Only the most confirmed pessimist would deny that 1931 has been one of the brightest years. in British athletics, Even though" quite 45 rations will be represented at Los Angles in July, the British team has so proved itself in national and international fields that it confident ly can face any of the American racks, Britain has men who can hold more than their own from the sprint to the' Marathon, her only weakness being in the surprising lack of field exponents, For the sprints, Britain has YOURE, L- Page, of the Blackheath farriers, the 'A.A.A. 100 yd. champion, who can mix with the very best, short-distance company. Backing him will be E. P. Reid, the Edinburgh University sprinter, while for the furlong. there is nother of last, season's champions, IR, Murdoch (Glasgow University), who needs just the little more track experience hho will have acquired by next July.
The formidable crew for tie 400 metres are G. L. Rampling, sup-orted by those two stalwarts, -A.T. Hanlon and K, G, Beangwi whilst Tommy Hampson, T. Scrimshaw, H, 8. 'Townsend, and J. G. Cornes will concentrate on the 800 metres, With Cornes, who, by the way, intends to wind up' his running career after the Olympic Games, the record-bronking airman, RH,' Thomas, will fight Jules: Ladoumergue for the 1,500 metre 'Among the middle distance ru ners, J. Burns, 8, Tomlin, J. W Wintield, and J. F, Wood, appear to be Britain's best, though' the Finns, may probably prove too much for them. For the Marathon, there is A really" excellent. quartetto in Dunkie Wright, J. 8. Ferris (who, beater) W. Payne, and E.
his time, will surely make a world
Harper, Paavo' Nurmi,' Finland's wonder runner, has expressed his intention of entering, however, which apparently moans that Lehtinen, Virtanen, and a reweomer, Iso-Halla, will carry their country's colours in the 5,000 and 10,000 metres, Britain's outstanding man is Lieut, G. L. Rampling, probably the greatest runner the world has ever Seen over 400 yards. Although he has not yet proved himself a real wonder, one has only to consider the easy style in which he twice beat 48 sec. for the quarter-mile relay in one afternoon to credit hit wit ability, "He is the type needed for the Olympic track, He simply refuses 0. be beaten, How he twice gave six or ven yards start to the German champion, Metaner, up the straight at Cologne is something that will be marvelled at for years, Metzner being a 48-2/5 man. The greater the competition, the more amazing is Rampling's style.
For the hurdles, Britain will de-ponder, B.0- Pimlay and Lord jurghley, who is" concentrating on the 400 metres, "In this duel with Facelli, the famous Italian, Lord Burghley hopes to finish a glorious career with a brilliant victory. Finlay is Britain's best man for the shorter hurdles event.
In the steeplechase, T. Evanshon and G. W. Bailey will be hard nuts to crack, but, in the face of the Finns, one must not be, too over~ confident of Britain coming out on top. Anew record is expected of Tommy Green, who is a. strongly backed man for the long-distance walk,—Reuter,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.