Olympic Cavalcade

BERLIN, 1936 great Finns, Hoeckert, Lehtinen and Salminen, the Swede, Jonsson, and the Japanese, Murakosso. In point of fact only the Swede and the Jap troubled the Finns, and then about a lap from home the Finns began their sweep to victory. Suddenly there was an amazing mix-up and Salmirten fell to the ground. He was up in a second and chasing after the others,.and he did very well to finish 5th to Hoeckert, Lehtinen, Jonsson and Murakosso, all of whom beat the previous Olympic record of I4 mins. 3o secs. made by Lehtinen in 1932, which was equalled by Murakosso. Hoeckert's new record was 14 mins. 22·2 secs. The 400 metres Final was terrific. Godfrey Rampling had been eliminated in the semi-final, but it was thought that Godfrey Brown would ably replace him, for all the British nominations were former English champions and . record holders. Brown, in fact, was first away at the gun flash with the two U.S.A. Negroes hot on his heels. Williams caught him and led by a stride or more coming into the straight, but Lu Valle never quite got on terms. Down th~Jast stretch the field closed on the lead- runner and it looked as if Brown would make it, but Brown didn't. Williams won in 46·5 secs. from Brown by 1 ~th secs. with Lu Valle beating Roberts, Great Britain, so narrowly that both men were credit~d with 46·8 secs., and the Canadians finished sth and 6th. On Saturday, 8 August, the Decathlon was completed. It was again a clean sweep for U.S.A., with Germany, Holland and Switzerland taking 4th, 5th and 6th places. Tpere was no British representative even competing. When, one wonders, will British athletic authorities wake up to the fact that it has been for generations our most proud boast that the Britisher is good at all games, and encourage and allow some men to be entered for this greatest of all contests, for w'hich it seems likely that ev_en the A.A.A. Championship, instituted before the recent war, is now likely to lapse through lack of official initiative and encouragement. Hereunder are given the performances of Glenn Morris, th~ 1936 Decathlon Champion. Prior to the Celebration of the XIth Olympiad the scoring system was ·modified, but on the basis of actual performances reckoned under the old system, those of Morris would have eclipsed the World's record score put up by Bausch at Los Angeles by 870 points. Here is what Morris achieved: roo Metres, u:.r s. Long Jump, 22ft. IOf in. Shot, 46 ft. 3 in. High Jump, 6ft. of in. 400 Metres;-49·4 s. r ro Metres Hurdles, 14'9 s. Discus, 141ft. r! in. Pole Vault, II ft. s! in. Javelin, 178ft. roi in. r)oo Metres, 4 m. 33'2 s. In an Individual event that day Iso-Hollo, of Finland, was the only hol?er of an Olympic Gold Medal to successfu-lly defend his title~ when he agam won-the 3000 metres Steeplechase in the new Olympic record time of