Olympic Cavalcade

FOURTH OLYMPIC GAMES IN LONDON, 1908 6) week, but much better during the second, and very hot on the last two days. On the opening day of competition at Shepherd's Bush there were heats in the 400 and I )oo metres runs, leaving the finals to be contested by American and United Kingdom athletes with J. Tait as the lone Canadian finalist at the longer distance. On the second day, I4 July, there was a veritable battle of strong, sturdy gian.ts in the Hammer Throw. John J. Flanagan, born at Kilbreedy, Kil– mallock, Ireland, in I873, had come into prominence as a prize winner at Emly in I89I. He migrated to America in I896, and became Olympic Hammer Throwing champiem at Paris in.I9oo, retaining his title at St. Louis in I904. He stood 5 ft. IO! in. and weighed well over I6 stone. He had not been expected to win in England, but M. J. McGrath, also an Irish-American (having been born at Nenagh, Ireland, in I876), had strained a knee ligament, which undoubtedly handicapped him. John won the contest at 170 ft. 4t in. from McGrath, I67 ft. II in., Con Walsh, Canada, 159ft. I! in., and Tom Nicolson, Scotland, I 57ft. 9! in. Flanagan and McGrath both were New York policemen, and Nicolson a farmer in the Kyles of Bute. G. Larner, at 33 years of age, had been walking only for about five years, but at the Games in 1908 this Brighton policeman won both the 3500 metres and also the IO miles walk. The second man in both cases was E. J. Webb, a 36-year-old athlete with a most varied career behind him. At I2 years of age he went to sea and later jojned the British cavalry. He was in the Retreat from Dundee to Ladysmith during the South African War. He took up race walking upon his return to England and after winning the English 7 miles championship was beaten only by Larner. He stood 5ft. 8! in. and weighed IO stone 8lb. The I 500 metres Final was a good thing for 'Peerless' Mel Sheppard, of the United States, who finished with one of his whirlwind rushes down the home stretch. None the less, he did not win without stern opposition from Wilson and Hallowes, U.K.; J. Tait, Canada; Fairbairn-Crawford and J. E. Deacon, both of U.K. Fairbairn-Crawford, who had his own ideas of what was fitting ·and, I believe, never accepted a prize, made the pace a hot one from the start, but E. V. Loney (U.K.) took over on the second bend and Was leading at the bell. It is appropriate to point out that Mel Sheppard won also the 8oo metres event. He was born in New Jersey, U.S.A., in I883, stood 5 ft. 8! in. and weighed IO stone 8 lb. He had already made a record in the 8oo metres trial of I min. 54 secs. At Shepherd's Bush, at 8oo :rpetres, he Was up against E. Lunghi, Italy; H. Braun, Germany; 0. Bodor, Hungary; and the great Englishmen, T. H. Just and Fairbairn-Crawford; the latter was obviously out on a pace-making errand from the start of the race. He Was still in front at the bell, when Sheppard came through with Lunghi and E