Evening star., 1948-08-10
Olympic Appeals Jury
Finds Film Supports
Yankees Protest
BY Ted Smits
Associated Press Sports Editor

Associated Press Sports Editor
LONDON, Aug. 10.-The United
States today was declared the
official winner of the Olympic 400
meter relay-giving the Americans
their 1lth title in track and field
after the Olympic Jury of Appeals
viewed moving pictures and photo
graphs of last Saturdays disputed
race
The official announcement said:
The jury of the international
Amateur Athletic Federation, hav-
ing seen the film and the photo
graphs of the 400-meter relay of
the Olympic Games, are satisfied
that an error was made and the
placing has been revised as follows:
Il. U. S. A.
80. Great Britain.
"3 Italy
Medal Question Unsettled.
The jury thus reversed the judges
decision, which disqualified the
American team after it finished
about 10 yards ahead Of the British
The Judges had said the baton
vas passed illegally en- the first
exchange between Barney EWell and
! Lorenzo Wright.
The Americans had lodged a
formal protest, maintaining that
everything was on the up and up,
and asked the jury of appeal to re-
view the evidence.
This evidence consisted of official
movies.
The British runners already had
received Olympic medals. They took
the Victors' stand in the official
ceremony in Wembley Stadium soon
after the judges ruling which
brought about the first major dis
pute of the 1948 Olympic Games.
What Will happen now to the
Olympic medals was not Immediate
ly known.
Mel Patton of Southern Cali
fornia was anchor man in the race
and Harrison billiard was the other
member of the United States quar-
| tet.
The decision gives the United
States its 18th championship in
mems track and field. The Ameri-
cans won both track and field and
swimming unofficial team titles by
overwhelming margins.
Exchange Within Rules.
Avery Brundage, president of the
United States Olympic Committee
and member of the jury of appeal,
said after the reversed announce
ment:
1T was quite clear we exchanged
the baton 2 or 3 yards inside the
marker.
The official had apparently
| Judged by the middle line and not
/ by the outside line just as the boys
had told me last Saturday.
~'It was quite plain although We
had 10 run the film through several
times in order to convince every
one"
There are three marks in the re-
! lay zone. One marks the exact
middle and the others are 10 meters
in either direction. The rule re-
quires the baton be exchanged
within the two outside lines.
Lord Burghley, chairman of the
Olympic Organizing Committee
and Jack Crump, manager of the
British Olympic team, both con-
graduated the Americans.
! I'VE are glad to put it right,
Lord Burghley said. There was
no doubt from viewing the films
that the baton was properly passed.
The baton was handed over COM
fortably one yard past the middle
stripe. There is no question the
second man had it securely before
he left the exchange zone. The
better team won
/ Decision Satisfies Britons.
I'VE have no quarrel at all with
the decision of the jury" another
British official said. although it
took away the only track and field
victory scored by the British. In
fact, our boys did not like winning
on a disqualification and would
+ nav w iildSI4 " SACi4SN " dNC DCoVSll
/ the United States of America on
merit instead of finishing some
yards behind"
I We feel sorry that Britain should
have lost her title" said Dan Ferris,
| secretary treasurer of the American
Amateur Athletic Union, but, on
/ the other hand. we are full of ad-
which they have shown themselves
| to be-
The whole affair has been con-
Quoted with the SAME high sports
manship that prevailed throughout
| the games and the acknowledge
ments from the British people will
leave lasting stamp on my
/ memory"
d