Show I AMERICAN CHANCES GOOD IN LONDON OLYMPIC GAMES 3 Prospects Are Good That Yankee Athletes tl etes Will Perform Well in International Events NEW KEW YORK June 3 This This month series serks of Olympic the tho fifth m meet t in the games J will tako take place in London and among tho athletes who ho will Hi come from all dl quarters of tho globe lobe tho the Americans are expected to mako a showing nJ equal t to any and in the th opinion of enthusiastic Blastic supporters arc sure to carry oil off tho first honors in many of tho events These modern Olympic names games ames are arc supposed to h ho a a. revival nl of tho the ancient athletic contests of the Greeks In tho the number r of contests in the tho kind and in inthe inthe inthe the personnel of thc tho participants they ther differ dier largely lar el but tho the exhibition of clean sportsmanship p tuB the door die f spirit that the contestants display an antho and the tho honors to be bo beon won on arc are much tho the same amo mf as they were in the tho da days s of old The Olympic names gamo amos or r rather ther the tho Olympiad was the most famous of the four ur great treat national festivals of the tho Greeks and was celebrated once every four years in the 5 sanctuary of the Greek god od Zeus OID Owing to the fluctuations fluctuations fluctuations of the Grecian calendar the tho time of year varied ar cd from tho beginning of August to the middle of September It is is impossible to tell toll when whon games first bc began n as their origin is lost ost lostin osta in a antiquity According to le legend end Hercules an m unusually powerful but mythological ical gentleman an was as the tho instigator instigator in in in- of the first one and of course courso the first H worlds records were made at that time t No dates aro are available in rc regard ard t to these early Olympiads Olympiad but 1 it is said that interest in them died thed out until the tho time of King Kint of Eli and lr Lycurgus 8 in Sparta S He lIe established established es es- es a of God at a a. celebration celebration cele cele- bration of tho the games ames and restored them to honor honorAt At first the games consisted o of practically nothing but foot and occupied oc cc- only a sin single le day but later the number of ot contests increased until it tt became to devote fi five ve or six tx days s to the tho celebration No official records cords r say tho the authorities auth wore were prop prop- orly kept until the tho fifth century but thera thero arc unofficial records centuries before that date In 76 3 U. C. C a a. sprinter named bus won the tho 4 a foot race about ED English h feet in distance and for some Bome time timo this was tho the only event In B. B C. C a medium distance race rRee was instituted and in the tho following year ear eara a long long distance distance- run called tho the More j and more mOro contests wore oro introduced as the years went on all B. B C. C events In wrestling was w-as added to tho the list in aso four horse chariot racing racin in GGS boxing in horse racing and a contest known as the tho pan a combination of boxing and wrestling Boys Dos were ere ad to to tako take part in and from on the main interest was centered in in running wrestling and ani boxing although although al al- al though other sports S were constantly being be be- w ing added These contests open only to Greeks and each participant ha had to be befree free frea from any taint of impiety or blood guiltiness or any great breach of at the laws the tho first qualification being one ono which might bar some very cry excellent modern athletes Faithful training for forten forten forten ten months was required of every athlete ath ath- lete the last thirty days being spent on tho the ground to under tho observation of the tho officials Tho The judges or 4 varied va va- va ned ried in number from two to twelve but butten butten butten ten was the usua usual number When the tho Olympiad was opened the judges iud es bad had to by Zeus on n the first day that they would judge faul fairly and the men entered for the contest had to take a similar oath that they had trained faithfully Sacrifices to Zeus occupied th the entire first day daI of the H moot meet moet and the athletic events began the tho next day with the or short foot race the winner of this giving ivin his name to the Olympiad for that year That is to sa say sy if his name namo wore the meet me t would be known as the Olympiad As a rule the games ames were were held beld at Elis the capital of a small state of that name name a a. aery very ery ancient city tho the site of which is is now occupied by the modern town of It bad had the lar largest est gymnasium in Greece and on that account account ac ac- ac count was suitable a gymnasium corre corresponding cope to an athletic field Immense crowds gathered to view icv the games and the costumes of the athletes ath ath- Some Same invidious invidious in in- letes were donated by nature comment has been made on the present day scantiness of costume but the ancients wore only a loin loincloth loincloth cloth doth and in in the long distance runs I were stark naked I Finally in 34 A. A D. D the The The- P prohibited the the- games claiming that they were opposed to the teachings of Christianity The modern modem history of tho the Ol Olympic pic games bc begins ns in 1895 when the international athletic com corn was 86 or organized in iii Paris to revive re ro- ro I vive vic the tho ancient contests The first games ames were held at Athens in in In 1904 the Olympic games ames held in the stadium of tho the worlds world's orld 6 fair at St. St Louis and two years cars a ago o the tho regular regular reg reg- ular meet took place at Athens This month London will he be tho the Mecca J to which tho the contestants journey for a ameet ameet meet which it is thought ht by experts will eclipse nil all that have gone before This is because the tho En English claim and with truth that the they havo o never no sent Rent senta Renta a really representative set of athletes to any of tho the other previous games and this year the they thoy wilt will put forth their best efforts to wrest tho the championship from tho the Americans American This fact is realized bv by tho the American Ameri Amen I can athlete s and they thoy will go into the games with the knowledge o that they tho will be bo obliged cd to work harder than in in any of ot tho the previous pre four contests In Inthe Inthe Inthe the opinion of those who are aro qualified to speak the tho team from this country will bo be far and away the best yet ct seen and aud many of tho athletes will be men who hold worlds world's records Most of tho men are arc being chosen from tho the college e athletes in a series series of preliminary events which have the full Olympic pro program ram In order to make sure euro that the entire strength th of all an tho the athlete ath ath- lete letes in the country has been tested before before be be- fore foro the choice the American Olympic committee has hns divided tho the country into three sections Tho The majority of tho the leading leadin athletes aro are in tho the east and the meet at Philadelphia Philadelphia Phila Phila- delphia which will win be hel hold held on June Tune 6 will wiIl attract tho the greatest attention In Chica Chicago tho the dato date set sot is June 13 but on the Pacific coast the tryout was held some fomo time ago a o. o on account of the tho more advanced ad state of tho the season It is ia thou thought ht that these three tryouts will be sufficient nent to insure the tho picking of tho the very best amat amateur ur athletes in in this I countr country and another sweeping victory is prophesied for America Tho The Americans Amen Ameri cane cans hold worlds world's records in iu the hammer ham mer mor throw polo pole vault ault yard rard hurdles polo vaulting for di distance standing hi high h. h standing broad and three throe standing jumps These last three throe records arc are held heM by a man named Ewry who ho was vas at one time a paralytic unable unable un un- un- un able ahle to walk a cripple for life the phy phy- told toM him Rose Hose tho the University of California athlete broke six worlds world s 's 8 records establishing CS es new ones at tho the meet of the New York Athletic club last fall mH In ono one afternoon he made mad n now n-ev w worlds world's records putting all tho the shot Ono One after af ter the tho other he be put tho the 8 12 14 H 18 21 and pound 28 shot making the record record rec rec- ord in in each case caso on the first or second secona try Other worlds world's records held by Americans are aro the pound 56 weight throwing the running broad jump and throwing the tho discus Tho The exact date of the Olympic games at London on has not yet ret been announced but it is is known thai that they will ill take place in in tho the latter part of June What the English athletes may bo be doin doing or have done in iu the last few months is 18 an au unknown quantity The They have hao been training as they ne never ner r trained before and while the supporters of tho Americans Ameri Amen cans express themselves as confident of victor victory they and the athletes them themselves themselves selves realize that it will bo be o no walk wan over ocr |