By BERT WHYTE

WO years ago it seemed like a

pipe dream, and many scoffers
were predicting that the British
Empire Games would be shifted
to some eastern city.

One year ago — on June 24 —
Percy Williams dug a shiny new
shovel into the turf at the Pacific
National Exhibition grounds, of-
ficially signalizing the start of
construction on the new Empire®
Stadium. — :

Now, on Canada Day, 1954, with
only a few weeks left before the
Games open July 30, BEG fever
is spreading through Vancouver
and the Lower Mainland and. the
Games are an assured success.
Only problem worrying officials
isn't a sports one; it’s how will
this city of 500,000 accommodate
the tens of thousands of visitors
who will descend on us within the
next few weeks. Hotels won't
handle more than a fraction of
them; motels and roominghouses
will ‘all be jammed; and only a
mass response on the part of citi-
' zens to “open your homes and
take in paying guests during the
Games” can solve the housing
headache.

*

What are Canada’s chances in —

the Games?

Officially, of course, no country
“wins” because no aggregate
totals are kept. All competitors
receive a Commonwealth Medal;
in individual and team events, the
first prize is a silvergilt medal,
the second prize a silver medal,
and the third prize a .bronze
medal. A Roll of Honor of the
names of the first six competitors
(and not less than four in each
event) is compiled by the BEG
cemmittee. :

Let’s put it this way, then.
Wow many silvergilt, silver and

bronze medals will Canada’s ath-

letes win?

I’m no fortune-teller, but it
_seems logical to assume that
' Canada, as the host. country, will
do better than in any previous
‘Games, if only because we'll have
221 competitors, as compared to
England with 127, Australia with
15, New Zealand with 67, and
‘South Africa with 64.

Looking over the list of ath-
letes and events, however, forces
me to the conclusion that English,
Australian and New Zealand
sportsmen and sportswomen will

walk off with most-of the silver-’

gilt and silver medals. *
, Canada’s seven weightlifters,
headed by world heavyweight
champion Douglas Ivan Hepburn,
are our greatest hope. It is con-
ceivable that they may collect
more medals than any of the
other eight Canadian teams in
the nine BEG events.

Doug Hepburn of Vancouver
should place first in the heavy-
weight division, and Dave Baillie
of Noranda, Quebec, who placed
sixth in the last Olympics, may
place second.

Lightheavyweight Gerald Grat-
ton of Verdun, Quebec, winner of
the BEG middleweight title in
1950 and second in the 1952 Olym-
pics, should win the silvergilt
medal in his class.

Middle-heavyweight Kevil Daly
of St. Johns, Quebec, and middle-
weight Jean Dube of Quebec City
are strong competitors. J

The Games are built around
track and field events and the
feature event is the mile run.

At Auckland in 1950 a North
Vancouver miler, Bill Parnell,
lowered the BEG mark to four
minutes 11 seconds with a beauti-
fully paced race and strong sprint
finish. rg
: This year we may see a four-

minute mile, and the competition

Doug Hepburn, the world’s
strongest man, is expected to win
the BEG heavyweight weighilift-
ing competition. He is shown
above setting a new world bench
press record. Featured in top
track event of the Games is Eng-
land’s Roger Bannister (left).

will be between England’s great
Koger Bannister, Australia’s John
Landy and New Zealand’s sensa-
tional 20-year-old Murray Hal-

‘ berg. No chance for Parnell in
_ such company.

Bannister, the world’s top miler
and the only runner to date who
has cracked the magic four-min-
ute mark (3:59.4) is no cinch to
beat Landy, a great competitive
runner just reaching his peak.
When they match strides at Em-
pire Stadium on Saturday, August
7, spectators will be watching the
Mile of the Century. :

Next to the spectacular mile,
sports glamor centres around the
marathon, the most gruelling of
all track and field events. Favor-
ed to capture this event is Eng-
land’s Jim Peters, who, will try
to better the BEG record of 2
hours, 30 minutes, 49.8 seconds
set by J. Coleman of South Africa
in 1938.

Canada will have 60 men and
15 women competing in track and
field, but standards of proficiency
are so high this year that few of
our thinclads are expected to fin-
ish in front.

English, Australian, New Zea-
land and South African athletes
will grab most of the top honors
in men’s events. Star of the
Games is likely to be Auckland
secretary Yvette Williams, who
is called to win three titles —
broad jump, discus and shot put.
She may also finish second or
third in the 80-metre hurdles. .

