Olympic Cavalcade

116 OLYMPIC CAVALCADE He won the event at 23ft. ;! in. from C. Johnson, U.S.A., and his fellow countryman, E. Abrahamsson, who also exceeded 23 ft. The rest of the placings went to America and Scandinavia. The event was a further dis– appointment to the Americans because they had counted upon their Negro sprinter-long jumper, Sol Bulter, not only to win the event but to break World's record, but he pulled a tendon on his initial trial which necessitated his retirement. The fourth Final of the day was one in a type of athletics in which Great Britain has always, but U.S.A. very rarely, taken much interest. This was the Final of the IO,ooo metres Walk, which is 6 miles 376·23 yards. The event was notable for the ebullient enthusiasm and verve of the Continental competitors, particularly the Italians, Ugo Frigerio and D. Pavesi, and the stolid, enduring dignity with which· the enthusiasts from America and the British Empire tackled their task. Frigerio, Italy, won from J. B. Pearman, U.S.A., C. E. H. Gunn, Great Britain, C. C. MacMaster, South Africa, W. Hehir, Great Britain, and T. A. Moroney, U.S.A., in 48 mins. 6·2 secs., a time somewhat outside the World's record of 45 mins. 26·4 secs. made by G. Rasmussen, Denmark, on 18 August, 1918, and somewhat slower than the Olympic record of 46 mins. 28·4 secs. set up by G. H. Goulding, Canada, at Stockholm in 1912. The fifth day of the Games was a bit brighter for the United States with the result of Throwing the 16-lb. Hammer, and noteworthy, moreover, for the upsurge of the Sc;;andinavians and an inimitable gesture of goodwill towards Great Britain upon the part of the United States. The States already had the world's record holder in the Irish-American, Pat Ryan, who had got within ;! in. of 190 ft. in 1913. They had also Matt McGrath, who had made an Olympic record a few inches short of 18oft. at Stockholm in 1912. Sweden had outstanding propositions in C. Lindh, M. Svensson and N. Linde, all of whom had been throwing dose up to the 16oft. distance. Great Britain, if I remember aright, had but one representative, that grand veteran Tom Nicholson, the Scottish farmer from the Kyles of Bute, who had made a Scottish record of 166ft. 9! in. when representing Scotland against the Irish-American A.C. on 18 August, 1908, and been placed 4th in the Olympic Games of London, 1908, when he did not do himself full justice with a throw of 157ft. 9t in. on account of the slippery nature of the ground. Nicholson, by some misfortune, missed the boat which should have brought him to Antwerp in time to take part in the preliminaries, held at 10.45 a.m. on Wednesday, 18 August, 1920. ·However, the competitors all knew and liked old Tom. The Americans urged that he should be allowed to take part in the Final, and neither the Swedes nor the presiding officials made any objection. Pat Ryan, throwing 173 ft. 5! in. for vict?ry over Lindh, Sweden, who failed to reach 160 ft. Nichols-on, throwmg