Evening star., 1948-08-14
Ibasketers, Horsemen
win; .Yank Gymnasts,
Boxers Prove F|ops
By the Associotsd Press

| BY the Assoeiotsd Press
| OLYMPIC STADIUM, Wembley,
England, Aug. 1.-THE Olympic
Games close today in solemn glory
with the United States clearly es-
tablished as athletic champion Of
most of the world.
1t might have taken in the rest
Of the globe, but Russia did not
choose to compete and Japan and
Germany were not invited.
AS it was America won 80 first
place individual or team medals
against II for second-place Sweden,
with the equestrian Prix de Nations
yet to be run OF.
Other championship winners were
Hungary, 10: France, 8; Italy, 8:
Turkey, g. Holland, S; Czechoslo-
vakia, 6: Finland, 4: Denmark, 4;
Britain, 8; Argentina, 3; South Al
RIGA, 2; Australia, 2: Belgium, 2;
Egypt, 2. and Peru, Jamaica, Aus
tria, Norway and India, each.
Spectators Exceed 1,500,0
Nearly 5000 athletes from So ma
tions drew more than / 500 900 spec
tators despite hlistering heat OPEN
| ing day, July 20, and the following
day, and rain and cold thereafter.
Crowds of 10000 sat bravely
through a steady drizzle day after
day to cheer with monotonous sue
cession non-British track victories.
Finally the United States 400
meter relay team was disqualified
because officials mistook the baton
passing zone marker and Britain
was given the victory. British de-
light Of two days turned to sadness,
however, when the official film gave
the verdict back to America.
This was the only off-base Incl
dent of the otherwise almost serene
games, except for bitter arguments
in boxing.
To close the games of the 14th
OIympiad, athletes were to parade
again. but with ranks sadly de-
pleted. Many have started home,
and the big American swimming
and track teams are in Paris to
meet the French before starting on
a series of European tours.
Despite this the closing cere-
monies will have a sad splendour
Of their own. Flags massed as they
were for opening day before King
George. and International Olympic
President j. Sigfrid Edstrom, sturdy
old Swede who keeps himself
proudly erect with a cane, says:
We proclaim the closing of the
14th Olympiad and in accordance
with tradition we call upon the
youth of every country to assemble
in four years time at Helsinki, there
to celebrate with us the games of
the 18th Olympiad"
Then the Olympic flag is lowered
and the flame in the torch dies out.
Finished are the first games since
1886
Yankee Basketers Triumph.
Closing hours brought brilliant but
an entirely expected victory in
basket ball for the United States.
The Americans rolled over France,
65-21.
Five men from the Phillips Oilers
began for the U. S. and the Uni
versity of Kentucky five finished.
When 1t was over, balding Jesse
Renick of the Oilers was hoisted on
shoulders of his teammates and
carried off the floor.
Boxing ended on sad note for the
u. S. American, holding six of eight
world professional championships
and considered the very center of the
sport, made one of its poorest
Olympic showing by failing to win
single title.
Julis lorna. CZechoSlovakia, won
a split decision over Horace Herring,
24-year-old Negro Navy petty officer
from San Diego. Calf. only Ameri-
can to reach the finals. He is a
welterWeight.
Herring spent three rounds chas-
ing after lorna" said Jack Walsh
of Wisconsin, co-coach of the
American team. He didn't punch
as well as he could, but he certainly
won"
Il think we got a raw deal" said
Jimmy Lee, Cleveland, boxing team
manager.
Olympic boxing has been charac-
| terized by a series of arguments,
ousting of large blocs of officials
and protests from most of the teams.
1t has been the only sport on the
program subject to continuous pub
! lie dissension.
To Urge Change in Rules.
Lee, vice president of the Inter-
national Boxing Federation. said
I'm going to recommend there be
a change in rules to eliminate bad
decisions and disputes that occurred
in the 1943 games If this isn't
done, I will recommend it is not
worth the money to send another
United States Olympic boxing team
to HelSinki where our boys might
be given another raw deal"
Lee said four of the defeats of
eight United States boxers were
split decisions and in three cases
Americans lost after flooring their
opponents.
A surprisingly powerful United
States Army equestrian team using
both American mounts and crack
horses seized from the German
Army won the three-day event with
Sweden second and Mexico third.
American gymnasts, however,
failed to place in the first six
nations of the mems competition,
won by Finland.
To witness the closing ceremony,
great crowds converged again on
the converted dog race track at
Wembley.
Protocol calls for Edstrom first to
make the closing formal even as the