1960-08-30 — Page 9

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The true spirit of the Olympic Games still prevails today

By JOHN COTTRELL

Cynics may sneer at sham-amateurism in many sports. They may decry the idea that the Olympic Games promote international good will,

Yet believe that the true spirit of the Games prevails today almost as much as it did half a century ago when the founder, Baron Pierre de Coubertin, first stated that: "The important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning but taking part.

Of course, there are State alded athletes in the Communia University- countries und

the athletes in sponsored United States. Of course, every Olymple competitor dreams of winning that coveted gold medal,

Sacrifice

But, ret and foremost, it is The dream of taking part in the Games which is the spur Fur this end, the majority of the 7,000 competitors in Rome have sacrificed their leisure hours for months, often years, to dedicate themselves to intense training Some have even turned down ternating uffer from the pro- fessional world in the hope of taking the road to Rome,

Above all the spirit of the Olymplex is exemplified by those who have miraculously conquered physical disabilities to achieve the high standards demanded at the Games. Ray Ewry, the American standing Jumper who won the

CHESS

by LEONARD BARDEN

Here is an ending from actual play: White to move and win.

record number of elidit Olympic ful running style that one would gold medals, was no weak us a never suspect that he had once child, that the doctors doubted, been wrippled by polio.

the fabulous Even

Herb whether he would live And there are plenty of ex-Invalids Elliott, strongest or middle dis- te be found among the superb tance runners, was thought to be crippled for life whon a pinno alldeles now in Rome,

erished his foot.

The American Hal Connolly,' world champlon ham mèr- thrower, defends the Olymple title he won in Melbourne. He has a withered left arm which has been broken five times and which is more than four inches shorter than his right orın.

THE CHINA MAIL, TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 1960.

Is she the greatest woman athlete?

By ARCHIE QUICK

Stella Walsh, "Babe” Didrikson or Fanny Blankers. Koen. Who was the greatest woman athlete over to take part in the Olympic Games? The Pole, the American or the Dutchwoman?

Now the haustrau of a suc- cessful Rotterdam business man and the mother of three child- ren. Mra Blankers-Koon set

ber the seal upon

greatness

Bob Mathias thinks Formosa's C.K. Yang can win the Olympic decathlon

By. OSCRA FRALEY

Rome, Aug. 29. Five years ago when two-time Olympic decathlon champion Bob Mathias was on a U.S. State Department tour he gave a clinic for some two doxen wide-eyed young mon on the island of Formosa.

She was ahead for three fences, and then Fanny, on the inside lane and with a wildly excited B0,000 crowd ila seot ste gradually overhauled the L01- whey she won four gold medals dones and won by perhaps six They were a silent, earnest lot, and they listened attentively as

inches. They were both given the same Ume of 11.2 seeS-A new Olympic record, and the same time as the world figures. Tragic

BL the Wembley Olymple Games of 1948.

She set up a new Olyinple reed for the 100 metres, then won the newly-instituted 200 metres from a world field by quite seven yards, equalled the world record in taking the 80 metres hurdles and then Wix the sole factor in the Dulch the [our relay team winning times 100 metres race,

And I have little doubt that If she had been allowed to enter the high jump and long jump for which at that me slie was the world rear holder she would have won them jog--for six gold medals;

Unnoticed

ดร

In the subsequent relay inCE, Mrs Blankers-Keen, with three

Mathias gave them tips on the various track and field events which compose the decathlon and ther demonstrated his

prowess-until it came to the high jump.

Mathias leaped over the bar at "golda" alrendy In her poss-six feet. So dild one of the sion, brought the Dutch tean young men altending the clinic. from fourth to first place as she | Muthius cleared it at six feet Tan

tive Jast stage—n truly one. So did his observer. Kangy magnificent performance for a Bob hitched up his pants and mother of thirty years of age. cleared six feet twa, the highest

he ever jumped in his career.

in 1050 and 1931 she added two more world recards to her long list of successes in the 220 yards and, of all things, the five-event Pentathien

Pop-eyed

The young man sailed over it easily and went right on sull- Ing over it as Mathina watched from the sidelines until he clear-j ; . Then, although another loured six feet six inches.

years older, she was chosen for the Helsinki Olymples. gol through two rounds of the 100 to retire metres and then had

blood Infection. Sul with Ill she would not let her 80 metres hurdles tille go by de- fault, and actually equalled her 11. aces Wembley time! Âus- tralia's Shirley Strickland, how- ever, did 11 secs, but Fanny woR her semi-Anai.

