13 AUGUST 1932, Page 3

Olympic Games The athletic programme of the Olympic Games was

concluded last Sunday, although a few other events were still to be decided. The times in all the races have been faster than ever before ; for this the climatic and atmo- spheric conditions of Los Angeles must be held partly responsible. The small British contingent only suc- ceeded in winning two events, the 800 metres and the 50,000 metres walk (though Tisdall, late of Cambridge, won the 400 metres hurdles for Ireland), but we were second in four events, including the 1,500 metres and the Marathon, and, apart from a possibly unlucky failure in the 400 metres, did as well as we expected. The United States were easily first on aggregate. It is with no wish to grudge them their triumph that we point out that their view of amateur athletics is rather different from ours. For example, neither of the negroes, who won for them the first and second places in the 100 metres, ran in the 400 metres relay race a few days later, since it was thought that they might still be suffering from nervous fatigue. Again it appeared almost incredi- ble to the Americans that the British Captain, Lord Burghley (who won golden opinions on all sides), should be able to combine Olympic running with the possession of a title and with membership of the House of Commons 1 In view of their overwhelming keenness to win, and of regrettable incidents at previous Olympiads, it was particularly pleasing that a dispute over an alleged foul on an American runner in the 5,000 metres, ended in a decision not to protest on the part not only of Hill, the runner, but also of the U.S.A. Athletic Union.

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