The Olympic Games of 1948 (1948) - full transcript
The origin
of the ancient Greek Olympic Games
is shrouded in the mists
of mankind's memory.
But history records their regular
celebration from the year 776 BC.
The games combined
the Greeks' deep religious sense
with the cult of their great ideal -
physical strength and beauty.
The festival was held every four years,
and three months beforehand
the messengers of Zeus set forth
to proclaim a truce
throughout the Greek world.
Strife was outlawed,
and the state sent their champions
to compete at Olympia.
The signal for the start of the games
was the lighting of the sacred flame.
This was first kindled in an olive twig
by the magnified rays of the sun.
The twig, in turn,
was used to light the lamp
which burned continuously
throughout the games.
It is this flame which nowadays
is carried by the relay of torchbearers
to wherever the games are being held.
The message is borne
from the shores of Greece
to the snowfields of Switzerland.
The flag, with its linked circles,
represents the five continents
of the world joined together
in the brotherhood of sport.
"V" for victory.
Victory not in war, not in wealth,
not in tyranny,
but in sportsmanship and in peace.
The first Winter
Olympic Games were held in 1924
and proved such a success that they have
been included in each Olympiad since.
The fifth winter games were held
this year in St. Moritz.
The opening ceremony took place
in the ice hockey stadium
where a large crowd was gathered to
watch on the snowy, fur-clad slopes
which formed a natural arena.
The teams of the nations marched in
in French alphabetical order,
except that Greece,
as the originator, led the way
and Switzerland, the host nation,
came last.
Canada.
And here comes Barbara Ann Scott
with her delightful smile.
Next, the Danes.
The Americans were there in force,
smartly uniformed.
Here's a pretty bunch of cover girls.
France.
The British team, led by Graham Sharp,
world figure skating champion in 1939.
Holland and Hungary
follow in quick succession.
And lastly, the home team, the Swiss.
They are the hosts.
Their officials have had to make
all the complicated arrangements
for a variety of events -
skiing, ski jumping,
skeleton riding on the Cresta run,
bobsledding, speed and figure skating
and ice hockey.
The unknown factor was the weather,
which, on this opening day, was perfect.
The oath of amateurism was taken
by a veteran Swiss ice hockey player
on behalf of all competitors.
We swear that we will take part
in the Olympic Games
in loyal competition,
respecting the regulations
which govern them
and desirous of participating in them
in the true spirit of sportsmanship,
for the honor of our country
and the glory of sport.
In Scandinavia,
where modern skiing started,
the main interest lies in ski jumping
and in the classic langlauf,
or long-distance race.
The langlauf begins and ends
at the same height,
without any very great variations
on the way.
It is a real test of
the skier's endurance
and his ability to get
the best out of his skis.
Comparing it with downhill racing,
the favorite sport of the Swiss,
is like comparing a seven-mile walker
with a sprinter.
The ski runners start at intervals
of not less than a half a minute,
in the order of the numbers they draw.
Scandinavians won the first ten places,
the first three being Swedes.
Here's Martin Lundstr?m
of Sweden starting.
Lundstr?m turned out to be the winner.
And here he is,
vigorously approaching the finish.
A man being overhauled must give way
at the shout of his pursuer.
It is not a race that the average,
uninitiated onlooker
gets much thrill from,
but to the technical spectator
it is full of interest.
Now for a quite different
form of ski racing -
the modern slalom, first started
by the famous English skier Arnold Lunn.
The skier must weave and slither
down a steep course
between pairs of flags,
cunningly placed,
so that great control
and skill in turning
are needed to negotiate the turns.
Ski racing is all done on timing,
and in the slalom
every tenth of a second counts.
That's the Swiss, Lina Mittner.
Here's an English girl finishing:
Rosemarie Sparrow.
Lucienne Schmidt-Couttet of France.
Another French girl, Suzanne Thiolliere.
And here comes Gretchen
Fraser of America,
second in this combined event
and a very popular, if unexpected,
winner of the special slalom.
The French girls were the favorites
for the combined race,
but only placed one in the first nine.
And now the men show their paces.
That's Sverre Johannessen of Norway.
With a flick of his ski stick, he breaks
the wire controlling the timing device.
Here's a Czech: Lubos Brchel.
Next, Canada's Hector Sutherland.
And now, number five,
Henri Oreiller of France,
who won the downhill race.
He was fifth in this event,
but on the combined result
of the two races came first.
Here's James Couttet finishing.
He won the combined slalom
and is heartily congratulated
by Oreiller and others.
Speed skaters.
In the Olympics they race in pairs
to have someone to race against,
but the results are purely on timing.
And now for further commentary,
here is Bill Stern.
Here's the start
of the skeleton race
at the top of the famous Cresta run,
introduced by the British
at the end of the last century
and for many years their specialty.
It's a ribbon of polished ice
three-quarters of a mile long
rebuilt each year under the expert eyes
of Benzoni, its Italian architect.
Riders go singly,
lying face downwards on their skeleton,
as the steel-framework
toboggan is called.
The skeleton has got a sliding seat
for riding in the forward position.
The toboggan moves at terrific speed,
reaching almost 80 miles an hour
at the finish.
Now you're watching
the final day's run from the top.
The riders are taking Shuttlecock,
the most famous bend of all,
where many come to grief.
Here's one over the top now.
He waves his arm to the control tower
to signal that he's all right.
The next casualty is Hirigoyen,
the bouncing bat.
He went over Shuttlecock
more times than anybody last season.
There's Bibbia, the Italian,
watching some of his rivals.
There's another out of the running.
We're at the finish now,
and here comes Crammond, Britain's ace.
This is Colonel Jimmy Coats,
the British captain.
Not bad for 53.
That's Martin of America,
a novice this season and very promising.
That's Hirigoyen again.
He's managed to finish this time,
and isn't he pleased.
And he's got something
to be pleased about.
Remember that with your face
skimming only a few inches from the ice,
riding the Cresta is
a minute of the most
intense concentration
you can imagine.
As you see by this next rider,
he's absolutely all in.
Well, the final order was:
First, Bibbia of Italy,
second, Heaton of America
and third, Crammond of Great Britain.
Bibbia was congratulated by the
president of the Cresta, Lord Brabazon.
The bobsled. The bobsled course
is a mile and a quarter long.
The record for it is one minute,
16 and five-tenths seconds,
held by Feierabend, the Swiss.
The RAF represented Britain,
and here you see the number-one crew
getting out their sled and weighing in.
A bobsled must not weigh
more than 502 pounds
and is ridden by a team of four
on whose weight there is no restriction,
hence the crew you see.
There goes the British team.
Number one steers, two and three
are ballast and four is brakeman,
besides being responsible
for the initial push-off.
Here comes the British team
up to the finish,
with the empty Cresta course
running parallel on the right.
They finish seventh.
That's France starting.
And now comes the USA number-two team,
which eventually won
with an aggregate of five minutes,
20 and one-tenth seconds for four runs.
There's the crack Swiss number-one team,
who were going so fast that they
overran the finish and rammed the bank.
Their first run was the fastest of all -
one minute, 16 and nine-tenths seconds,
only two-fifths of a
second off the record.
Despite this, they are only finished
fourth on their four-run total.
Here's the French team starting in the
race for boblets, manned by two only.
They must not weigh
more than 360 pounds,
but again, their riders
can be as heavy as they like.
And there goes America!
The curves all have apt names,
like Snake, Sunny and Horseshoe.
Horseshoe, the most terrifying of all,
where the turn is so acute
that riders often get a blackout.
That's a British pair, Wing Commander
Coles and Group Captain Collings.
Here they go through Sunny,
and now past Trees, under Bridge,
over Leap and up to the finish.
Here comes the US second pair,
Fortune and Carron, who are third.
Now the triumphant Swiss,
who took first and second place.
And now back to Ted Husing.
Great Britain were the holders
of the ice hockey title,
but Canada and Czechoslovakia
were the favorites
in what proved to be a most open event.
Here you see the American Amateur
Hockey Association team
playing Switzerland in the first match.
The Americans started slowly,
but later speeded up.
It turned out to be a close fight,
the Swiss winning five goals to four.
Canada and Czechoslovakia
drew in the key match,
neither team scoring,
but both teams won all
their other matches
and Canada gained the championship
on goal average.
Switzerland was third with six wins,
USA fourth, Sweden fifth
and Britain sixth,
followed by Poland, Austria and Italy.
Here, practicing for
the pairs figure skating championship,
are the Belgians,
Micheline Lannoy and Pierre Baugniet,
who won the title.
Suzanne Morrow and Wallace Diestelmeyer
of Canada, who came third.
Barbara Ann Scott.
She won the compulsory figures,
and here she's practicing
for the free skating.
And now for the day itself.
First, the men's free skating.
This is Edi Rada, the Austrian
champion who finished third.
After each competitor,
the judges show the marks
they have awarded,
first for the content of the program,
its variety and artistry,
and then again
for the manner of performance.
The winner was New Jersey's Dick Button,
and here he is.
Second in the men's event
was Hans Gerschwiler of Switzerland.
Graham Sharp of Britain was seventh.
Button electrified the crowd
with his phenomenal jumps.
