OLYMPIC GAMES

Hokitika Guardian, 12 May 1928, Page 4

OLYMPIC GAMES

ALA KING READY AT AAISTERDAAf THE HAGUE, A!arch 7. Holland has always been a sporting country, and it probably surprised no one when the Olympic Games Committee was invited and accepted the invitation to hold tliis year’s summer meetings at Amsterdam. The interest that is being taken in the Games by the Dutch people themselves is enormous and ranges from that of tile Prince Consort, who. in consequence of certain criticisms took the trouble to meet personally and individually a number of correspondents of the foreign Press and discuss the matter with them.

The laying out of the grounds has been one of the biggest tasks of its kind that Holland has undertaken. A suitable site, however, containing about 128 acres was acquired in a south-western suburb of Amsterdam between the main road from the Hague and that from Haarlem and with easy access from other big centres. Of tins about 40 acres have been laid out for (competitions- and tho remaining 88 acres lor training grounds, motor-car parks, repairing sheds .etc. Accommodation Ts being provided for about 4,030 private cars at one time. THE GRAND ST A BILAL Chief among the buildings which are being erected is the Grand Stadium, which is designed to hold 40,000 onlookers, 20.070 of whom will be provided with, seats, about half of which will ho covered.

The difficulties of erecting such a (building, 285 yards in length and 185 yards in width, can readily be recognised when it is stated that no fewer than 4.500 wooden piles of from 12 to 10 yards in length had to he driven into the ground before anything else could be done. I lit 1 surface of the ground was then raised 0 feet above the damp soil, which in its turn involved the nutting down of over a million cubic yards of sand. The open arena of the Stadium is being laid cut as a kind of throering circus for the different games. In the centre is the football ground, the inner ring around it being a cinder track '436 yanisl long and 9 yards wide, similar to that at Colombes. Outside this will be a cycling pathof tho same width and of a length ol 545 yards. Between the cycling path and the spectators will he a- deep ditch to catch stray umbrellas, hats, and other articles and to prevent them from falling on to the tracks, while the safety of the nuhlic will he provided for by a high iron palisade. In addition to tiie Grand Stadium

there will be a pool for the swimming competitions, a pavilion for fencing. am 1 , one for boxing, and other indoor sports, a cricket ground, and three centre lawn tennis courts with ten sm:i Her ones.

The rowing matches will take place on what is known as the Sloter Bingvaart, some little distance away from the iStadimn in tho direction of Haarlem. Here a course has been found .flint seems to (be almost all that could he desired, the one drawIbeing that it is not wide enough at the start to allow more than two boats to take part in each heat. .Against this can be set. however, the fact that for a mile and a quarter the course runs in a bee line, with still, clear water of a, considerable depth. One great advantage, the committee point out. is that the rowing iri pairs ratber in groups ensures more certainty in details ol the decisions. Yacht, races will take place on the Zuyder Zee. another almost ideal place in the summer.