1958-02-15 — Page 5

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THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1950.

Page B

GIANTS OF SPORT

MILDRED

ZAHARIAS

by

John Cotterell

Bladblola

M

ILDRED "RABE" Didrikson Zaharias is the greatest woman athlete the world has ever seen. So great that even Sonja Henie, ten times world figure skating champion, and Fanny Blankers-Koen, the only woman to win four events at one Olympiad, pale by comparison.

She excelled at more than a dozen sports. She com- peted in 634 athletic events, winning 632. And she be came the greatest golfer of her time.

Sober Americana who saw her play tennis say she had a

drive fiercer Wills-Moddy,

Wimbledon

forearm Helen

# 12-

George Zaharias was tone wrestler, known as "The Weeping Greek from Cripple Creek" because of his tearful strications from punishing int holds. He was an ideal partner for the Babe, a man who lived for sport and who was proud of her sensational career.

Babe Didrikson Zahariaa was five times eleefed the Athlete of the Year and, in 1949, was

the voted

Greatest Female Century.

by a green golf bag full of shining Athlete of the Half than

steel clubs in a Dallas shop And suven

window. From that moment net sporting future was deelded.

tennis

times ebampion. And she was so strong a swimmer that she once considered making an assault on the English Channel.

Mildred was an all-American basketball player, She toured the United States lying billiards exhibitions. She wou boxing matches by knock-outs. She even won

murbis tournament.

Other

sports at which

she

excelled Included fencing. lacrosse, polo, riding, diving,

Although she had no know. ledge of golf. she bought the bug and tiled her luck on the course. Her first drive went 200 yards and she completed

irst round in 36.

her

She foting she enjoyed this game more than any other. As she remarked: I art nineteen records In track and fold. I took a fling at most sports. But when that golf bug bit me it was fatol."

31

yet he remained frilly polled woman with Hay personality, a great zest for life, and a fair for the un- conventional and unpredictable,

* Gay

Once, during a tournament 21 Philadelphia, she gathered a group of friends and her in a football-style buddle and re- moved her nylon slip on the "Too hot," she ex- fairway. plained to spretators who felt Lone too cold themselves.

1047

After playing in the British Amateur Open she gove an extraordinary display on the by-hole putting with her buck

hole and making explosive" drives by placing a match between the bail and the tee

bowling, rifle shooting, wrestling It was certainly fatal (n and baseball. She could throw a baseball almost 300 ft., and once other women golfers, She weat became the queen of pitched for St. Louis Cardinals to

work! gel and the biggest gainst Brooklyn.

money ca.ner in the gain to

nearly ♫ decade she Because of her skill at this For

nicknamed monopolised the top prizes. che game "Babe" after Babe Ruth, the American baseball "glant" of her day.

WHE

WILS

Mildred's always ambition to become the most outstanding, sportswoman of all time. She achieved this, and She became a legend in

more.

her own lifetime.

As a schoolgirl in Texas, the Babe Spud dolls and prains. She preferred 10 play

✰ Men

The Babe won more than 80 golf tournaments, including the Texas Open three times and the Western Open three times. She

took the American amateur Alle in 1946 and, in the follow- ing

weight-lifting Inglements made Championsalp.

Out frous.

of broomsticks

and

flat

the

She even played two balls af once, one placed on top of an- other in a bunker. She struck the bottom ball with a mashic and it went into the hole. The top ball spun into the air

and inniled in her pucket.

Mildred's antics and remarks yur. begame the frst sometimes earned her the nick-

Britich Artean to win the

name "Babe the Bighead". For Amateu

Open instance, there

time with Women's

was the she broke the world javelin- how Asked throwing record, To win the British title, she did it, she drawled casually: nighty Mildred boay Jacua. "I guess iny hand just allpped, She outrought, outhumped line Gordon in the final

or else I'd have thrown t brothers, Gullane, East Lothian, by 5 and further." and vutsun fur hurdled over hedges between 4. She belted out colossal man- her home and the local

War store. And basketball that an all-boys team bed to admit her to their side.

al

drug sized drives and putted like & Asked the secret of her long

so hot at demon. She reached one hole driving in golf, she said: "I just

of 530 yards with a drive and loosen my

✰ Bug

No. 4 Iron on a day when there ball have it."

was no "run" on the ball.