Just watch this.
Gretchen Merrill,
the American champion, was
disappointingly low
in the women's event.
She was sixth in the compulsory figures
and eighth in the free skating.
Eva Pawlik of Austria was second.
Jeanette Altwegg of Britain, third.
Other British girls did very well too.
Bridget Shirley Adams was seventh,
and here's Jill Hood-Linzee skating now.
Down, but not out.
She finished 19th.
And here is the champion,
Barbara Ann Scott,
giving the exhibition of free skating
which won her the Olympic crown.
Sheer perfection.
She brought the crowd to their feet,
a champion in every lovely line.
And now again, Bill Stern.
And now for one of
the most beautiful and
spectacular of winter
sports, ski jumping.
It's the nearest thing
to flying you ever saw.
Clas Haraldsson of
Sweden, he came fourth.
Italy's Alf Prucker.
Heikki Hasu of Finland.
Eilert Dahl of Norway.
It's a spectacle of sheer beauty,
and yet almost terrifying to watch.
You can't imagine how those birdmen
can possibly keep their balance
on a jump of well over 200 feet.
The art of the jump is to keep
the skis parallel and together.
Otherwise,
on landing the chances are that the
jumper will take a nasty
spill, like this.
A Canadian, Wilber Irwin.
The Norwegians, who invented
ski jumping, still excel in it
and took the first three places
in the special jump.
But Gordon Wren of America
did well to come fifth,
and he was second in his combined jump.
Now we see the greatest test
of the courage and skill of the skier
as opposed to the ski jumper:
The downhill race for men.
There were 120 entries from 24 nations.
The race, of course,
was on timing, the
runners starting at
half-minute intervals.
A fall will cost the runner
at least five seconds
and probably ruins his chances
of gaining a place.
Most of the early starters are the best.
That's Barney McLean of America.
The Swiss, Fernand Grosjean,
who was eighth.
Olle Dalman of Sweden,
just under control.
Next, Eberhard Kneisl, Austria.
He finished 15th.
Jean Pazzi, France.
Karl Molitor of Switzerland,
one of the favorites,
who tied for third place
with a fellow Swiss, Rolf Olinger.
There's Roberto Lacedelli.
That fall put him out of the race.
Here's Pentti Alonen of Finland.
An American now, Devereaux Jennings.
Now we're looking at the final stretch
leading to the finish.
Well, that's one way of finishing.
That's number 73,
Tine Mulej of Yugoslavia.
This race was over a course of more than
two miles with a drop of 2,600 feet.
The average time that the starters took
was just over three minutes.
At times they reached speeds
of nearly 60 miles an hour.
Jimmy Palmer-Tomkinson,
the British captain, had two falls,
which put him out of the running.
Sergeant Harry Taylor, who'd only done
15 weeks skiing while in the army,
completed the course
and was by no means last -
a commendable effort.
Back at our first observation post,
things begin to happen.
Hans Hansson of Sweden comes a cropper.
So does Sverre Johannessen of Norway.
But both manage to finish.
Harvey Clifford of Canada.
?ke Nilsson of Sweden
was out of luck too.
That fall must have cost him several
places, and he finished 38th.
And there's Henri Oreiller of France,
who won in the amazing time
of two minutes and 55 seconds.
Look out, mister!
But Vittorio Chierroni recovers well
and finishes 21st.
And again, back to Ted Husing.
Andso ended
the fifth Winter Olympic Games.
As the crowds of onlookers
dispersed for the last time,
their minds traveled back
over the outstanding memories
of those splendid days.
The endurance of the langlaufers,
the skill of the slalomers,
the speed and nerve
of the Cresta and bobsled riders
and downhill ski racers,
the grace and flawless technique
of the skaters,
the dash and split-second timing
of the ice hockey players.
A cavalcade of sport and beauty
to gladden any heart.
Yes, it was all over.
But there were further feats to come
in the Summer Olympics,
fresh laurels to be won
by the athletes of the world.
"V" for victory.
Victory not in war, not in wealth,
not in tyranny,
but in sportsmanship and in peace.
His Majesty the King was received by
the president of the games, Lord Portal,
who presented the president of the
Olympic Committee, Mr. Sigfrid Edstr?m,
and the chairman of the organizing
committee, Lord Burghley,
himself an Olympic
hurdles champion of 1928.
The march past.
And by tradition, Greece led the
procession of competitors
into the arena.
One by one the standards dipped
in salute as team followed team,
cheered by 80,000 spectators.
The Dominion of Canada.
Czechoslovakia, also greeted
in the true Olympic spirit.
The tricolor of France.
The new Dominion of India.
Valiant Malta,
whose team of two athletes had one of
the warmest-hearted greetings of all.
The Netherlands.
New Zealand,
another of the smaller teams,
was followed by
the powerful contingent from Norway.
Another new entry:
The Dominion of Pakistan.
The Union of South Africa.
The spectacular entry of
the United States of America,
their amassed ranks representing
their country's greatest Olympic team.
Finally, as hosts, came Great Britain,
and the gathering of 58 countries
was complete.
The stage was set, and the nations
awaited the royal proclamation.
I proclaim open...
the Olympic Games of London...
celebrating the 14th Olympiad
of the modern era.
Filling the arena
with the sound of beating wings,
7,000 pigeons circle the stadium
before carrying,
by ancient Greek tradition,
the news that the games had begun.
And so, to the most
dramatic moment of all -
the arrival of the Olympic flame,
the last link in the
long chain of runners
between ancient Olympia
and Great Britain.
A moment so stirring
that even the competitors could not help
breaking ranks and throwing the track
to greet this athlete
spanning the centuries.
And now, the kindling of the
sacred flame of the 14th Olympiad.
Then followed a solemn dedication
as Wing Commander Donald Finlay,
a great British hurdler,
takes the Olympic oath
on behalf of all competing in the games.
We swear that we will take part
in the Olympic Games
in loyal competition,
respecting the regulations
which govern them
and desirous of participating in them
in the true spirit of sportsmanship
for the honor of our country
and for the glory of sport.
The second day
saw the start of the athletic events.
The first Olympic championship to be
decided was the women's discus throw.
The discus weighs just over two pounds,
and the world record throw
is 158 feet, six inches.
Here's ?berg of Sweden.
Margaret Birtwistle of Great Britain,
British record-holder at over 128 feet.
From Yugoslavia, Matej.
From far-off Korea, Pong-Sik Pak.
Six feet of power from the USA:
Kaszubski.
Ostermeyer is France's main hope.
Gentile of Italy looks worried.
Another United States thrower: Dodson.
Calvesi of Italy.
Haidegger from Austria.
Mazeas, another French girl,
with a mighty throw.
And here's Cordiale-Gentile of Italy,
the favorite.
The best throw yet.
But again
it's Ostermeyer of France in front
with a throw of 137 feet,
six and a half inches.
And there's the winning throw.
And France has achieved
new Olympic honors.
A kiss from a teammate,
and then the traditional salute for
Gentile of Italy, who finished second.
The 100 meters dash, first trial
heat, with Barney Ewell, USA,
Laing of Jamaica,
McCorquodale of Great Britain,
Jacono of Malta and Lipski of Poland.
On their marks. Set. And they're off!
Barney Ewell taking the lead,
and McCorquodale of Great Britain
close on his heels.
At the tape it's Ewell first,
McCorquodale second.
The time: 10.5 seconds.
And here's heat six. McDonald Bailey
of Great Britain second from the left.
Set!
Bailey goes to the front
and then it's Clausen of Iceland.
Van Heerden of South Africa
in third place.
The time: 10.5 seconds.
Set!
In the second heat of the quarterfinals
Bailey makes a false start.
On their marks are Ewell, Bailey,
Curotta of Australia, Lewis of Trinidad,
Goldov?nyi of Hungary
and Clausen of Iceland.
They're away to a good start,
and again it's a duel
between Bailey and Barney Ewell.
Curotta of Australia
closes ground in the final strides,
but Ewell wins again,
with Bailey second and
number five Curotta
of Australia third.
The time once more: 10.5 seconds.
Set!
In the third heat of the quarterfinals
Valmy of France breaks through.
In this heat, Mel Patton of America
second from the right,
and number 36, McCorquodale
of Great Britain second from the left.
They're off.
Patton streaks into the lead
at the halfway mark.
That's McCorquodale running strongly,
but he can't catch Patton,
who wins in 10.4 seconds.
McCorquodale was runner-up.
Bartram of Australia taking third place.
Here's the first semifinal.
Three runners to qualify for the final.
Harris, Dillard and Ewell of the US
are on the far side,
and McCorquodale is
on the extreme right.
Set!
They're away.
Dillard, number 69, leaps into the lead,
with Ewell racing right alongside.
Ewell challenges, but Dillard
finishes strongly to the tape.
At the finish the
order remains Dillard
first, Ewell second
and McCorquodale third.
The winner's time: 10.5 seconds.
And so to the final itself,
and as Britain's hope, McCorquodale,
prepares for the big event,
thousands among the huge crowd
wish him good luck.
Get to your marks!