Now It was Malhiss who was pop-eyed,

*Gert Rumamber, tou, that Potgieter, South African holder of the world quarter-mile hurdles records, broke his neck in a rugby match three years

The first we had seen of her prior to

his record-breaking-in fact, she passed practically

unnoticed-was

at the 1930 performance. But he came back

Gameg to smash the world record and

In Berlin when win the Empire Htle.

Miss Fanny Koen she tied for Polio victim

sixth place in the high Jump at Tragically, Potgieter

inct with Ave fect one Dectors despaired of saving | severtly injured in a car crash

Australian and un the Ite of New Zealander on the eve of the current Olym- American Murray Halberg following a

acquainted That was the event almost won pies. "But no one

Miss Dorothy ruby injury ten years ago.wil this lion-hearted Springbok Later they told his parents he detective believes that he will Odams, now Mrs Tyler,

She took two hurdles, and then Today, as Mathias walked would survive but that he would accept this as final defeat,

Twelve years went by, and a Who

whother such War with it. Mis Koen spent pale and disconsolate, she stop-through the Olymple Village, he be a semi-invalid for the rest of his life.

Today, courageous Halberg is the Emplie three-mile cham- plon and he has battled his way to Rome despite a withered left are and shoulder,

At the age of five Peter Rad- ford was struck down with a kidneys which disease of the can kill or cripple a person fer 1}le, For two years

he was confined to a wheelchair and wi- able to walk

Now Radford is in Rome-s England's fastest-ever sprinter, Jon Konradu, on a Latvian stricken with refuger, was polio. He went on to hold six wimming world free-style records at the same time and now he is Australia's grantest gold medal hope at the Olym-

pics.

Even Elliott

As boy. Norman Read was an invalid with a curvature of the spine. He could not gain n place in Britain's Olymple team four years ago, but that did not stop him competing in the Grimes. He went to New Zealand, represented that country at Mel- Olympic Hi, 2 Q-83, K-BI; 3 Kt-bourne-and won the Q6 mate. If 1 K-Bd: 2 ¦ 50,000 metres walk. KI-Q6. K-B3; 3 Q-B3 mate,

Solution No. 5879: 1 Kt- K5, KXK 2 Q-94, and $ QK16 mate.

K....

'London Express Surview.

Mal Spence, South Africa's 400 metres hope, has such a beauti-

cares

wae

by

our

own

un

The Final was an anti-clanax.

"Holy smokes," he told the young man, "you can jump. If you tried some of the other events you'd make a terrifie decathlon man."

That was Ave years ago.

IN

"But don't spend !! yet," Mathias warned. “If Johnson has one had event and if Kuznetsov Isn't, in the great- est shape of his Me, Yang with win this thing sure."

is known #fTec- Yang, who tionately lo his friends "C.K," look Mathlas' advice and turned up in the United States where he went to schoòi at UCLA,

has heavily- merled legs and

sort of sunken chested appearance but, Mathing worn, the 27-year-old Taiwan athlete has been work- ing with weights to improve the strength in bils upper body and with the proper breaks can win.

Protest on Olympic fencing rule

Several

Rome, Aug. 28, nations Protested

new

strongly ipday shout a ruling

claimed which they prevented thele top fencem from competing in the men's Irullvidunt fatt championship..

The Olympic Committee, at a special meeting held 24 hours A bit weak

before the championship started "He's a bit weak in the shot this morning, ruled that no and discus, admitted Mathias substitutes would be allowed. who won the Olympic decathlon They also said that where there championship as a 17-year-old were mate entries than the in the London Games of 1948 three competitors allowed from four years later cach nation, they would have to Helsinki, "But I he's ready be accepted in their and repeated

inter-

glante of amateur sport devole the time in occupied Holland.ped at the third fence and walk- said: "I will bet you 8,000 Jire for the 1,500 metres and high national licenco atimber order.

