ATHLETICS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1551, 21 September 1912, Page 12

ATHLETICS.

[Br "Mebooet."] ENGLAND GO DOWN IN 19167 Every Dog Still Barking Over Stockholm. Matters in the athletic world, ae far as actual track and field achievements are concerned, are very quiet just now. Most of the sporting journals are devoting all their space to the aftennathi of the Olympic Games, and some of the personal notes published of the men engnged at the big meeting make very interesting reading. ■ Reference has nlready ?<een maje in this column to the extraordinary popularity which accompanied the Eucuesses of the Knni6h athletes. A measure of this feeling would appear to havo .irijen from the strange political happenings that followed upon the prominence given to Finland by her representation at the Games.

Serious Little Finland-Nation Without a Flag. This, to us, extraoriinnry aepo-t of a purely athletic gathering is feelingly commented upon in a recent issue cf "Collier's Wotkly." This journal's special correspondent writes: "Serious little Finland, nation without a flog. To thie subject people of two millions, ice-bound and oppressed eouls belong the real hunours : of the fifth Olympiad. "Before the we*k was ovtr ehe suffered deep humiliation. Russia, stung, perhaps, by the applauuo of that first day, must have moved through diplomatic channels. We saw the bannor of the. Finnish Gymnasium Club no more. Finland's furthor victories were proclaimed by a Russian flag, with an added blue pennant labelled 'Finland,' and the Swedish crowd put great meaning in its <ipplause. "Diplomacy must have moved afain, for when, next day, the flags announced results in the discus-throwing, even the blue pennant had disappeared, ami tho naked flag pf Russia went up the staff to proclaim a Finnish victcry. "Finland was the crippled sifter at Stockholm,, the. pathetic relief in this great drama." ' Tien, again, the measure of popularity was added to by tho public's knowledge of the strenuous efforts put forth by the Finns to secure representation nt oil. What difficulties were overcome by the eelf-denial and enthusiasm of this etrange little people to secure this end is woll< evidenced by tho following extract from the 6amp article:— Athtotics in Finland Belong to the Labouring Man and the Farmer. "Athletics in Finland belong to the people) the universities ignore them; the gentry despise them. Nikander, the javelin champion, is a carpenter; their winning wrestlers follow humble occupations. To send this team 'to Stockholm they needed four thousand dollars. It was raised, penny on penny, from farmers and labouring mon. Finns transplanted to. Stockholm gave them lodging—the Kolehinainen brothers, for example, wero guests of a blacksmith. This family comes from a email unpronpuncable town on tho borders of the Arctio circle. Heroes from Poor Finnish Homes, "There are three runners among them— the oldest, Tatu, the Marathon entrant, the 6ocond, William, a professional runner, and the third, the immortal Hannes. Another is growing up, and when he reaches twenty, thoy proposo to train him for the next games. "Sons of a former carpenter and mighty boy runners on skis before they attained their growth, thoy learnt almost by accident that they could run in spikes. "When their fame grew too great for their native village, they would sit up all night in third-class coaches en route to the meetings at Helingfors—and their mother -would put them up enough cold lunch for three days' rations. "Hannes is a bricklayer. Less by conviction than by habit of early poverty, ho eats no meat. Ho trains on long runs to and from his work, and, on a severe system of massage. But that is another "Tear down the walls for Hannes Holelimaineu, triple Olympic victor and world s record holder. This brickmaker is all man."