In the final are six
of the world's greatest sprinters -
Patton, the overwhelming favorite,
Ewell and Dillard of the USA,
McCorquodale and Bailey of Great Britain
and LaBeach of Panama.
Set!
Bailey breaks, causing a false start.
Then the nervous sprinters
return to their marks
as the huge crowd,
cramming every seat in the stadium,
settled down once again
in a hushed expectancy.
On their marks, set, and they're off,
with Dillard on the outside
getting away in front.
Now as we watch the race in slow motion,
left to right it's Dillard, Bailey,
McCorquodale, LaBeach, Ewell and Patton.
Dillard still holds his lead,
with Ewell resolutely closing ground.
At the tape, it's a photo finish.
And as they move into the turn
Barney Ewell dances with joy
in the belief that he has won
this great event.
Even Mel Patton moves up
to congratulate him.
But the winner was Harrison Dillard,
who equaled the Olympic record of 10.3.,
with Barney Ewell second
and LaBeach third.
Patton was fifth.
Over to John Snagge.
Throwing the javelin.
One of Great Britain's two entrants
was Miss G.M. Clarke,
but she failed to reach the first six.
Miss D.L. Dodson of the USA,
137 feet, seven and a half inches.
K. V. Parviainen of Finland,
striving to surpass
the 1936 Olympic record
of 148 feet,
two and three-quarter inches.
T.A. Manuel of the American team.
A good throw, but not quite good enough
to reach the first six.
Again it's Parviainen of Finland.
Poland is represented by M. Sinoracka,
another who failed to reach
the best half-dozen.
J.E. Teunissen-Waalboer
of the Netherlands.
134 feet, three inches.
D. Ingrov? of Czechoslovakia.
Now she too has failed
to reach the top rank.
J. Koning, another Dutch competitor.
132 feet, three and a half inches.
And now, H. Bauma of Austria.
It looks good.
And yes, it's the winning throw.
Not only that, but with a distance
of 149 feet, six inches,
it's a new Olympic record.
The longjump,
and representatives of 19 countries
are hoping to rival
the 1936 Olympic record
of 26 feet,
five and three-eighth inches
created by America's
immortal Jesse Owens.
That's Kistenmacher of Argentina.
But he failed to qualify for the finals.
Now Tom Bruce, Australia,
destined to achieve high honors
later in the contest.
One of Great Britain's hopes,
Harry Whittle, makes his first jump.
Now Lorenzo Wright, one of the three
United States competitors.
But at his first attempt
he pulls up before the takeoff
and has got to try again.
A second jump, and this time it's good.
Herb Douglas, also of the USA.
Georges Damitio of France.
But there's the red flag
and he's got to jump again.
Harry Whittle of Great Britain
has another try...
but fails to gain a
position in the final six.
Once more it's Lorenzo
Wright of the USA,
and with this attempt
he jumps into third place.
Prince Adedoyin of Great Britain also
pulls up and goes back to try again.
This time he's really on his way.
Now it's Bruce of Australia.
Twenty-four feet,
nine and a half inches, the best yet.
Lastly, the American, Willie Steele.
Yes, that was a victory jump -
a distance of 25 feet, eight inches.
The 1936 record of Jesse Owens
remains unbroken.
But a fine effort by two Americans
and one Australian is warmly applauded.
Set!
On their marks for
the 400-meter hurdles.
And they're away to a good start.
White of Ceylon, number 22,
sets the pace as they round the turn.
Ault of the USA, number 338,
and his teammate Cochran, number 339.
Despite the staggered lanes,
they are forging to the front.
Now Cochran goes right ahead,
and there he stays to the finish.
Yes, Cochran wins by six yards,
White in second
and Larsson of Sweden third.
Cochran's time was 61. 1 seconds,
a new Olympic record,
bringing fresh honors to the USA.
Over to Raymond Glendenning.
Throwing the hammer,
an event in which 17 nations take part.
Each competitor is allowed
three attempts to qualify
and should attain a distance
of 49 meters -
that's 160 feet,
nine and one-eighth inches -
to gain the final round.
Here's Nemeth, Hungary, making his
first throw in the qualifying round.
Nemeth reaches the required distance
and thus becomes an early qualifier
for the final.
Now here's S?derqvist of Sweden.
Bob Bennett of the USA is a left-hander.
Gang-Hwan Gin representing Korea.
He's come a long way for this,
but he swings...
Oh! Into the net.
Very despondently, Gang-Hwan Gin
makes way for the next competitor.
Hank Dreyer,
another of the American team.
Sam Felton, also of the USA.
176 feet and half an inch.
In the final two
was Bo Ericsson of Sweden.
His throw: 173 feet, ten inches.
Not so good.
Here's one of Great Britain's
three entries, Duncan Clark.
No, he's failed to gain a place
in the final six.
Now here again is the Hungarian, Nemeth,
and it's his final throw.
183 feet, 11 and a half inches!
A fine effort that makes Nemeth of
Hungary the new Olympic champion,
with Yugoslavia second
and America third.
Is it any wonder he looks pleased?
And now, preparations are under way for
the opening trials of the pole vault,
one of the most testing
of all field events.
The Olympic record is 14 feet,
three and a quarter inches,
created in 1936
by Earle Meadows of California.
But the world's record is held by
another American, Warmerdam.
Each competitor begins at 3.6 meters,
which is almost 12 feet,
and continues in three stages
until he reaches the qualifying height,
13 feet, one and a half inches.
Here's Vicente,
representing Puerto Rico.
Lundberg of Sweden, who qualified.
Kaas of Norway.
A vault of 13 feet, five inches.
Kataja of Finland.
And another Finnish competitor, Olenius.
Again it's Kataja,
and once more he easily clears the bar.
Now it's Victor Sillon of France.
And here at this point came the first
rainfall since the
beginning of the games.
This was a drenching interlude
which the crowds took cheerfully enough,
but which was not quite so welcome
for the competitors.
Vaulting with a wet
and slippery pole can
be a tricky and even
dangerous business.
But the final round is coming up,
rain or no.
Here's the American
favorite, Boo Morcom.
But he's right out of luck.
Results are marked up
as the bar rises step by step
and the ranks are thinned out.
Another American
contestant, Guinn Smith,
and he's well over.
Yet another of the American team,
Bob Richards.
Obviously the conditions
are getting rougher.
Again it's Kataja of Finland.
But this time he misses.
Bad luck. But Kataja does
gain second place in the end.
And finally, Guinn Smith of the USA
with the winning vault
made in the rainy dusk.
Fourteen feet, one and a quarter inches.
And another champion of the 14th
Olympiad is acclaimed by the nation.
Heavy rain had literally
saturated the track
by the time runners from seven nations
are called to get onto their marks
for the 5,000-meters final.
Set!
They're off,
and it's Makela of Finland, number 208,
going into an early lead.
But not for long.
All eyes are on the great Czech runner,
Z?topek, number 203.
He's been well there from the start.
And now, to the front he goes
with that devastating stride
that took him to victory
in the 10,000 meters.
If he can win this race, he'll register
the first double scored in these events
since 1912.
Now, Reiff of Belgium, number 195,
is in second place.
Four laps to go, and Zatopek looks well
set to achieve a second great victory.
Right behind, up in second place,
is Reiff of Belgium.
Zatopek! Zatopek! Zatopek!
Zatopek! Zatopek! Zatopek! Zatopek!
Zatopek! Zatopek!
Three laps from the finish, Reiff
springs the first surprise of the race
when he challenges
and passes the Czech.
Slijkhuis of Holland, number 189,
moves up into second position,
as Z?topek drops back,
apparently tired out.
Seen in slow motion, Reiff goes on,
increasing his lead to 40 yards.
And now, with amazing
suddenness, Z?topek,
who looked right out of the race,
comes after him with an amazing burst
over the last 300 yards.
- Zatopek! Zatopek!
- Even Reiff can hardly believe it.
But Zatopek's lightning spurt
has just come too late,
and Reiff beats him
in a breathtaking finish.
A delirious welcome from his fellow
Belgians awaits the valiant champion,
while the great-hearted Zatopek,
as runner-up,
moves past the victorious group.
Reiff has indeed proved a worthy winner
in putting up a new Olympic record.
But not one of the whole vast crowd
will ever forget
the all-out, last-minute effort
and indomitable courage
of Emil Z?topek.
Over to Stewart MacPherson.
Now we come to the first semifinal
of the women's 100 meters.
The first two qualify for the final.
That's Shirley Strickland,
number 668 of Australia,
and Lovso of Denmark, number 685.
Also prominent at the start are Fanny
Blankers-Koen of the Netherlands
and number 689,
Dorothy Batter of Great Britain,
Tagliaferri of Italy
and Lightbourn of Bermuda.
They're set, and they're off.
The halfway mark,
Blankers-Koen has forged ahead.
And on the left, it's a fight
between Strickland and Lovso.
Blankers-Koen wins, and Strickland
of Australia is runner-up.
The time, 12 seconds flat.
The second semifinal,
with Dorothy Manley of Great Britain,
Russell of Jamaica, de Jong of Holland,
Pat Jones of Canada,
Bergendorff of Denmark
and Daphne Robb of South Africa.
Set!
