Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-01-29
Russia Takes
Wide Lead in
Winter Games
Soviet Speed Skoter
Sets World Record;
U. 5. Wins at Hocke
CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy

/ CORTINA D'AMPEZzo. Italy
Jan. % R.-RusSia's speed
skaters and women skiers shot
the Soviet Union into a com.
manding lead for unofficial team
honors today in the Seventh
Winter Olympic Games. Amer
lea had nothing to cheer but 4
second-round hockey victory.
| Led by Johnny Mayasich of
Eveleth. MINI. who scored two
goals. the United States ice
hockey team took a 40 triumch
over Poland and virtually quail.
fled for the championship bracket
of the Olympic tournament. The
Yanks were upset by Czechoslo-
vakia in their opening match
yesterday, AS.
| But when the gold medals
were handed out for the three
latest championships, including
the two-man bobsled event DOM
mated by the reckless Italians,
the United States colors were
back in line.
Eugenij Grishin, q 24-year-old
Russian engraver who goes like
the wind on ice. led a l-2-4 So
Wet finish in the 5O0-meter speed
skating sprint with the world
record time of 40.2 seconds.
A petite Russian blond. Lju-
bowl Kozyreva. won the 10-kilo-
meter cross-country ski race for
women, covering the 6-mile, 376-
yard course In 80 minutes II sec
onds as two teammates trailed
at second and fourth.
italian BObsledder Wins
Lamberto Dalla Costa, a lean
Italian jet pilot. streaked down
Cortina's twisting bobsled run
with two more spectacular clock
Iings to win the two-man cham
pionship with total time of
S minutes 30.14 seconds for four
heats. He was followed by his
140-pound teammate. Eugenio
MONT, with 5:31.45.
Americas bobsled hope.
lWaightman (Budt Washbond OF
East Hartford. Conn. drove the
United States No. sled to fifth
place with a time total of 5:38.l6.
The veteran Art Tyler Of Roches-
ter, N. Y. was sixth in 5:40.8
after barely avoiding a serious
accident with a high swerve
which injured his brakeman.
Edgar Seymour.
On his fourth and final run,
Tyler almost lost control Of his
sled as it careened wildly on the
final turn. nearly throwing Sey-
mour onto the track. But the
sled righted itself and Seymour.
who had let his foot drag to try
to prevent the accident. was
carried to the hospital with torn
knee ligaments and an ankle
injury.
American Is Sixth
Bill Carow. a young firefighter|
from Madison. Wis. made the
United States best showing in
the 500-meter skating race.
which covers 5462s yards. fin-
fishing sixth in 41.8 seconds.
Ken Henry of Chicago. de-
Tending champion in the event,
came in with tie for 18th at
0:42.8. John Werket Of Mime
apolis tied for 18th with 0:424
and Don McDermott of Engle-I
wood Cliffs, N. j.. finished in a
tie for 26th with 0:43.2.
No American women COM
peted in the cross-country ski
race. Miss Kozyreva's main COM
petition came from another Rus
sian. Radjja Eroschina, second
with 1915; Sonia Edstrom of
Sweden. third at 1928, and
Alevtina Kolchina Of Russia.
34:46.
Russia 81 Points Ahead
The near sweep of the speed
skating and skiing tests boosted
Russia's team total to As points.
Finland and Italy followed with
Is points and then came Ger
many 10, Austria and Sweden
3 each. and the United States
and Switzerland. 61a each.
There Is no official team cham
'pion in the Olympics, but the
traditional scoring syste
awards 10 points for a cham
|pionship and gives 5-4-3-2-1 for
the next five places. in order.
After today's spectacular
showing, one Russian official
commented smugly:
I'VE are delighted but we ex-
|pected it because Of the caliber
of our athletes"
Herb Schwartz Of st. Paul