Go to My Masters-Go to Finland I [And we still read that England's reverses were inflicted by pampered scmiprofessiouals, taken from their work and dally worries, and trained and prepared for their tasks like any petted racehorse by dint of the expenditure, of thousands of pounds. Go to, my masters, go to— Finland.—"Mercury."] And-by Contrast-tho Shocking State of England. So much for an American paper on Finland; liojv for an English paper oil tngIn'an article headed "Athletic Regeneration," London "Truth" says:— _ "The defeat of tho Englishmen m.athletics at tho Olympio dames seems w have come as a surprise to many good folk. Sir A. Conan Doyle comes out with a scheme of organisation and preparation. It is not worthy of Sherlock Holmes, there is nothing neiv in it. For the last four years on and off I have been urging organisation on the same lines. . • • Early autumn 'The Sportsman offered to organise the work and defray .the costs of a trainer-in-chiof. The A.A.A. hold everything up, rejected the scheme, and set to work loss than six months beforehand. Sir A. Conan Doylu asks for someone, with money to come to our aid. Is this likely after the encouragement. 'Tho Sportsman' received? "Then at Highgato School Mr. R. .C. Lehmann has been giving, tho boys a spirited address on amateurism and protesting against the professional slavery, involved in winning events. This is, oi course, with reference to the'to-called American methods of training. I entirely agree witlij him in hia disliko of these orgies of sport. 1 am certain thay do more, harm than, good. "But ho and many others who do not follow athletics in detail aro losing their heads over American methods. I hnvo not the full results of the Olympic Gunies be,fore me, but I am well within tho mart in saying that if tho Americans had been nhscut we sould hnvo found the Continental and Colonial athletes too good for ijs. Tim Hull Metros with Applcgarth and tho Hurdles with Andei-ion nro tho only events we could havo won. A Swedish boy cleared over 23ft. in the T/ong ,himp- Braun, the German, is too good for our men at Hie Half and quarter. In tho other jumps ami field events our inferiority to tho Continental athlete is marked. "When I see tho Swede.? and other nations coming to the fora 1 confess lo look for other causes than professional slavery. I find one salient feature isod physical drill conducted on scientific lines. By these methods N boys and girls nro prepared to take part in athletics, in football, in swimming, and in rowing. In , our public schools, in our council echooU,

I advocate that system. Tho boy 6couts, too, can be taught to run and jump properly. The organisation has to begin at the bottom rung of tho laddor.

"As for training and slavery, I ask no more from our men that university, college, or metropolitan oarsmen givo 'to their universities, colleges, and clubs every year, I ask from the athlete no greater measure of self-denial and no loss willingness to be taught." Every Sports Writer Is Weeping Over It. Tho same attitude is being taken ■up by more and more- of the sporting writers throughout tho United Kingdom, nnd it is well that it should be so. it is not with any desire to befoul their own nest that Hies* journal iefcj »r<, dipping their pons m vitriol and assailing tho futility and incompetence of things athletic in England—it is with a keen aud earnest desire to quicken tho sluggish spirit of those in chnrgc of affairs, to make those responsible realise that "old times huvo changed, old manners gone," that England must either get out of tho athletic rut or flet further In, and pull the rut in after .her. It is either get on or got out. Must England be Lowered Before a German Crowd in 1916? Those writers realise the special significance of tho next Games. They see, quite apart from the loss of athletic prestige, what a national blow it would bo for England to bo humiliated at tho next Olympiad as she.has been, in tho past. And why? Because the next Games are to 'be in Berlin. Tho humiliation of England before an English crowij in London in 1908, and beforo a Swedish crowd in 1912, was sad enough, but what of the humiliation of England beforo a German crowd in 1916? That would bo too much. This national aspect of the Olympic Games is apparent now to these journalists, and they arc endeavouring to make those who should have scon it long since see that England has come to the parting of the ways. She must either fall into line with tho other players or leave tho game. And would not the humiliation of "quitting" now that she is underneath be as deep as that of defeat? It is to be hoped that it wili not bo left to the Olympiad of 1916 at Berlin to furnish cu answer to that question. Turning to Pleasanter Things. During the week W. 0. Woodger, out ex-champion sprinter, has been in town. He states that he has aot lost his old keenness for the track, land did the exigencies of his business allow—he is at present here, there, and everywhere relieving sundry station-masters—he would gladly treat himself to another season's running. Should a change of duty happen along and permit of his settling down and undergoing a proper preparation he would bo very well pleased, and he is all the keener liecause of the projected visit to tho Dominion of the team of American athletes next season. American visit or not the public would be very pleased to see Woodger in action again, but should the vjsit materialise what an added interest nis inclusion among tho Dominions reprctentatives would give. There is a lot of running in the ex-champion yet-let us hope that ht gets his chance of displaying it.