They're off, and it's a fight
between Dorothy Manley on the left
and Jones of Canada
and Robb of South Africa.
In a photo finish, Dorothy Manley wins,
with Pat Jones of Canada second.
The time, 12.4 seconds.
And so, to the final itself,
with Great Britain, Canada, Australia,
Holland and Jamaica.
Set!
They're away, and in slow motion,
Blankers-Koen moves into the lead.
On the left,
Dorothy Manley challenges strongly.
And third from the right, Strickland
comes up with grim determination.
Once more, it's a photo finish,
but there's no doubt about the winner -
Blankers-Koen of Holland
in 11.9 seconds.
Dorothy Manley of Great Britain
was runner-up
and Shirley Strickland of
Australia, third.
Holland had won
her first Olympic victory,
but the name of Fanny Blankers-Koen
was to become greater yet
as the games continued.
Anothergroup of officials are now
making ready for the next field event,
the hop, step and jump,
the world record for which
is 52 feet, six inches,
achieved at Berlin in 1936.
Here's Pereira da Silva of Brazil.
Da Silva qualified for the final with
a distance of 48 feet and half an inch.
Vera Guardia of Chile.
But he fails to qualify.
Hallgren of Sweden.
McKeand of Australia.
Forty-seven feet, nine inches.
Larsen of Denmark.
Moberg of Sweden.
Oliveira of Brazil.
And now the Australian hope,
G.G. Avery.
A distance of 50 feet,
four and three-quarter inches,
the best jump yet.
Now, what will Ahman of Sweden do?
Fifty feet, six and a quarter inches.
That was the winning effort, and yet
another athletic
triumph for Scandinavia.
Over to Harold Abrahams.
Putting the shot.
The shot weighs 16 pounds.
And here is James Fuchs
of the United States,
ready to make his throw.
Fuchs reached a distance
of 52 feet, one inch
in the qualifying round.
Lomowski of Poland.
He qualified with a distance
of 48 feet, three inches.
Lehtila of Finland also trying to
outdistance the 1936
Olympic record throw
of 53 feet,
one and three-quarter inches.
Wilbur Thompson of the United States.
That was the winning throw -
56 feet, two inches.
And a new Olympic record.
The 1948 champion looks
with satisfaction at the scores.
United States is first,
second and third,
each having broken the Olympic record.
Now the women competitors
from eight countries
are ready to take part
in the same event.
But with a much lighter shot
of eight and three-quarter pounds.
Representing Czechoslovakia,
Kom?rkov?.
Forty feet must be reached
in order to compete in the final.
Ostermeyer of France,
the 1948 Olympic champion
in the discus.
She qualifies.
Bevis Reid of Great Britain.
Another throw which made
the qualifying round.
Veste of France.
She also qualifies.
Schaffer of Austria in the final round.
Forty-two feet, 11 inches,
the best yet.
From Italy, Piccinini.
Better still.
Forty-two feet, 11 and a half inches.
Again, it's Ostermeyer of France.
Her final throw.
And it's 45 feet, one and a half inches.
The winning throw.
Eighty meters hurdles for women,
and here are two likely finalists,
Maureen Gardner of Great Britain
and Shirley Strickland of Australia.
Heat two in the first round.
Set!
They're off, and Gardner leads.
She knocks down the second hurdle.
But in spite of that,
she wins in 11.6 seconds,
only 1/10th of a second
outside the Olympic record.
Limbering up, a very necessary
preliminary for the final.
From the camera, the order is
Fanny Blankers-Koen of the Netherlands,
Maureen Gardner,
the British record holder,
Oberbreyer of Austria,
Monginou, France,
Strickland, Australia
and Lomsk? of Czechoslovakia.
It's a fine start.
And over the first hurdle,
it's Gardner who leads.
At the third hurdle,
Fanny Blankers-Koen is even.
Now she's ahead, and the Dutch
champion wins in 11.2 seconds,
a new Olympic and world record.
Maureen Gardner, the runner-up,
clocked the same record time,
but to Fanny Blankers-Koen
goes the honor of obtaining
a second Olympic title.
Just in time to join in the acclamation
for the women hurdlers,
Their Majesties arrived
in the Royal Box.
For the Queen, this second visit
to Wembley Stadium
is a birthday celebration.
Over to Bill Stern.
Men's high hurdles. They're off!
Finlay leads, well on his way
to his third Olympic final.
At the last hurdle, disaster.
He falls,
rolls over and fails to finish.
A tragic finale
for Britain's immortal hurdler.
On to the final. Three great Americans
with little to choose between them.
On the left, Scott, and on the
extreme right, Porter and Dixon.
Set!
They're off!
Watch Bill Porter go to the front.
The other two Americans
are neck-and-neck to the finish.
Porter wins by two yards,
and with a time
of 13 and 9/10th seconds,
it's another new Olympic record.
The 400-meters final.
A British commonwealth/United States
battle with McKenley and Wint of Jamaica
and Whitfield of the USA.
They're off.
World-record holder McKenley
dashes into the lead
and at the halfway mark is almost
ten yards up on the rest of the field.
Coming into the homestretch,
it's Wint who challenges the leader.
Fifty yards from the tape, it seemed
impossible that he could do it.
But he comes through
with a magnificent effort
to equal the Olympic record time
of 46.2 seconds.
Slow motion emphasizes
his perfect action
at the end of a brilliant race.
This outstanding 6'4" athlete
credits Jamaica
with her first Olympics victory ever.
Heavy rain made a dismal setting
for the next sprint event,
the women's 200-meters final.
On the inside, Blankers-Koen of Holland
and Strickland of Australia.
And away they go.
Right from the start,
the American and the
Australian girls made a great effort,
but there was no stopping Fanny
Blankers-Koen coming up on the inside.
The Dutch champion streaks away
up the home stretch
to win her third Olympic title
in the excellent time of 24.4 seconds,
seven yards ahead
of fast-finishing Audrey Williamson.
And what better place to finish
than in the arms
of her husband, coach and adviser.
And with her on the dais,
the gallant runners-up,
Audrey Williamson of Great Britain
and Audrey Patterson of the USA.
The women's sprint relay,
and a battle between Holland, Denmark,
Canada and Australia.
Denmark flashes into the lead
and is well ahead
as they come over to the first change.
Now the second change,
and at another vital point in the race,
smart work by the Canadian
and Australian girls
takes the lead from Denmark.
Coming up now to the last change.
Fanny Blankers-Koen waits
to carry the baton for Holland.
There she is in the second lane.
It's a fight right to the end.
But once more, Blankers-Koen
comes through in sensational style
to win her fourth Olympic title,
the first woman to do so
in the history of the games.
Well done, Fanny Blankers-Koen.
And well done,
Australia and Canada too.
400-meters men's relay.
And they're away to a great start.
Once again,
the Americans made the running,
streaking round the track
towards the disputed changeover.
A lightning change, Ewell to Wright.
And now it's Wright who keeps
the US team well in the lead,
with Great Britain challenging.
The next change,
and now it's Wright to Dillard,
who again carries the American colors to
the front with Britain still in pursuit.
The last vital stage.
And for America, it's Dillard
to yet another ace sprinter, Mel Patton.
Hot on his heels comes Jack Archer
of Great Britain,
putting on a final spirt.
But nothing can catch Patton now.
Up to the finishing line,
in slow motion,
a win for the USA, with Britain
in a very good second place.
At first, the victorious American team
were disqualified
for an alleged faulty changeover.
But this decision was later reversed.
The final result:
The USA first, Great Britain second,
Italy third.
Torbay, the chosen arena for the
yachtsmen of the Olympic regatta.
There are five classes competing
in the regatta:
The international six meter, the dragon,
the star, the swallow and the firefly.
Every class races
on each day of the regatta.
The final awards are based
on the total number of points
gained by each competing country.
Here's part of a typical contest
in the six meter class,
with a leading crew hoisting the
spinnaker as the wind freshens.
Now the star class.
Chief honors for the day
and for the regatta went to the USA.
A sport whose elements of comradeship,
danger and achievement
make it a very notable part
of any Olympiad.
Herne Hill, and the first leg
of the 2,000-meters tandem final.
Great Britain versus Italy,
and the British pair,
Reg Harris and Alan Bannister,
are well in the lead
as they reach the peak of the race.
But now the Italians
are dangerously close.
Britain crams on the pace,
but the Italians hang on grimly,
and now they make a determined sprint.
But Harris and Bannister
prove equal to the challenge.
Great Britain wins the race,
but not the title,
the Italians gaining the championship
by two victories to one.
Windsor and His Royal Highness,
the Duke of Edinburgh,
arrives to greet the
competitors at the
start of the cycle
road race of 120 miles.
Ninety-six riders from 29 countries,
and they're all set as the duke prepares
to fire the starting pistol.
A massive field,
all hoping to win Olympic honors.
But more than 40 of them
are doomed to drop out
before the end of the long grind.
In the early stages,
turns are something of a nightmare.
One fall in a field of this size
is generally followed by others.
Around the course, they keep a
sharp lookout for the leaders,
and here they come -
Johansson of Sweden
and the Dutch champions,
Voorting and Faanhof.
Down to another landmark of the course,
Blacknest Gate.
