State. here are the
Olympic best bets, together with other
outstanding prospects:
How They Size Up.
100 and 200 n1eters-United States
TO sweep with Ralph Metcalfe and
Jesse Owens doubling up. Yoshioka,
Japan, threat in 100.
400 meters-Eddie O'Brien, United
States, to win. with Shore of South
Africa and Roberts of England rated
strong.
800 meters-Ben Eastman, United
States, to win, with Stothard of Eng
land next best.
1900 meters-Jack Lovelock, New
Zealand. a slight choice over Glenn
Cunningham, United States, and Luigi
Beccan, italy.
5000 and 10000 meters-Finns to
dominate, with Lehtinen, Virtanen.
Salminen and Askola best prospects;
Norman Bright, only United States
hope, in 5000.
3,o00-meter steeplechase-Iso-Hollo,
Finland, to repeat, with Joe McCluskey,
United States, sure point-getter.
Marathon-Juan Carlos zabala,
Argentine, to repeat, with Japan fur
nishing outstanding challengers.
Hurdles-United States to sweep
fl0-meter highs, with AL Moreau,
Louisiana, our best bet, and Finlay of
England a contender; Glenn Hardin
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