Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 64, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 March 1912 — SWEDES TURN SHREWD TRICK [ARTICLE]

SWEDES TURN SHREWD TRICK

Schedule Prevents American Runners From Competing in Long and Short Running Contests. According to the announcement which the Swedish Olympic committee has made concerning the order of events at the international games which are to be held at Stockholm, in July, the Swedes have played rather a sharp trick on the rest of the athletic world. In the arrangement of their program they have scheduled nearly all the dashes and hurdle races within a day or two, and the distance races they have grouped in a similar manner. In other words they have declined to follow the procedure which is common in arrangement of games of this importance by stringing out the events so that the greatest number of men can compete in the greatest number of events. The direct result of this arrangement of the schedule will make it practically impossible for any of the American distance runners to double up in such events as the mile and half mile, and it will likewise be hard on even those sprinters who wish to compete in the 100 and 200-yard dashes. The statement applies equally to the various hurdle races. The strongest objection to this plan has come from England, though even here it is riot likely that there will be any formal protest against the action of the Swedes. It would be strictly within the province of the athletic authorities of any of the countries which will send teams, either to protest or, in more polite terms, to make suggestions looking toward a rearrangement of this schedule. The Englishmen, while they have voiced their disapproval in the newspapers, have not lodged any formal objection, and pubably will not do so.