They take it in their stride, but
there's plenty of trouble not far ahead.
And here it comes.
A collision which has
plenty of repercussions.
Too bad that it happened
just where it did.
But even the arrival of the official car
doesn't stem the tide
of some perfectly natural feelings.
A story that needs no words.
On they go, but by this time,
the course is really taking its toll.
Andersen of Denmark has tire trouble,
and for the moment,
he's out of the running.
Faanhof of Holland deals
with his share of the bad luck.
The leaders push on,
but before long,
Faanhof has fixed that tire
and is ready for the next round.
Other casualties come thick and fast,
all working furiously
to get back into the race.
One by one, they're feeling the pace,
but they all battle on gamely,
determined to finish the course.
The service pits are kept busy
supplying spares and tires,
not forgetting the refreshments picked
up by the competitors as they flash by.
Round they come again,
and who's in front now?
It's a British rider, G.W. Thomas,
and with him Delathouwer of Belgium,
Voorting of Holland,
Hoobin of Australia
and Maitland, also of Great Britain.
Thomas still leads, going strongly
as they reach the last few miles.
Another downhill stretch,
and here's a newcomer in the lead.
It's Jose Beyaert of France.
Maitland of Britain is just behind.
Thomas has dropped back.
Now the order's changed again, and
Thomas of Britain is back in the lead.
Beyaert lies second.
And it's a duel all the way
between Britain and France.
Less than a mile to go,
and Beyaert really puts on the pressure.
And he's all on his own.
A brilliant sprint gives the Frenchman
an unbeatable lead,
and he's coming home to a great win.
Jose Beyaert had completed
a magnificent piece of riding -
120 miles
in just over five hours, 18 minutes.
The river Thames at Henley.
The famous battleground of so many
generations of British oarsmen
and now the picturesque setting
for the international rowing events
of the 14th Olympiad.
For three days, the heats and
semifinals were fought out,
and now, in the final of the eights,
it's a three-cornered fight
between Great Britain, Norway
and the United States of America.
Norway, on the far side,
USA in the center
and Great Britain nearest the camera.
From a good start,
the British crew go into the lead.
But already, the machine-like precision
of the Californian crew begins to tell.
At the 1,000-meter mark,
the Americans are ahead.
Britain makes a stern bid to draw level,
but it's too late.
The US crew
is two and a half lengths ahead,
coming home with that swinging stroke
of theirs to a resounding victory.
Another final, the coxed fours.
Three countries represented,
the USA, Switzerland and Denmark,
in one of the closest races
of the whole regatta.
Once again, the well-drilled Americans
are in the lead.
Close behind, the pursuing Swiss
are cramming on the pace.
So are the Danes.
But it's the American's
race from now on, and
there they go,
a victorious crew indeed.
To make the occasion compete,
the American custom of dunking the cox
is not forgotten.
The coxless pairs, and left to right,
Great Britain, Switzerland, Italy.
They're away,
and the British pair, Laurie
and Wilson, are watched by eager eyes
as Switzerland take an early lead
of half a length.
At 1,000 meters,
Laurie and Wilson are ahead,
a perfectly matched pair
in the race of their lives.
Switzerland make a strong challenge,
but the British pair,
rowing as well as ever, hold it off.
A final spurt, and Laurie and Wilson
come up to the finishing line
with the style of true champions.
So Britain scored one
of her two victories
in the Olympic regatta at Henley.
Back at Wembley Stadium,
the equestrian events reach their climax
with the Prix des Nations,
rightly celebrated
as the world's greatest show
jumping test for man and horse.
Forty-four riders,
the cream of 15 nations
and a thousand-meter course
with 16 obstacles,
each with its own peculiar difficulties.
An early competitor
clips one of the parallel bars,
and down it goes.
Major ?ncu of Turkey
has trouble at the double,
as many of them did.
Here's a sound jump,
but later progress is not quite so good.
Each obstacle knocked down
means four faults against the rider.
One of the French team,
Captain Maupeou d'Ableiges.
A good jump, and now for the next.
No, a bad fall!
And that led to his elimination.
Colonel Frierson of the United States
was equally unlucky,
to say nothing of a quick getaway
by his horse.
Danger ahead
for Captain Acthon of Denmark.
Major Martins of Portugal,
and a refusal at the logs,
the very first jump.
A penalty of three points,
but the second attempt is faultless.
Count Bettoni of Italy.
And here's Lieutenant Colonel Nicoll
of Great Britain on Kilgeddin.
Good going, Great Britain.
Captain Russell of the USA.
Yes, nicely over the parallel bars,
but at the rustic gates -
What a refusal.
The triple bars and the sleepers
seem to present the least difficulty.
This competitor clears
the stile nicely too.
Commandant Cruz of Spain
takes the jumps at a cracking pace.
Better still,
Captain Ruben Uriza of Mexico.
Only eight faults,
and that means he's tying for the lead.
But now comes Mariles Cortes,
also of Mexico,
who provides the real drama.
With very nearly
an immaculate performance,
Mariles Cortes, in the last ride of the
day, snatches the individual honors.
Mexico also achieves
the best team placing,
with Spain second
and Great Britain third
in the Prix des Nations.
The Empire Pool. High diving.
The men's final series, and for the USA,
Sammy Lee.
G.H. Mandy, South Africa.
R. Mulinghausen, France.
R.M. Stigersand, Norway.
L. Brunnhage, Sweden.
J.P. Capilla, Mexico.
Peter Heatly, Great Britain.
Bruce Harlan, USA.
And here again, America's Sammy Lee.
An outstanding exhibition,
which deservedly
won the high-diving
title for the USA.
With Lee on the rostrum
are his teammate Harlan, the runner-up,
and Capilla of Mexico in third place.
And now the women's high dive
final series.
Pat Elsener of the USA.
L.M. Bisbrown, Great Britain.
M. Pellissard, France.
M.A. Hider, Great Britain.
Gregersen, Denmark.
V.M. Draves of America.
Sammy Lee watches the next dive
by the same American hope, Vicki Draves.
And it's good.
Also from the US, June Stover.
A. Staudinger of Austria.
Another British hope, Denise Newman.
Again, Vicki Draves takes her place
on the high board,
and this is her last dive.
Yes, that was the dive which set the
seal on yet another American victory.
Vicki Draves becomes
the Olympic titleholder,
with Pat Elsener second
and B. Christoffersen
winning third place for Denmark.
The men's 100-meters backstroke final.
And they're away.
Six countries represented.
Great Britain, USA, France, Mexico,
Argentina and South Africa.
It's a battle of champions, but now
it's Stack of the USA in the lead,
with his teammate Cowell
and Vallerey of France close behind.
Cowell, USA, makes his big effort,
but it's Stack who comes home first,
with his fellow American second
and the Frenchman Vallerey third.
The winner's time,
one minute, 6.4 seconds.
The men's 200-meters breaststroke final.
They're away to a good start.
And it's the powerful American trio,
Verdeur, Carter and Sohl
meeting a strong challenge
from Australia, Yugoslavia and Brazil.
All but one of the competitors
are using the butterfly stroke.
And there are Verdeur and Carter
forging ahead,
with the third American, Sohl,
and Davies of Australia well up too.
It's the last lap, and it's Verdeur,
the world's record holder.
That's him in the center,
sweeping home into first place
in a new Olympic record time
of two minutes, 39.3 seconds.
The runner-up is Carter,
also making record time.
Third was Sohl,
again for the United States.
And fourth, Davies of Australia.
An outstanding national victory as the
Stars and Stripes take pride of place.
Climax of the women's swimming events,
the 400-meters freestyle.
The American favorite, Ann Curtis,
the Danish champion, Karen Harup
and the British hope,
17-year-old Cathie Gibson
were outstanding among the eight
star swimmers from five countries.
America, Britain, Denmark and Belgium
all battle it out for the lead.
Ann Curtis leads the field
with that long, easy stroke of hers.
Denmark and Belgium are well there,
and so is Cathie Gibson
of Great Britain.
The final stretch, and now
a tremendous spurt by Cathie Gibson.
She's coming up, but no,
it's going to be Ann Curtis of America
who's going to get there first.
Harup of Denmark is next,
and in the second lane from the left,
the British girl,
after a gallant effort, comes third.
Each of the first five
had broken the 1936 Olympic record,
the winner's time being
five minutes, 17.8 seconds.
A magnificent achievement by Ann Curtis,
Karen Harup and Cathie Gibson,
who together had written a new chapter
of Olympic swimming history.
Water polo.
Italy meets Holland in one
of the key matches of the final group.
The Italians, whose speed and skill
is well-matched by the Dutch team,
gradually gain the upper hand after
some exciting, rough and rugged play.
There's a shot from the wing.
It's close.
And the rebound. And Holland scores.
But the final score,
Italy 4, the Netherlands 2,
a result that left Italy
with an unbeaten record
to gain the championship
for the whole series.
Wembley Stadium and the eagerly
awaited result of the decathlon.
Ten contests had to be completed
within two days, whatever the weather.
The most grueling test
of athletic versatility in the world.
The winner,
17-year-old Robert Mathias of the USA.