Immediately after this triumph, nhe turned pro- fessional and, eventually, won

It was in athletics, however, the American National

world fame,

Open Bul

girdle, and let the

* End

the Dabe had to

fight

that the Babe first achieved three times. In 1951, she went hard for success from begin-

Her phenomenal to

England ns leader of an ning to end. At the start, she verenlility was proved in 1032 American's women team who was one of seven children of a when, at the Amorlean national beat a team of men which in- poor Norwegian-bom ship's feld championships, she took no chided four Walker Cup inter- fewer than slx "firsts".

nationals.

Magnificent Mildred won the No other woman approached 300-yard sprint, the javelin, her game and, for want

the discus, the long jump and competillon, the Babe once tried

Uhe U.S.

man's gol

men

# to culor Ligh jump, and led for

the 50-yard

The sprint, championship. Tilaca in

objected. She was then 19 years old.

Later that year, the wonder Babe's strength was astonish-

Woman

carpenter. As a barefoot urchin she played games on waste- ground near the Didrikson shack in a little Texas hicktown.

more

At the end, she was fighting a dreaded enemy

than poverty. In 1953, doctors fold her she had cancer,

The Babe was as magnificent

DS she was in

the given news, she merely

The average terrible

of sport entered for ing for a woman; the was in adversity three events in the Olymple known to drive a golf ball more triumph. When

at Los Angeles. She than 400 yards, Games won two gold medals, a silver drive for à men is 300 yards shrugged and said: "Well, that's medol, and broke three world And yet she was very much a the way the ball bounces."

records.

She ran the 80 metres in 11.3 sec and threw the javelin 143 I 4 in. In the high jump she

woman-beautifully built, the und graceful. There was no out-- word suggestion of her immense

power.

achieved the highest leap with She was expert at dancing, mure than 5 ft. 5 in. But it was sewing and cooking. She disallowed because her delighted in pretty clothes and "Western Rali"--now universally cosmetles. used-was ruled to be a dive.

✰ Win

the

When they operated, repressible Babe joked with the surgeon. "It's going to be a tough round today," he told her. yeah," she replied. "But may- be we'll make a few pults,"

Mildred did make some pults even though her doctors sald she would never play folt She became known BS

again. And she did more than "America's one-man team".

that. Sho came back to win the She was outstanding at the pole

United States championship for The seerti of her Jump, sprints, hurdles, high and

unique the third time with a score of prowers was tre- long jump, putting the shot, and sporting

201 for 72 holes 13 stroires self-confidence

asead

of her nearest" fit and throwing the discus and javelin, mendous

She was never

her If the hud concentrated solely will-to-win.

young opponent. It was on athletles she would un- interested in being second.

greatest triumph. doubtedly have smashed many was victory or nothing for the

Dube.

For three years Bale more world record.

Zaharias fought a courageous Golf attracted her most be battle But, oddly enough, she said

against 1-health, and that track

that game it was tough for women. "The smart required the highest skull and she went four times to hospital

offered the grealest for which

practised challenge. And she

events

were

mri is the one

good husband,"

100

CRUSO

#

for operations and treatment,

Finally, in 1936, at tie age of "the "till there was tape all over my 42, sho died in a Texas hospital tund and blood all over the beaten by 4hé dno opponent she tape,"

who runs only one thing-to catch her self quipped.

could not defent. The fact was, this Amazonian from Taxas could excui at any She gave all her time -and Many thousands mourned the sport she cared to take up. And energy in the same. And in passing of Mildred "Baba" when, at last, she devoted her return the game gave her faine, Zaharian. In a special. tribute, opid: attention

in fortune and a tabpod-George President one game particulur, she outshonë every Zpharias, whom she met at a "She was a great woman. She

tournament cther player in the world.

when... he was won the admiration of people

for In 1931,

on her way to a 'drown as her partner, in the all over the world party, the Babur was attracted mixed touFICIRKUNG..

to

Eisguhower

#portsmanship.//

agnes

"I would be a happy man if Tossa and Dominic, Belinda Loo, and Diana Dors would amigrate to the Pole wearing their best publicity briefs."" This extract from a reader's letter published last week caused mixed opinions among husbands and wives in residence at the Polo.

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