PROGRAMME FOR OLYMPIAD

Chronicle (Levin), 15 April 1947, Page 6

PROGRAMME FOR OLYMPIAD

^ DOMINION MUST BEAR PART OI RESPONSIBILITY WELLINGTON, April 14. ' ' The Mother Country has taken on a treinendous task in organising the fourteeuth Olympiad in J;hese. diffieult days and the JDomiuions must do everything possible to assist make the games a sueeess, " said Mr. H. Amos, honorary secretary of the New Zealand Olympic aud Biitish Empire Games Association, wlien conihienting on the programme for the games whieh has now reached this eountry. "EngLind has alreudy intimated that it does not propose - to saerilice the ideals of the revivcr of the modem games (tlie late Baron de Coubertin) for any glamorous display but will eonduet the games in the true am'ateur spirit epitomised in the words of the oath taken by corupetitors at the opening: 'We swear that we will talce part in the Oympic Games in loyal competition, respecting the regulations whieh govern them and are desirous of participating in them in the true spirit .of sportsniansliip for the_ honuur of our eountry' and for the" glory of sport. ' " Mr. Amos said it was not generally knowii by the public that oue of the prineipai eompetitions is that of arts embraciiig literature, seulpture, painting and graphic art, architecture and musie. These popular eompetitions wero, it was believed, lirst instituted a-t A.msterdam in 1928. They were an iinportant featu-re of the 1932 and 1930 prugiammes. The musie committee, whieh was also responsible for trainiug the .1200 voiees and massed bands, will be under the ehairmanship of Bir Arnold Bax, Master of the King's Musie. Dr. Malcoim Sargent is a member of tlie committee together with mauy other leaders of English musie. Mr. x\mos said the athletic programme liad long been practically stanuardised but this time provision had been made for a L0,000-metre walldng laee on the track as well as a road event for wliich the distance would be either 25,000 of 50,000 metres. The marathon raee would continue t'o be ovcr a distance of 26 miles 385 yards • (at whieh it had been standardised sinee that distance was lixed at former games held in Lotidon in 1908), alliiough this was not the actual distance run by the courier Pheidippides who earried the news of victory against the Persians in 490 B.C. from Marathon to Athens. The latesc researehes sliowed that the courier fell dead after completing 22 miles. Tlie sports contuined in -tlie programme for the next games nuniberod i7 — athleties, basketball, boxing, canoeiug, eyeling, equestrian, fencing, footbali (soeeer), gynmasties, hockey, pentathlon, . rovving, shooting, swimming, weightliftiug, wrestling and yachting. x'here will be two elasses in yaehung. The usual monotype event was bemg supplanted by a one-design iceel boat for a crew of two, and a lircfly — a J2-foot diughy for a crew of oue. Tlie boats for botli events would be built in England and supplied to coinpefitors. There would be canoe raees for kayaks and Canadian canoes for single and two-seaters, the distanc.es bemg 1000 metres and 8000 metres. There wouJd also be a relay raee for single kayaks (four competitors eovering 500 metres cach). The shooting events ineluded 500 yards for fulluoite and 50 metres for .22 ,»eapons. 'ino styles of wrestling — GraeeoRomau ,aiul eateh as-eatch-ean — would Ue eompeled at varying weiglits. In the weight Tif ting a new elass had been iutroduced for bantams. Two or more ' demonstrations of national games would be given. A elioiee had not yet been made but the Australian and New Zealand Surf and Lifesaving xVssoeiations lioped lifesaving might be ineluded. Mr. Auios said oue of the many problems faeiiig. the orgauisinu commit-

tee, is makiug provision for the Olympic llaiue uhich is- lighted in the stadium on opening day and extinguished at the close. Tlie llame niust stay alight in ail weatliers aud niust be visible in davtiiiie. In order to light the tlame it was hoped to organise relays of ruiiners from Alount Olympus across Europe to Wemhley. The" tlame had to be kindled on Olympus by setting Tiro to logs by moana of the "sun 's ravs operating through a giant magni-. lying glass. 'ihe • British Government has aeeepted respousibility for aeeoiiiinodaliny I ihe competitors but. it had not yet been deeided wliothcr an Olympic village would be built as for the 1932 and 1936 games.