He has rightly earned the title
of the greatest all-around athlete
of the 14th Olympiad.
The marathon race, the sternest of all
tests of endurance for any athlete.
Forty-one of the world's finest runners
representing 22 nations
are ready to begin the race
over a course of more than 26 miles.
The marathon begins.
One of the three Koreans, Choi,
goes to the front
to lead the procession
out of the stadium.
A brave company.
But how many will survive
the long and weary course?
Out on the Olympic Way,
and Choi of Korea leads.
Heino, the great Finn,
with Seo, another Korean.
Running together
are the South African pair,
Coleman and Luyt.
Number 252 is ?tienne Gailly,
the young Belgian,
running with Luo of China.
Jack Holden, Great Britain's chief hope,
not far from the leaders.
Gailly continues to set the pace.
For the first time,
Cabrera of Argentina is seen.
Another British runner, Tom Richards,
well back but reserving his power.
Bad news for Britain, as Jack Holden,
after struggling on for miles
with badly blistered feet,
is forced to retire.
But Great Britain is still there
with Tom Richards.
Choi still battles on for Korea.
Fatigue attacks Larsen of Denmark.
Choi, the Korean,
has now dropped to a walk.
Nearer yet to the goal, but Gailly,
his effort apparently spent,
has now been passed by Richards
of Great Britain.
But Gailly rallies and retakes the lead.
Close up is that figure of
fate, Cabrera, the Argentinean,
dogging the footsteps
of the exhausted leader.
?tienne Gailly of Belgium
is first into the arena,
a figure heroic and tragic,
staggering onwards
like a man in a dream.
Next, Cabrera, the fateful challenger.
Unexpected good news
for British spectators -
the arrival of Tom Richards.
Richards, too, bears down upon Gailly.
All eyes are on the brave Belgian.
Now Richards makes a fighting effort
to overtake Cabrera.
But it's too late.
On goes Cabrera,
a worthy marathon champion.
Tom Richards of Great Britain
a good second.
Third, ?tienne Gailly of Belgium.
The marathon race of 1948
has been well-run indeed,
an achievement
in the true Olympic tradition.
The 14th Olympiad comes to an end.
Victory in sportsmanship
and in peace.
of the ancient Greek Olympic Games
is shrouded in the mists
of mankind's memory.
But history records their regular
celebration from the year 776 BC.
The games combined
the Greeks' deep religious sense
with the cult of their great ideal -
physical strength and beauty.
The festival was held every four years,
and three months beforehand
the messengers of Zeus set forth
to proclaim a truce
throughout the Greek world.
Strife was outlawed,
and the state sent their champions
to compete at Olympia.
The signal for the start of the games
was the lighting of the sacred flame.
This was first kindled in an olive twig
by the magnified rays of the sun.
The twig, in turn,
was used to light the lamp
which burned continuously
throughout the games.
It is this flame which nowadays
is carried by the relay of torchbearers
to wherever the games are being held.
The message is borne
from the shores of Greece
to the snowfields of Switzerland.
The flag, with its linked circles,
represents the five continents
of the world joined together
in the brotherhood of sport.
"V" for victory.
Victory not in war, not in wealth,
not in tyranny,
but in sportsmanship and in peace.
The first Winter
Olympic Games were held in 1924
and proved such a success that they have
been included in each Olympiad since.
The fifth winter games were held
this year in St. Moritz.
The opening ceremony took place
in the ice hockey stadium
where a large crowd was gathered to
watch on the snowy, fur-clad slopes
which formed a natural arena.
The teams of the nations marched in
in French alphabetical order,
except that Greece,
as the originator, led the way
and Switzerland, the host nation,
came last.
Canada.
And here comes Barbara Ann Scott
with her delightful smile.
Next, the Danes.
The Americans were there in force,
smartly uniformed.
Here's a pretty bunch of cover girls.
France.
The British team, led by Graham Sharp,
world figure skating champion in 1939.
Holland and Hungary
follow in quick succession.
And lastly, the home team, the Swiss.
They are the hosts.
Their officials have had to make
all the complicated arrangements
for a variety of events -
skiing, ski jumping,
skeleton riding on the Cresta run,
bobsledding, speed and figure skating
and ice hockey.
The unknown factor was the weather,
which, on this opening day, was perfect.
The oath of amateurism was taken
by a veteran Swiss ice hockey player
on behalf of all competitors.
We swear that we will take part
in the Olympic Games
in loyal competition,
respecting the regulations
which govern them
and desirous of participating in them
in the true spirit of sportsmanship,
for the honor of our country
and the glory of sport.
In Scandinavia,
where modern skiing started,
the main interest lies in ski jumping
and in the classic langlauf,
or long-distance race.
The langlauf begins and ends
at the same height,
without any very great variations
on the way.
It is a real test of
the skier's endurance
and his ability to get
the best out of his skis.
Comparing it with downhill racing,
the favorite sport of the Swiss,
is like comparing a seven-mile walker
with a sprinter.
The ski runners start at intervals
of not less than a half a minute,
in the order of the numbers they draw.
Scandinavians won the first ten places,
the first three being Swedes.
Here's Martin Lundstr?m
of Sweden starting.
Lundstr?m turned out to be the winner.
And here he is,
vigorously approaching the finish.
A man being overhauled must give way
at the shout of his pursuer.
It is not a race that the average,
uninitiated onlooker
gets much thrill from,
but to the technical spectator
it is full of interest.
Now for a quite different
form of ski racing -
the modern slalom, first started
by the famous English skier Arnold Lunn.
The skier must weave and slither
down a steep course
between pairs of flags,
cunningly placed,
so that great control
and skill in turning
are needed to negotiate the turns.
Ski racing is all done on timing,
and in the slalom
every tenth of a second counts.
That's the Swiss, Lina Mittner.
Here's an English girl finishing:
Rosemarie Sparrow.
Lucienne Schmidt-Couttet of France.
Another French girl, Suzanne Thiolliere.
And here comes Gretchen
Fraser of America,
second in this combined event
and a very popular, if unexpected,
winner of the special slalom.
The French girls were the favorites
for the combined race,
but only placed one in the first nine.
And now the men show their paces.
That's Sverre Johannessen of Norway.
With a flick of his ski stick, he breaks
the wire controlling the timing device.
Here's a Czech: Lubos Brchel.
Next, Canada's Hector Sutherland.
And now, number five,
Henri Oreiller of France,
who won the downhill race.
He was fifth in this event,
but on the combined result
of the two races came first.
Here's James Couttet finishing.
He won the combined slalom
and is heartily congratulated
by Oreiller and others.
Speed skaters.
In the Olympics they race in pairs
to have someone to race against,
but the results are purely on timing.
And now for further commentary,
here is Bill Stern.
Here's the start
of the skeleton race
at the top of the famous Cresta run,
introduced by the British
at the end of the last century
and for many years their specialty.
It's a ribbon of polished ice
three-quarters of a mile long
rebuilt each year under the expert eyes
of Benzoni, its Italian architect.
Riders go singly,
lying face downwards on their skeleton,
as the steel-framework
toboggan is called.
The skeleton has got a sliding seat
for riding in the forward position.
The toboggan moves at terrific speed,
reaching almost 80 miles an hour
at the finish.
Now you're watching
the final day's run from the top.
The riders are taking Shuttlecock,
the most famous bend of all,
where many come to grief.
Here's one over the top now.
He waves his arm to the control tower
to signal that he's all right.
The next casualty is Hirigoyen,
the bouncing bat.
He went over Shuttlecock
more times than anybody last season.
There's Bibbia, the Italian,
watching some of his rivals.
There's another out of the running.
We're at the finish now,
and here comes Crammond, Britain's ace.
This is Colonel Jimmy Coats,
the British captain.
Not bad for 53.
That's Martin of America,
a novice this season and very promising.
That's Hirigoyen again.
He's managed to finish this time,
and isn't he pleased.
And he's got something
to be pleased about.
Remember that with your face
skimming only a few inches from the ice,
riding the Cresta is
a minute of the most
intense concentration
you can imagine.
As you see by this next rider,
he's absolutely all in.
Well, the final order was:
First, Bibbia of Italy,
second, Heaton of America
and third, Crammond of Great Britain.
Bibbia was congratulated by the
president of the Cresta, Lord Brabazon.
The bobsled. The bobsled course
is a mile and a quarter long.
The record for it is one minute,
16 and five-tenths seconds,
held by Feierabend, the Swiss.
The RAF represented Britain,
and here you see the number-one crew
getting out their sled and weighing in.
A bobsled must not weigh
more than 502 pounds
and is ridden by a team of four
on whose weight there is no restriction,
hence the crew you see.
There goes the British team.
Number one steers, two and three
are ballast and four is brakeman,
besides being responsible
for the initial push-off.
Here comes the British team
up to the finish,
with the empty Cresta course
running parallel on the right.
They finish seventh.
That's France starting.
And now comes the USA number-two team,
which eventually won
with an aggregate of five minutes,
20 and one-tenth seconds for four runs.
There's the crack Swiss number-one team,
who were going so fast that they
overran the finish and rammed the bank.
Their first run was the fastest of all -
one minute, 16 and nine-tenths seconds,
only two-fifths of a
second off the record.