to training

and then burst upon. a gaping ed away! I was trigle, but it that this fellow wins the Olym too much time

of subsidy,athletic world by breaking the did not expunge the memory of ple decathlon. And you can have receive some kind

the rest of the field," her 1918 supremacy. These men of indomitable spirit nishing tape at Wembley on compete for the love of the sportro less than eleven occasions nol for financial gain, And for four Anais four semi-finals and

to qualify three heats, that is enough them as true amateurs,

SPORTRAIT

"They should be a good runner-personally redom- mended to me by Gordon

Pirte-

London preas, Servi04.

in

The 80 metres hurdles was

Тасса of the ent alla Those memorable 1948 Gamas North London at the great stadia. and Mrs Blanker- Koen's

rivat

Britain's winsome Maureenl Gardner, now the wife of the chle! ^^A Douch

Dyson

Maureen had

looked

com

right

out of form in the semi-drals when she just struggled into third place to qualify.

How different in the Final:

Four D. Jones (OKAY BY. MADDOCKS

WE MUST SPLIT IT UP

YOU GO THAT WAY

Sports Diary

TODAY Seccer

He wasn't talking about world record holder Rafer Johnson, the U.S. nor about formier world record holder Vassily Kuznetsov of Russia, who generally is con- sidered to be Johnson's main Combined threat in the gruelling 10-event man-killer which runs over two tinys.

South

Koreans Chinore at Caroline Hi11, .30 pm

Dowl Open Pals semi-finals matches at it and Recreio, 4 pea.

Iboration Shield: KGC v KCC. 3 pm.

TOMORROW

How

Colway Mixed matches at Recreio, KBGC, KCC, PRC, HKFC, JRC. FKCC. 6.29 pin.

ird Division league match;

HERC v Stanley Chit (Cavendish Helghia), 5 pro.

jumps up to his normal of six feet six inches or belter, he'll be This hit the Australian team tough to bent."

tore them any other, as they Johnson's world record, laxi entered six foilists, plarning apprayed yesterday is 8,683 to choose the top three on eur polnik. Yang's top mark is rent fort, the rule meant they

the 8.426 points—a deficit of 25 went into championships without their top swordsmen, Z., points.

Okaly and D. McKenzie,

a

he "But remember, when made that mark, Yang had bad leg and only high-jumped five feet, 10 inches," Mallilas

Later, Hungary and several other notions also protested, Committee and the Olympic which changed their minds, saying points are graduated steeply as they would permit countries to

"Henominate their best fencers. broken was too late for the men's in-

foll he dividual

championships, but which had already started, will apply in all other events.

He was pleking the fellow said of the event in who beal hire in the high-jump that day in Formosa a fel performances

well low named Chuan-kwiing Yang

Such a bet naturally was mapped up like a leaf of lettuce in a rabbit warren.

MEANWHILE THE CRAVON JONES IS REALLY} [OH YOU LIVING DOLL! LIVING IT UP...

increase.

have might Johnson's world record it had been right. And he just might do it right here in the Olymples."-UFI.

I MUST FIND 10 THAT IDIOT, OR I'M STUCK HOOPLESS

Reuter.

Sheaffer's

PEM

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SWISSAIR

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1960 OLYMPIC GAMES AT ROME

The presence of Omega timers at the Olympic Games and other newa-making sports events is dramatic proof of the confidence Omega precision commands throughout the world.

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NANCY

I'LL BET 17′

RAINS FOR OUR PICNIC

SUNDAY

DON'T BE SO GLOOMY

LET'S

HOPE

FOR

THE

BEST

BRICK BRADFORD

BRICK SENDS THE TOP BACK NTO THE TOLEARN THE FATES

HE TWO AIDES...

WHO DO YOU

THINK ARE

THE MOST

OPTIMISTIC,

MEN OR WOMEN?

SECONDS LATER

THERE'S ALLEN! HE MUSTIVE BEEN INSPECTING THAT. WEAK SPOT,

WOMEN

LOOK! HIS MAG- NETIC SHOES LET GO HIS LINE WAS FRES AND HE DIDN'T START HIS

·POWER PACKI

By Ernle Bushmiller

HE PRIFTED AWAY AT A RIGHT ANGLE TO THE PLATFORM

SECTION...

T

BEAUTY SALON

By Paul Norris

HIG POWER PACK WOULD NOT HAVE BROUGHT HIM SACK...LOOK WELLS WAS HIT BY THAT LOOSE PANEL IT SHATTERAP

∙HIS HELMAT!

Just the weather

for Rowntree's

JELLIES/

As alwaya

ILFORD

LEORD

TARY