Evening star., 1952-07-15

goasthe staging the Oynpcs- extraor-
dnary enthusiasm unity, sacrifice and national pride.
It a runner named Hannes Kolehmanen who touched
of the Firms burning love for sports almost entirely confined
to winter games field Koehmanen the
country title He became-and remalns-a national hero,
remarkably active impsh little who modesty walks the
red carpet wherever he goes in his homeland.
WHILE THE F1Ns began to dream of holding the oympic
capital long ago
any money think building stadium
pools veedomes and There had been World
reparations paid every school child knows with
punctuay which might well have shamed other nations
They laid the cornerstone of their present stadium
markaby beautiful edce in 1886 and by 1899 they ready
having bid successfully for the But the winter war"
Cancelled the 1910 Oympc although the Soviets
careful carelesabout bombing the Helsink Stadium
which remained 4.la 1e48, when Olympcs were
resumed the ready and the bid to
London But barring the unforeseen little Finland
Is looking forward to the greatest modern OympcS of ALL
And it could be.
AS hosts Firms are prowess
competitors 1920 the little had become respected
its 1924 the fabulous Paavo Nurm had reached
peak Ritola Larva Loukola, Kokkinen
Others 1948 the warweary Firms up with gold
medal winner. male star, Tapo Rauavaara
winner of the aven throw at London distinction which
has escaped both Humphrey Bogart and Jimmy Cagne
FORGOTTEN IN the pre-Oympc hullabaloo has been
the of Baron de Coubertn Frenchman who noted with
disay that the youth of France had not distinguished itself
in the 1870 who determined
to do something about it, It is De Coubern who is the father
Of the modern Olympic Games of 80 in 1892 when
he proposed their revival and coldly received
persistent little man. De Coubertin He pleaded, argued
fought 1894 there International Olympic Com
mttee without funds but with determination to hold
first revival at Athens The Games finally held in 1896
with unsung Greek merchant named George Avero saving
the day. In the absence of stadium all of Greeces being
in state of glorious ruins Avero invested $S86OO for the
restoration the Herod Stadium the outskirts of Athens
and originally built about $50 BE-
De Coubertins France didn't fare WELL earning first
place and only second to finish in last place tie with
Germany and Hungary What surprised the sports world
however the performance of the United States squad
COMPARED WITH MODERN squads it pitifully
small group that embarked for Greece Four Princeton athletes
five from the Boston A. A. named James B.
Connolly who when refused permission from Harvard left
school two Army officers the Paine brothers of revolver
skilD swimmer The only national champion
Tom Burke quarter-miler.
England the early preGames favorite but when the
Athens tournament ended the American had
nine gold medals five sivers Couberin always
dsapproved of the practice of scoring by points but using the
European system of awarding points for first place and
for second the United States rolled % points to only
for Greece the runner-up.
The individual hero Robert S. Garrett of Princeton
who the hopu and the discus second in the broad
jump and tied for second in the high Jump It the begin
ming of the American reign the Oympcs