Despite this, they are only finished
fourth on their four-run total.
Here's the French team starting in the
race for boblets, manned by two only.
They must not weigh
more than 360 pounds,
but again, their riders
can be as heavy as they like.
And there goes America!
The curves all have apt names,
like Snake, Sunny and Horseshoe.
Horseshoe, the most terrifying of all,
where the turn is so acute
that riders often get a blackout.
That's a British pair, Wing Commander
Coles and Group Captain Collings.
Here they go through Sunny,
and now past Trees, under Bridge,
over Leap and up to the finish.
Here comes the US second pair,
Fortune and Carron, who are third.
Now the triumphant Swiss,
who took first and second place.
And now back to Ted Husing.
Great Britain were the holders
of the ice hockey title,
but Canada and Czechoslovakia
were the favorites
in what proved to be a most open event.
Here you see the American Amateur
Hockey Association team
playing Switzerland in the first match.
The Americans started slowly,
but later speeded up.
It turned out to be a close fight,
the Swiss winning five goals to four.
Canada and Czechoslovakia
drew in the key match,
neither team scoring,
but both teams won all
their other matches
and Canada gained the championship
on goal average.
Switzerland was third with six wins,
USA fourth, Sweden fifth
and Britain sixth,
followed by Poland, Austria and Italy.
Here, practicing for
the pairs figure skating championship,
are the Belgians,
Micheline Lannoy and Pierre Baugniet,
who won the title.
Suzanne Morrow and Wallace Diestelmeyer
of Canada, who came third.
Barbara Ann Scott.
She won the compulsory figures,
and here she's practicing
for the free skating.
And now for the day itself.
First, the men's free skating.
This is Edi Rada, the Austrian
champion who finished third.
After each competitor,
the judges show the marks
they have awarded,
first for the content of the program,
its variety and artistry,
and then again
for the manner of performance.
The winner was New Jersey's Dick Button,
and here he is.
Second in the men's event
was Hans Gerschwiler of Switzerland.
Graham Sharp of Britain was seventh.
Button electrified the crowd
with his phenomenal jumps.
Just watch this.
Gretchen Merrill,
the American champion, was
disappointingly low
in the women's event.
She was sixth in the compulsory figures
and eighth in the free skating.
Eva Pawlik of Austria was second.
Jeanette Altwegg of Britain, third.
Other British girls did very well too.
Bridget Shirley Adams was seventh,
and here's Jill Hood-Linzee skating now.
Down, but not out.
She finished 19th.
And here is the champion,
Barbara Ann Scott,
giving the exhibition of free skating
which won her the Olympic crown.
Sheer perfection.
She brought the crowd to their feet,
a champion in every lovely line.
And now again, Bill Stern.
And now for one of
the most beautiful and
spectacular of winter
sports, ski jumping.
It's the nearest thing
to flying you ever saw.
Clas Haraldsson of
Sweden, he came fourth.
Italy's Alf Prucker.
Heikki Hasu of Finland.
Eilert Dahl of Norway.
It's a spectacle of sheer beauty,
and yet almost terrifying to watch.
You can't imagine how those birdmen
can possibly keep their balance
on a jump of well over 200 feet.
The art of the jump is to keep
the skis parallel and together.
Otherwise,
on landing the chances are that the
jumper will take a nasty
spill, like this.
A Canadian, Wilber Irwin.
The Norwegians, who invented
ski jumping, still excel in it
and took the first three places
in the special jump.
But Gordon Wren of America
did well to come fifth,
and he was second in his combined jump.
Now we see the greatest test
of the courage and skill of the skier
as opposed to the ski jumper:
The downhill race for men.
There were 120 entries from 24 nations.
The race, of course,
was on timing, the
runners starting at
half-minute intervals.
A fall will cost the runner
at least five seconds
and probably ruins his chances
of gaining a place.
Most of the early starters are the best.
That's Barney McLean of America.
The Swiss, Fernand Grosjean,
who was eighth.
Olle Dalman of Sweden,
just under control.
Next, Eberhard Kneisl, Austria.
He finished 15th.
Jean Pazzi, France.
Karl Molitor of Switzerland,
one of the favorites,
who tied for third place
with a fellow Swiss, Rolf Olinger.
There's Roberto Lacedelli.
That fall put him out of the race.
Here's Pentti Alonen of Finland.
An American now, Devereaux Jennings.
Now we're looking at the final stretch
leading to the finish.
Well, that's one way of finishing.
That's number 73,
Tine Mulej of Yugoslavia.
This race was over a course of more than
two miles with a drop of 2,600 feet.
The average time that the starters took
was just over three minutes.
At times they reached speeds
of nearly 60 miles an hour.
Jimmy Palmer-Tomkinson,
the British captain, had two falls,
which put him out of the running.
Sergeant Harry Taylor, who'd only done
15 weeks skiing while in the army,
completed the course
and was by no means last -
a commendable effort.
Back at our first observation post,
things begin to happen.
Hans Hansson of Sweden comes a cropper.
So does Sverre Johannessen of Norway.
But both manage to finish.
Harvey Clifford of Canada.
?ke Nilsson of Sweden
was out of luck too.
That fall must have cost him several
places, and he finished 38th.
And there's Henri Oreiller of France,
who won in the amazing time
of two minutes and 55 seconds.
Look out, mister!
But Vittorio Chierroni recovers well
and finishes 21st.
And again, back to Ted Husing.
Andso ended
the fifth Winter Olympic Games.
As the crowds of onlookers
dispersed for the last time,
their minds traveled back
over the outstanding memories
of those splendid days.
The endurance of the langlaufers,
the skill of the slalomers,
the speed and nerve
of the Cresta and bobsled riders
and downhill ski racers,
the grace and flawless technique
of the skaters,
the dash and split-second timing
of the ice hockey players.
A cavalcade of sport and beauty
to gladden any heart.
Yes, it was all over.
But there were further feats to come
in the Summer Olympics,
fresh laurels to be won
by the athletes of the world.
"V" for victory.
Victory not in war, not in wealth,
not in tyranny,
but in sportsmanship and in peace.
His Majesty the King was received by
the president of the games, Lord Portal,
who presented the president of the
Olympic Committee, Mr. Sigfrid Edstr?m,
and the chairman of the organizing
committee, Lord Burghley,
himself an Olympic
hurdles champion of 1928.
The march past.
And by tradition, Greece led the
procession of competitors
into the arena.
One by one the standards dipped
in salute as team followed team,
cheered by 80,000 spectators.
The Dominion of Canada.
Czechoslovakia, also greeted
in the true Olympic spirit.
The tricolor of France.
The new Dominion of India.
Valiant Malta,
whose team of two athletes had one of
the warmest-hearted greetings of all.
The Netherlands.
New Zealand,
another of the smaller teams,
was followed by
the powerful contingent from Norway.
Another new entry:
The Dominion of Pakistan.
The Union of South Africa.
The spectacular entry of
the United States of America,
their amassed ranks representing
their country's greatest Olympic team.
Finally, as hosts, came Great Britain,
and the gathering of 58 countries
was complete.
The stage was set, and the nations
awaited the royal proclamation.
I proclaim open...
the Olympic Games of London...
celebrating the 14th Olympiad
of the modern era.
Filling the arena
with the sound of beating wings,
7,000 pigeons circle the stadium
before carrying,
by ancient Greek tradition,
the news that the games had begun.
And so, to the most
dramatic moment of all -
the arrival of the Olympic flame,
the last link in the
long chain of runners
between ancient Olympia
and Great Britain.
A moment so stirring
that even the competitors could not help
breaking ranks and throwing the track
to greet this athlete
spanning the centuries.
And now, the kindling of the
sacred flame of the 14th Olympiad.
Then followed a solemn dedication
as Wing Commander Donald Finlay,
a great British hurdler,
takes the Olympic oath
on behalf of all competing in the games.
We swear that we will take part
in the Olympic Games
in loyal competition,
respecting the regulations
which govern them
and desirous of participating in them
in the true spirit of sportsmanship
for the honor of our country
and for the glory of sport.
The second day
saw the start of the athletic events.
The first Olympic championship to be
decided was the women's discus throw.
The discus weighs just over two pounds,
and the world record throw
is 158 feet, six inches.
Here's ?berg of Sweden.
Margaret Birtwistle of Great Britain,
British record-holder at over 128 feet.
From Yugoslavia, Matej.
From far-off Korea, Pong-Sik Pak.
Six feet of power from the USA:
Kaszubski.
Ostermeyer is France's main hope.
Gentile of Italy looks worried.
Another United States thrower: Dodson.
Calvesi of Italy.
Haidegger from Austria.
Mazeas, another French girl,
with a mighty throw.
And here's Cordiale-Gentile of Italy,
the favorite.
The best throw yet.
But again
it's Ostermeyer of France in front
with a throw of 137 feet,
six and a half inches.
And there's the winning throw.
And France has achieved
new Olympic honors.
A kiss from a teammate,
and then the traditional salute for
Gentile of Italy, who finished second.
The 100 meters dash, first trial
heat, with Barney Ewell, USA,
Laing of Jamaica,
McCorquodale of Great Britain,
Jacono of Malta and Lipski of Poland.