Yvette won the Olympic broad
jump at Helsinki in- 1952, and set
a world broad jump record of 20
feet 74 inches last February.

Aside from weightlifting, Can-
ada’s greatest hopes for BEG
medals rest on our 14 fencers,
seven bowlers and 40 swimmers
and divers.

Lawn bowling will come into its
own for once, with special seats
erected to accommodate 2,000

‘ PACIFIC TRIBUNE MAGAZINE SECTION — JUNE 25, 1954 — pace °

spectators at the two clubs where weeks. Crowds will storm ticket
the events will be held — Point agencies and talk will be of NO
Grey and New Westminster. thing but the BEG.
Knowing the greens will give Empire Stadium, newest a
our Canadian seven-man team a largest in Canada, will be se
big advantage, and our bowlers med on opening day — and pro’
should win some medals. + ably every day.
Canadian fencers won three “Empire Village” is located at
silver and eight bronze medals in University of British Columbia,
1950 — and the team consisted of only a few miles from downtown
three men and one woman. This vancouver. Visiting athletes
year we have 12 men and two have a fine view of Howe Sow
women, and should do even better and the Coast Range mount
than at Auckland. from their dormitory windows:
*k They'll be within walking dis
tance of tennis courts, sandy bath:

When the Parade of Athletes jing beaches and an 18-hole golf
takes place in Empire Stadium on ;

, course. aie
opening day 25 countries out of a Track and field events will |
‘possible 28 will be represented.

held at the Empire Stadium

Cnly Commonwealth countries ‘syjmming and diving at the En
not coming to B.C. are Ceylon, pire pool; boxing at Exhibition
Malta and Malaya. Gardens, lawn bowls at New West
New Zealand, which staged the minster and West Point Greys
last Games, will head the parade ycling at Empire Oval; fenciné
and Canada, the host country, will zt Lord Byng Gymnasium; row
bring up the rear. Other coun- jng on the Vedder Canal; weight
tries will march in alphabetical ifting at Exhibition Gardens; 22

order. : wrestling at Kerrisdale Arena.
After the Games are officially ~ k

declared open there will be a . :
blare of trumpets, hoisting of the Although the official souvent
special BEG flag, salute of guns ook published by the BEG com
mittee claims that the history ©

and release of a number of pig- 4
eons (symbolizing the desire for the Games dates back to 1911,
actually they began in 1930.

world peace).

A Canadian representative will’ As part of the celebrations sur-
mount the tribune and pronounce younding the Coronation of
the following oath on behalf of George V in 1911, an Inter-Em™
the assembled athletes (of whom pire sports meet was staged 4

_ there will be nearly 800): London. England, Canada, re 5
“We declare that we will take alia and South Africa sent ata
part in the British Empire and letés, and the Canadians finis e
Commonwealth Games of 1954 in pn top. 5 br
the spirit of true sportsmanship, At the 1928 Olympics the Cor?
recognizing the rules which gov- nation meet was recalled and ' :
ern them and desirous of par-. jgea of holding Empire Games
ticipating in them for the honor eyery four years, between olym
of our Commonwealth and Em- pics, was projected. neil
pire and for the glory of sport.” First actual Games were he “

At the closing of the Games + Hamilton in 1930, and were vs
eight days later the special BEG cyccessful that a BEG Federatt ;
flag will be presented to Mayor was formed . In 1934 the Gan
Fred Hume of Vancouver for ‘qok place in London, and \
safekeeping until despatched to 1938 they went to Sydney. ee
the mayor of the city next to jowing the Second World wa.
stage the Games. Final speech by ' they were resumed in Aucklan
the chairman of the BEG commit- jy 1950, +e
tee, concludes with the hope that ~ yyamilton spent something Uke
“the spirit of our Family of Na- $265,000 on the first Games,
tions may be carried on with ever oq host to 11 countries and °
greater eagerness, couragé and athletes. it
honor for the good of humanity - vancouver will spend abo be
and the peace of the world.” $1,400,000, and play host to.

countries and 800 athletes. Bat

Games fever, just beginning to ‘ Next to the Olympics, the

the

grip Vancouver citizens now, will | ish Empire and Coenen
mount rapidly as contingents of Games is the biggest even
athletes arrive in the next few world of sports!

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