Olympic Cavalcade

OLYMPIC CAVALCADE knees before holy pictures as he prayed~ for victory, not for himself but for Greece, and that on the actual day before the test he fasted. There were twenty-five starters in that race, including unknownSpiridon Lou.es; a famous French distance runner, named Lemursiaux; Arthur Blake, U.S.A.; and E. H. Flack of the B-ritish.Empire, neither of whom had ever before tacklecl anytbing like the Marathon distance of 26 miles 385 yards. The Frenchman led the way through many a Greek village, but at eighteen miles the American, although half choked and blinded by dust raised by the hooves of the escort of Greek cavalry, was in the lead. Then Flack took over and was acttJally leading when the runners were almost in sight of the Stadium. Then news was taken to .the Stadium by Greek gallopers that Loues, Vasilakos and Belokas-all of them Greeks-were at the head of the field. Excitement r ose to fever pitch among "'the Greeks, who doubtless felt that their national honour was about to be vindicated. Prince Constantine and Prince George ofGreece hastened to the entrance to the Stadi~n_:1, and when the little figure of Loues appeared, dwarfed ,by their 6! ft. stature, they, ~rotting along on·either side of him, escorted him to the royal box, where their fath~r. and his distinguished guests were,wait– ing. Then they literally saved his life. A great concourse of spectators surged across the Stadium towards him. Women stripped off their jewellery and flm;g it at his feet. An Athenian barber and a little boot-black volun– teered to shave him and shine his shoeu ree of-charge in future, ·so long as ~. he should live,. and a Greek restaurateur presented :him with an order for 365 free m~als and a clothier offered himfc~;ee. servke in perpetuity.I-mention these matters to show the pitch _of enthusiasm to _:whic~ the. re-yival of the Olympic Games roused the Greek world. J<inally the Greek princes bore Loues away .to his dressing-room in ~~ -s·afety ana the sanctity of their arms. It was after the battle in which King George I led his troops in a victorious war against the Turks that ne was shot in ·the: back from two paces by a half-witted assassin as he walked through the streets of Salonika. It is interesting to note that there were, in . all, 260 competitors and officials at those first Games of the Modern Series, all of whom were entertained at a royal breakfast by King George I, at the conclusion of the Games. - Athletics: Men: 100 Metres 400 Metres 8oo Metres 1500 Metres Marathon - -' > WINNERS AT THE 01.YMPIC GAMES, ATHENS, I 896. T. E, Burke (U.S.A.) 12·os. T.~E. .Burke (U.S.A.) 54·4 s. E. B. Hack- (G.B.) 2 rri. II s. E. H. Flack EG.-B.) 4 m. 33"2 s. S.1oues (Greece) 2 h: 55 m. 20 ~.