The name of Ezzard Charles has been added to the long list of ex-champions who tried, and failed,

to regain the heavyweight title. B
meee J. Corbett, Bob Fitzsimmons, Jim Jeffries, Jack Dempsey and Joe Louis.
ampion Jersey Joe Walcott is shown knocking down a left thrown by

The Red Flag

at Helsinki in

ae TSARIST | RUSSIA
the Part in the Olympics, before
First World War, its sports-
ia did not hold a single world
feos Soviet sportsmen in the
Ou, Olympics at Helsinki will
ve to be reckoned with serious-
Y as holders of their fair share
World records.

Soviet Sport in the papers. But
fre is no mystery. “How will
© Russians do?” is being ask-

ih 48 if there was nothing to

Se form by,

Usually well-informed sports
ect prove singularly ignor-
lanes they begin to write

t Soviet chances at Helsinki.

80 ube Memories of some become
ee ee that they don’t remem-
Dart hat Soviet athletes took
eae the European Games of
bee re Oslo, and barely remem-
hat they were at the 1950
“Mes at Brussels,

pete fact that Soviet men and
‘iad took part in, and won the
ld Student Games in 1949

1951 j i
Silence. is passed over in

°

A Mystery is being made’ of:

Provincial

LST AL- CME

SURREY MUNICIPAL PARK (FLEETWOOD)

Program; Choir, Music, Dancing.
All Kinds of Games, Handicraft Display.
Wrestling Match: Between George Gordienko and
John Korchynsky.

‘UKRAINIAN FOOD
Special Buses Will Run From The

Ukrainian Hall
805 E. Pender St. Starting 11 a.m.

. Auspices: Provincial Committee, Association of
Ukrainian Canadians.

As for sports other than ath-
letics, a few writers have heard
that the USSR has good weight-
lifters and basketball players,
because they have performed in
European and world title com-
petitions in Paris.

But for all their self-created
mystery, sports writers are
agreed that Soviet participation
in the 1952 Olympics is going to
jnerease competition and make
it harder to win gold medals.

They don’t say it, but they
know that the Red Flag will be
run-up the victory mast more
than once, 2

And it is even hinted that for

. the first time @ yeal challenge

will be made to American do-
mination of the Olympic Games.

* * *

SOVIET SPORTSMEN will
not make their mark te) much in
the limelight of the athletic
events of the Olympic program—
though Soviet women will — as
in the other equally important,
if less publicised, sports like
football, basketball, wrestling,

United

Shp oe SSeS SSS SaaS

etter men than Charles who found they couldn’t come back included

In picture above
Charles in last week’s fitle bout.

will fly
July

gymnastics, rifle shooting and
boxing,

Judging on form, steeplechas-
er Kazantsev seem the only like-
ly contender for a gold medal in
athletics, with the possibility of
a surprise from L. Shcherbakov,
European champion, in the hop,
skip and jump.

But in women’s events, it will
be a major Olympic surprise if
Soviet girls don’t win the discus,
javelin, and weight, in which
they hold the world records.
'Phey also stand a good chance
of taking home gold medals for
gymnastics and basketball,

* * x:

HERE ARE a few Soviet ath-
letes who might make a good
showing at Helsinki.

Galina Zybina, 21-year-old
Leningrad javelin thrower, who
won the title of World Student
Champion at Berlin. In 1950
she was third in the Brussels
Games.

Her fellow club member from
Leningrad Zenith, Vera Smirnit-
skaya, holds the world record
and won the javelin throw at
Rrussels. Whichever of them
wins at Helsinki, their trainer
Alexeyev will be pleased.

Swimmer Leonid Meshkov,
holder of the world butterfly. re-
cord, who will bea powerful con-
tender in the 230 metre breast
stroke.

Wrestler Mekokishvili, a
Georgian, who has floored the
best men of Finland, Hungary
and other countries.

Then there are such outstand-

ing Soviet athletes as Nina Dum-
badze, holder of the women’s

discus record; G. Ippolitov, the

USSR’s strongest cyclist; HE.
Sechenova, who was second to
Fanny Blankers-Koen in the 100-
metre and 200-metre dashes .at
the Brussels Games of 1950, and
is stil] the Soviet best in the 200
metres; and Grigory Novak,
world record holding strong man
of the lightheavyweight class.

eee) Ae

SPORTLIGHT

By BERT WHYTE ——

BEFORE ENTERING the ring to defend his title against
Ezzard Charles, heavyweight champ Joe Walcott sat in this dress-
ing room, bible in hand, reading the 23rd psalm: “The Lord is my
shepherd : .. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures. .. .”

