The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1960-08-19
SPORTS of TIMES
1860 OIympics
Recall When
BY LOU FA6Ro
Times Sports Editor

m 8 BY LOO FA6KO
Times Sports Editor
Historical Rome will become the sports capital of
the world next week when 7,725 Superblyconditloned
athletes from 81 countries tout of a possible 98l gather
in the Eternal City, for the 1860 summer Olympic
Games.
More than 200, 900 spectators from all corners of
the earth will observe tn 18th modern Olympiad which
not only will be the largest ever held, but promises to
be the most spectacular and most memorable.
The arrival of the foreign visitors will recall the
glory DAYS of the Roman Empire when thousands
fIocked to the Circus MaximuS to view the thrllnng
chariot races or TANNED the Colosseum to watch other
sporting eventS-manyo OF which, unfortunately were
conducted for keeps.
MODERN HISTORY WILL BE RECALLED by the
magnificent 100, OO0-seat Stadio Olimpico which Will be
the center stage for the Olymplad. The spraWLng
structure, located between the slopes of Monte Mario
and the Tiber River, was begun by MussoIlnl Tor the
1914 Olympic Games which we're called because Oh
World War II.
Also to be recalled is the first modern Olympiad
which was held in Athens, Greece 81 years ago. Inc
difference between that event and next weeks IS
striking. For example, it took Baron Pierre de Cou-
BERTH. a French educator, two years just to interest
nine countries to participate in the first Olymplad.
Surprisingly enough, there was very little interest
in the United States. This is a far, lar cry from tne
overwhelming enthusiasm which prevails In the Uo'
today. AS an illustration, some $4,000 fans were on
hand in Palo Alto, Calf, just to see the tryouts TOR
the us. track team. Moreover, the tryouts were tele-
vised.
BUT BAG I'M 1895, there were no us. Olympic
tryouts. Indeed. the us almost didn't have a team.
Thanks to the Boston Athletic Association, however,
a makeshift team of volunteers was tormea. L hdu
Just 10 athletes! This compares with the 1861 team Oh
some 300 athletes-not including those VINO parucl'
pated in the winter games.
On the 1895 SQUAD we're: Princeton students Al
bert Tyler, Francis Lane, Herbert Jamlson ana hop'
ert Garrett; James Brendan Connolly, a Harvard fresh
man: and Tom Burke, Thomas Curtis, Enery clark,
Bill Hoyt and Arthur Blake, all presumably from Har-
ward. John Graham was the coach.
No one knows Who-if anyone-tlnanced the
trin BEST guess is that the Youngsters hitch-hiked a
ride on a tramp steamer which usually didn't maui
passengers. Anyway, they made it to Naples on April
/, some IL days after departing.
ON RRIvlNC They MADE the startling dlscoV-
erv that thew had only five days to make it to the
Games. and not II as they had thought. 1t seems me
Games were scheduled according to the ancient creek
calendar and not the modern US. calendar.
AS il that wasn't bad enough, the group coulo
find only one creaky boat ready to leave for Greece
and it had to make a stop on the way. But theIe was
no choice and they took the craft, arriving In Ureece
five days later.
Rushing to the stadium, the players arrived ex,
actlv one hour before the first event, which happened
to be the difficult hop, step and jump. .n
Entered in the first event was Connolly, an irlsh-
Catholic Bostcnian who, after denied a leaVe Oh dp-
sence, quit Harvard to enter the OlyInplcs. LAKE we
said. there wasn't much enthusiasm In the US)
CONNOLLY HOPED, STEPPED and jumped to
victory and into sports immortality. ny Wlnnlhs' 'me
red-haired Connolly earned the distinction - o~H,g te
first Olympic champion from the Unit~u IS. more,
over, he was the first Olympic champion In the Worlu
in more than Is centuries.
But even more remarkable, it was the first Tune
he had ever competed in the event!
AS a matter of fact, none of the US. team mem
bers had ever competed in field events since they
were all runners.
Thus, when Garrett entered the discus and shot,
put events, it was a new experience for nm; YET ne
won both events. Clark was entered IN the hlgn ana
broad Jump events, even as he protested ne WASH d
hummer Rnt he won both events. Hoyt, competing for
the first time in the pole vault, came through as olynl-
pic champion. nc
WHEN THE FIRST oLYMPics ENDED. the us;
had won nine of II events. The other WIN lncluu eo
the 10 meter hurdles by Curtis and the 100 and 4oo
meter dashes by Burke.
AS soon as news about the Olympic results reached
the United States, enthusiasm was whipped up by news
papers proclaiming the us. had won the olympio
Games.