ABOVE Luxemboure's 3: Bartel smiles as h? breasts the tape ahead of America’s R, E. McMillan
4n the 1500-metre final at Helsinki, BELOW: The Soviet Union’s Nina Romaschkoyva, winner of the
Women's discus event who set a new Olympic rec 2rd of 168 feet 81% inches, excelling the previous

record by 12 feet 51 44 inches. : \ iat

WSS NN
3S

ABOVE: Jack Hutchins of Van-
couver made the 800-metre semi-
final after winning his heat but
just missed qualifying for the
final by finishing fourth. BE-
LOW: Marjorie Jackson won a
gold medal for Australia by.
winning the women’s 100 metres
at .-Helsinki,.. equalling... the
world’s record time of 11.5 sec-
onds,

aos THE

SPORTLIGHT

By BERT WHYTE

PINCH-HITTING IN this column for Bert Whyte, who is away
on a well-earned vacation, we shall avoid the pitfalls of attempting
to pose as an “expert” ion sport affairs. In fact we are ready to
‘admit ithat our knowledge on this controversial subject is on a par
with the Johnson:Anscomb “dopesters” of pré-June 12 days. That
being the case, we’ll stick ‘to the 'broad and less dangerous path of
generalities,

During 'the paSt few weeks the eyes of the whole world have

been on the Olympic Games at Helsinki. New world records in
track, field, aquatic and other sports have been chalked up, and in-
terest in the competing nationals has been almost as keen as in
the records achieved. The reason for this new interest is obvious.

Wilth 'the Soviet Union in the Olympics for the first time, the
cold war sports writers of the commercial press have outdone each
other in the unsavory business of injecting anti/‘Soviet war ‘hysteria
into tha realm ‘of competitive sport. In press cartoons, snide picture
captions describing Soviet entries, and in contemptible blurbs, the
seribblers of the commercial press have engaged in smearing and
playing down Soviet athletes. The Vancouver Sun’s sports writer,
Andy O’Brien, provided a good example of this run-of-the-mill cold

- war scribbling a few weeks ago.

Andy’s main complaint, if such it may be called, was that Soviet

sports are subsidized and encouraged by the government, therefore’

most Soviet athletes are not ‘ifree’? men and women? By some
queer twist in the mentality of such sports writers as O’Brien, this
Soviet ‘government interest in sports also makes all Soviet athletes
“professionals,” thus giving them an unfair advantage over other
competitors.

With Canadian entries well down the list of the Olympic
score-board, and now likely to remain there, the question: of public
and government interest in sports assumes a new urgency.

* * *

IN OUR OPINION, (and we admit we can be wrong upon oc-
casion) the young men and women who went 'to Helsinki to uphold
the honor and. prestige of Canada, are as good as the best from
anywhere. But these Canadians went to Helsinki with a serious
handicap. ‘Not only the lack of public and government interest
‘but 'the lack of faciilties and training, which are vitally essential to
all competitors, regardless of where they hail from, or their special
field of sport. :

It is ‘a recognized ifact that most of our young people engaged
in sports and other recreational activities are deprived of this out-
let for their ambitions and energies by a deplorable lack of training
grounds, competent instructors and financial aid. ‘

Financial ‘and material resources which. should go into the -

promotion of facilities for sports and cultural recreation are
squandered on war preparations by the ‘St. Laurent government.
Sports, in tthe minds of the atomaniacs, are regarded as a means
of promoting cold war propaganda.

Even the ‘incident of tthe Canadian rowing shells, accidentally
destroyed while en route to Helsinki, and ‘the sporting Soviet offer
to supply ithe (Canadians with shells, was snobbishly turned down
by 'those who presume (regrettably) to speak for (Canadian sports-
men, ‘thus adding another ‘handicap to Canada’s entries in an inter-
national Olympic. 'The psychology of cold war ‘is a poor substitute
for sporting morale.

Even the Vancouver Sun’s versatile columnist, Elmore Philpott,
felt moved 'to comment on the cold war racist treatment meted out
to U.S. teams competing in Helsinki. “Racist to the core, the hired
scribblers of the ‘Yankee monopoly press whoop it up when tthe Am-

ericans ‘beat ‘their competitors from the-Soviet Union and the Peo-

iple’s Democracies butt pointedly omit mentioning that many of
‘America’s top ‘track and field stars are Negro athletes. As Philpott
puts it: “Black limbs keep USA ahead.”

_ Yet there are other bits of news from Helsinki that make one
American, 'Canadian, British or other ‘Commonwealth athlete worth
a dozen Mike Pearsons or Dean Achesons any day. These Olympic
athletes, as ambassadors of good will, meet ‘their Soviet and New
Democratic competitors in banquets, social affairs and get-togeth-
ers, which demonstrate the oneness of our world, with our finest
athletes 'in the role of ambassadors of peace and goodwill.

Nextt week Bert will give PT readers all the highlights of the
Olympic games. As for us, we'll close with the ‘observation that
the Soviet Union still leads the USA by about 100 points. ‘Canada is
23rd on Ithe list with 10 points. Frankly, we’d-be happier if Canada

‘were much closer to the top, where she should, and could be, if
her young athletes were given the material and moral support
tthey’re fully entitled to. ;

PACIFIC TRIBUNE — AUGUST 1, 1952 — PAGE 11