When Jersey Joe climbed. between the ropes, however, he
showed .no desire to lie down on the canvas; if anyone was
going to lie down, he wanted it to be Charles. So he huffed

. and he puffed for 15 dreary rounds, and came out of the affair

with his title intact, and his eyes focused on greenbacks rather
than green pastures. “From now on I want more money,” said
the old champion. ~

Experts at the ringside generally agreed that Charles had
edged Walcott on points, but nobody felt the title should have
been lifted. And rightly so. Charles could have won by a city
iblock, but he- was content to try and poke out a decision and
keep away from Walcott’s punches. The judges and referees
weren't having any of that brand of cautious battling, and all
gave their votes to old Joe, who fought as hard as he knew how
to hang on to the heavyweight crown. "

It is just a question of time until some ambitious youngster
tangles with Walcott and beats him. Had Charles not been so
cautious he could have done it. He failed, deservedly. It was a
poor fight, but still Walcott rates a cheer, for trying. Maybe
the old boy isn’t much of a fighter, but where’s the heavyweight
who can beat him? ;

* * . *
POT POURI: Len Walters theeboxer and Kay McNamee

the swimmer are two of Canada’s best bets to win points at Helsinki
next month. . . . Now that the horsemen and Lansdowne officials
have agreed on $850 minimum purses plus graded increases based
on pari-mutuel betting figures, we'll be saved from last year’s ‘‘on
again, off again’’ stories in the dailies on the eve of the racing season.
The Lansdowne Park meeting opens this coming Saturday, June
14... . Alyce Folz of Western Sporis Centre and Gerry Bemister
of IBEW set new marks in the 80-metre hurdles and the 100-meire
dash in the fourth running of the Vancouver Relays Saturday, but
the girls had the wind at their backs and the records won't become
official. . . . Pacific Tribune Clippers. -lost 9-1] to Western Bridge
Saturday at Powell Street Grounds, then whipped North Van Cubs
12-9 at Mahon Park Sunday. . . . While other Nut House players
ran around in shorts and goose pimples Friday night, pitcher Ethel
Ramsay wore last year’s longies and chucked a beautiful game against
hapless Kerries, striking out 13 batters for her team’s 6-0 shutout.
Kerries have yet to: win a game, but they display plenty of pepper
and will get better as the season advances. . . . Here’s a tip on how
to save money at the track: go late and miss the Quinellas:on the
first two races.
* >. a *

READERS INTERESTED in a history of the Olympic Games
can pick up a book titled Olympic Story at the /People’s Coopera-
tive Bookstore. It gives some facts on the ancient Games, and
detailed treatment on all sports included in the modern Games,
with a complete appendix of results from 1896 up to, but not
including, the 1948 Games in London.

“The origin of the Games is lost in mythology,” says Ernest
A. Bland, who edited Olympic Story. “Many references occur in
the Iliad and Odyssey, where boxing, wrestling, putting the
weight, foot races and chariot races are mentioned.

. “Heracles is one of the alleged founders of the sporting
feast to celebrate his conquest of the country, and again, Iphitus
says he did it to mark his success in restoring law and order
to Greece. ‘Apparently he did not know what to do about it
and consulted the oracle which advised him to revive the Games
(which suggests they had been held before, anyway) and to
insist that while the Games were on there should be no fighting,
a custom which, indeed, survived for the rest of their time.”

The Olympic movement today can also act as a peace move-
ment. At Helsinki ties of brotherhood and friendship forged
among the youth of many countries gathered to test their skill
and strength in peaceful competition will undoubtedly make it
harder for the warmongers in Washington to carry through
their plans for a third world war.

2 Sa * *

BARGAIN BASEMENT: What you know, Joe, nobody won
that buck last week by naming Harry Wills as the Brown Panther
Dempsey (or more correctly his manager, Jack Kearns) ducked
pack in the early twenties. .Wills fought Firpo once, tied him
up and made him look foolish for 15 rounds.

Win this week’s dollar by being the first reader to mail in
the correct answer to this teaser: In what sporting event does
the winning team always move backward? Send your answer
to Bert Whyte, Pacific Tribune Room 6, 426 Main Street, Van-
couver 4, B.C.

STANTON, MUNRO & DEAN

Barristers - Solicitors - Notaries

SUITE 515 FORD BUILDING 193 E. HASTINGS
(Corner Main & Hastings Sts.)
MARINE 5746

PACIFIC TRIBUNE — JUNE 13, 1952 — PAGE 11