THE CHINA MAIL, NOVEMBER 2, 1938.
International Athletic
COMPLETE REVIEW
TOO MUCH KEENESS
MANY “POSSIBLES” FOR 1940
(By E. A., MONTAGUE) AFTER THE SECOND EUROPEAN ATHLETIC CHAM- PIONSHIPS AT PARIS THE TEMPTATION IS IRRESISTI- BLE TO MAKE UP AN ENTIRE- LY UNAUTHORISED SCORE- SHEET, AWARDING SIX POINTS FOR FIRST PLACE, FIVE FOR SECOND, AND SO ON DOWN TO SIXTH PLACE, AND SEE HOW THE VARIOUS NATIONS FARED.
Such a system of scoring gives the following results (counting all the running and walking events under the heading of "track"):-
Meet
A 12 hour non-stop_golf_match was played at Burnham Beeches on Sep, tember 20, between -J. - Knipe and K. Bousefield, two young assistant__pro- fessionals to Archie. Competon. Photo-- shows - Knipe (left) and Bousefield accept sandwiches and cocoa from a waiter. (Copyright, Fox). kuifan
TRACK
tion, judgment, and a beautiful style. Baumgarten, also of Holland, is a grand little quarter-miler, and perhaps the most promising of all is the 17- year-old Belgian sprinter Saelens, a glorious mover, with any amount of dash, who was most unlucky not to reach the 100 metres final, but finished fourth in the 200 metres.
1. Germany
2. Great Britain
'54
52
3. Sweden
4. Finland
43
37
5. Holand
27
6. Italy
25
7. France 8. Hungary 9. Belgium 10. Norway 11. Poland 12.
20
15
8
4
3
Switzerland
3
FIELD
1. Germany
49
2. Finland
3. Sweden
4. Italy
5.
Estonia
41
32
16
13
6. Poland
7. Hungary
8. Switzerland
9. France
10. Greece
11. Norway
12. Great Britain
fantastic-an
1/2
13.
Czecho-Slovakia
1
TOTAL
1. Germany
103
2. Finland
78
3. Sweden
4. Great Britain
5. Ita'y
4/1
6. Holland
27
7. France
8. Hungary
9. Estonia
10. Poland
11. Switzerland
12. Belgium
13. Norway'
14. Greece
15. Czecho-Slovakia
9
Empire Games at Sydney last Febru
were generous in their appreciation of The meeting was marred to some any good performance, even if it was 8 ary. None of those who competed in extent by indifferent starting, bad German. The French presa was
them, except possibly Webster, has judging, and timekeeping which at less generous.
7
6% since shown his true form. Whether times was really deplorable. Some of over expenditure of nervous energy the times returned for fifth and sixth
3
2 was the cause, or lack of training at men, particularly in the sprints, were
that important time in early spring almost
75 53%
instance
Was
in
the
to
по
TOO MUCH KEENNESS
Nevertheless, in spite of the good when the team was on its way home given on Monday of Sweeney's time in spirit which generally pervaded the from Australia, the fact remains that the 100 yards final, which was five meeting, one is not wholly satisfied that it is one in which we should con- Roberts, Handley, Alford, Duncan, and yards slower than his time many others, above all Ward, have all semi-final. The cause seemed be tinue to take part.
and partly done badly this summer Handley and partly lack of attention Alford were in our Paris team, and faulty method; several of the French both of them failed completely.
timekeepers started their watches in the attitude of men hauling on a rope With a sound and complete team we or releasing carrier pigeons. On the 261⁄2 should have been easily first among whole the British team profited from the nations at Paris in the running the bad judging; it seemed clear to events, and probably third in the total British spectators, for instance, that count. Similarly, if the Finns had run our sprint relay team was not third, up to form, they would have been much but fourth, and that Sweeney should closer to Germany. All this is not to
23
13
12
10
8
6
3
1
deny that Germany is to-day the never have qualified for his final. strongest athletic nation in Europe and well deserved to finish first, having
As in other “all-in” meetings of the kind, there is a tendency among some individual athletes to be much too keen. Twice we saw runners protesting hotly because they thought that opponents had interfered with them, National keenness is apt to lead to unfor- tunate disputes like that which arose over Bouman.
It is by no means easy to lay down a definition of what qualifies a màn to represent a given country, and the European commission of the Interna- On the other hand, our men were tional Amateur Athletic Federation is
GOOD ORGANISATION
Albania, Bulgaria, Denmark, Let-proved her quality a week earlier by tonia, Leichtenstein, Luxembourg, Ru- beating Sweden for the first time. Her thoroughly pleased with the organisa-to try to frame a new rule on the sub- mania and Yugo-Slavia did not score, runners have improved greatly in the
DID NOT LIKE FOOD
last two years, and her field events men remain, on the whole, the best in the world.
tables FRENCH GREATLY ENCOURAGED
Ject this week.. Some members would like to insist that every competitor should be born in Europe; this would, incidentally, rule out A. G. K. Brown, who was born in India, but is obviously and by almost lifelong residence an Englishman.
VARIOUS OPINIONS Opinions as to the right form for the new rule to take are various. One
With two exceptions these give a fair picture of the true relative strength of the various athletic na- Italy did well on the last day after tions. The two exceptions are Fin-a bad start, and maintained her right land and Great Britain. The Finns did to a place among Europe's big five. worse than anybody had expected on The Dutch did not score a single point the track. Everybody thought they in field events, but their runners were would gain 11 points each from the really good and in track events alone tion on the field so far as it affected school would let a man run only for four long-distance races. Instead they they could give any nation in Europe the athletes, and not much time, was the country whose passport he carries; gained only 10 from the 5,000 metres, a good match. The French have been lost except on the first day. The track another would make it a strict birth six from the 10,000, six from the main the athletic doldrums in the last few was fast in itself and extremely well qualification; a third would allow five rathon, and seven from the steeple years, but they surprised everybody cared for, and the display of fleld or ten years' residence to qualify. One chase a total of 29 points instead of and amazed and delighted themselves events was good. The French officials doubts whether any solution will be 44.
by doing quite well, and their success did their work conscientiously, and satisfactory. They said themselves that the food will do them good. They have some failed only through lack of skill in A further point is that the European in Paris did not suit them, and Leh- young athletes of the highest promise, judging and timekeeping. The organ-championships occur in the same years tinen was injured and unable to run in notably Loveque, the half-miler, who is isation off the field was not quite so as the Empire Games. They will next the 10,000 metres.
20, and Brisson and J. Andre, both of good, and the French Athletic Federa- take place in 1942, when the Empire EFFECT OF EMPIRE GAMES thom hurdlers, who are only 19. tion failed rather badly on the first Games will be taking place in Canada. The British team, such as it was, did Of individuals Brown, Finlay, Woo-day to provide the transport for the In-which of them are we to compete, admirably. It scored in all. but three derson, and Whitlock (Great Britain), British team which had been promised. since we cannot simultaneously com- oventa the 800 metres, 400 metros Harbig, Leichum, Hein, and Blask There was no ground whatever for the pete in both? The solution which hurdles, and pole vault-out of the 15 (Germany), and Jarvinen (Finland) suggestion made by one correspondent good many people would suggest is for which it entered, and there were towered over all the rest, but there that the British officials were respon- that we should not compete in either. some grand British performances, not-were some young athletes who will sible for the failure' in transport, and These multiple championship meetings ably those of Yarrow and Carstairs: certainly make their mark in the Olym. In any case it was rectified after the give rise to ambitions, disputes and But it was the skeleton of what it pic Games of 1940.
first day.
Jealousies, which are at best unpleasant, should have been, lacking Holmes, Ro-
1940 POSSIBLES
The general tone of the meeting was at worst dangerons." "Would it not be berta, Collyer, Pell, and Ward,
Leveque has already been mentioned, entirely pleasant, thanks largely to the better for us to stick to our ancient and another half-miler is Bouman, a strict impartiality of the French programme, or matches with single 22-year-old Dutchman with determina- officials and the French crowd, who countries?.
The whole of our 1988 athletic sea son has been overshadowed by the
D