On their marks. Set. And they're off!
Barney Ewell taking the lead,
and McCorquodale of Great Britain
close on his heels.
At the tape it's Ewell first,
McCorquodale second.
The time: 10.5 seconds.
And here's heat six. McDonald Bailey
of Great Britain second from the left.
Set!
Bailey goes to the front
and then it's Clausen of Iceland.
Van Heerden of South Africa
in third place.
The time: 10.5 seconds.
Set!
In the second heat of the quarterfinals
Bailey makes a false start.
On their marks are Ewell, Bailey,
Curotta of Australia, Lewis of Trinidad,
Goldov?nyi of Hungary
and Clausen of Iceland.
They're away to a good start,
and again it's a duel
between Bailey and Barney Ewell.
Curotta of Australia
closes ground in the final strides,
but Ewell wins again,
with Bailey second and
number five Curotta
of Australia third.
The time once more: 10.5 seconds.
Set!
In the third heat of the quarterfinals
Valmy of France breaks through.
In this heat, Mel Patton of America
second from the right,
and number 36, McCorquodale
of Great Britain second from the left.
They're off.
Patton streaks into the lead
at the halfway mark.
That's McCorquodale running strongly,
but he can't catch Patton,
who wins in 10.4 seconds.
McCorquodale was runner-up.
Bartram of Australia taking third place.
Here's the first semifinal.
Three runners to qualify for the final.
Harris, Dillard and Ewell of the US
are on the far side,
and McCorquodale is
on the extreme right.
Set!
They're away.
Dillard, number 69, leaps into the lead,
with Ewell racing right alongside.
Ewell challenges, but Dillard
finishes strongly to the tape.
At the finish the
order remains Dillard
first, Ewell second
and McCorquodale third.
The winner's time: 10.5 seconds.
And so to the final itself,
and as Britain's hope, McCorquodale,
prepares for the big event,
thousands among the huge crowd
wish him good luck.
Get to your marks!
In the final are six
of the world's greatest sprinters -
Patton, the overwhelming favorite,
Ewell and Dillard of the USA,
McCorquodale and Bailey of Great Britain
and LaBeach of Panama.
Set!
Bailey breaks, causing a false start.
Then the nervous sprinters
return to their marks
as the huge crowd,
cramming every seat in the stadium,
settled down once again
in a hushed expectancy.
On their marks, set, and they're off,
with Dillard on the outside
getting away in front.
Now as we watch the race in slow motion,
left to right it's Dillard, Bailey,
McCorquodale, LaBeach, Ewell and Patton.
Dillard still holds his lead,
with Ewell resolutely closing ground.
At the tape, it's a photo finish.
And as they move into the turn
Barney Ewell dances with joy
in the belief that he has won
this great event.
Even Mel Patton moves up
to congratulate him.
But the winner was Harrison Dillard,
who equaled the Olympic record of 10.3.,
with Barney Ewell second
and LaBeach third.
Patton was fifth.
Over to John Snagge.
Throwing the javelin.
One of Great Britain's two entrants
was Miss G.M. Clarke,
but she failed to reach the first six.
Miss D.L. Dodson of the USA,
137 feet, seven and a half inches.
K. V. Parviainen of Finland,
striving to surpass
the 1936 Olympic record
of 148 feet,
two and three-quarter inches.
T.A. Manuel of the American team.
A good throw, but not quite good enough
to reach the first six.
Again it's Parviainen of Finland.
Poland is represented by M. Sinoracka,
another who failed to reach
the best half-dozen.
J.E. Teunissen-Waalboer
of the Netherlands.
134 feet, three inches.
D. Ingrov? of Czechoslovakia.
Now she too has failed
to reach the top rank.
J. Koning, another Dutch competitor.
132 feet, three and a half inches.
And now, H. Bauma of Austria.
It looks good.
And yes, it's the winning throw.
Not only that, but with a distance
of 149 feet, six inches,
it's a new Olympic record.
The longjump,
and representatives of 19 countries
are hoping to rival
the 1936 Olympic record
of 26 feet,
five and three-eighth inches
created by America's
immortal Jesse Owens.
That's Kistenmacher of Argentina.
But he failed to qualify for the finals.
Now Tom Bruce, Australia,
destined to achieve high honors
later in the contest.
One of Great Britain's hopes,
Harry Whittle, makes his first jump.
Now Lorenzo Wright, one of the three
United States competitors.
But at his first attempt
he pulls up before the takeoff
and has got to try again.
A second jump, and this time it's good.
Herb Douglas, also of the USA.
Georges Damitio of France.
But there's the red flag
and he's got to jump again.
Harry Whittle of Great Britain
has another try...
but fails to gain a
position in the final six.
Once more it's Lorenzo
Wright of the USA,
and with this attempt
he jumps into third place.
Prince Adedoyin of Great Britain also
pulls up and goes back to try again.
This time he's really on his way.
Now it's Bruce of Australia.
Twenty-four feet,
nine and a half inches, the best yet.
Lastly, the American, Willie Steele.
Yes, that was a victory jump -
a distance of 25 feet, eight inches.
The 1936 record of Jesse Owens
remains unbroken.
But a fine effort by two Americans
and one Australian is warmly applauded.
Set!
On their marks for
the 400-meter hurdles.
And they're away to a good start.
White of Ceylon, number 22,
sets the pace as they round the turn.
Ault of the USA, number 338,
and his teammate Cochran, number 339.
Despite the staggered lanes,
they are forging to the front.
Now Cochran goes right ahead,
and there he stays to the finish.
Yes, Cochran wins by six yards,
White in second
and Larsson of Sweden third.
Cochran's time was 61. 1 seconds,
a new Olympic record,
bringing fresh honors to the USA.
Over to Raymond Glendenning.
Throwing the hammer,
an event in which 17 nations take part.
Each competitor is allowed
three attempts to qualify
and should attain a distance
of 49 meters -
that's 160 feet,
nine and one-eighth inches -
to gain the final round.
Here's Nemeth, Hungary, making his
first throw in the qualifying round.
Nemeth reaches the required distance
and thus becomes an early qualifier
for the final.
Now here's S?derqvist of Sweden.
Bob Bennett of the USA is a left-hander.
Gang-Hwan Gin representing Korea.
He's come a long way for this,
but he swings...
Oh! Into the net.
Very despondently, Gang-Hwan Gin
makes way for the next competitor.
Hank Dreyer,
another of the American team.
Sam Felton, also of the USA.
176 feet and half an inch.
In the final two
was Bo Ericsson of Sweden.
His throw: 173 feet, ten inches.
Not so good.
Here's one of Great Britain's
three entries, Duncan Clark.
No, he's failed to gain a place
in the final six.
Now here again is the Hungarian, Nemeth,
and it's his final throw.
183 feet, 11 and a half inches!
A fine effort that makes Nemeth of
Hungary the new Olympic champion,
with Yugoslavia second
and America third.
Is it any wonder he looks pleased?
And now, preparations are under way for
the opening trials of the pole vault,
one of the most testing
of all field events.
The Olympic record is 14 feet,
three and a quarter inches,
created in 1936
by Earle Meadows of California.
But the world's record is held by
another American, Warmerdam.
Each competitor begins at 3.6 meters,
which is almost 12 feet,
and continues in three stages
until he reaches the qualifying height,
13 feet, one and a half inches.
Here's Vicente,
representing Puerto Rico.
Lundberg of Sweden, who qualified.
Kaas of Norway.
A vault of 13 feet, five inches.
Kataja of Finland.
And another Finnish competitor, Olenius.
Again it's Kataja,
and once more he easily clears the bar.
Now it's Victor Sillon of France.
And here at this point came the first
rainfall since the
beginning of the games.
This was a drenching interlude
which the crowds took cheerfully enough,
but which was not quite so welcome
for the competitors.
Vaulting with a wet
and slippery pole can
be a tricky and even
dangerous business.
But the final round is coming up,
rain or no.
Here's the American
favorite, Boo Morcom.
But he's right out of luck.
Results are marked up
as the bar rises step by step
and the ranks are thinned out.
Another American
contestant, Guinn Smith,
and he's well over.
Yet another of the American team,
Bob Richards.
Obviously the conditions
are getting rougher.
Again it's Kataja of Finland.
But this time he misses.
Bad luck. But Kataja does
gain second place in the end.
And finally, Guinn Smith of the USA
with the winning vault
made in the rainy dusk.
Fourteen feet, one and a quarter inches.
And another champion of the 14th
Olympiad is acclaimed by the nation.
Heavy rain had literally
saturated the track
by the time runners from seven nations
are called to get onto their marks
for the 5,000-meters final.
Set!
They're off,
and it's Makela of Finland, number 208,
going into an early lead.
But not for long.
All eyes are on the great Czech runner,
Z?topek, number 203.
He's been well there from the start.
And now, to the front he goes
with that devastating stride
that took him to victory
in the 10,000 meters.
If he can win this race, he'll register
the first double scored in these events
since 1912.
Now, Reiff of Belgium, number 195,
is in second place.
Four laps to go, and Zatopek looks well
set to achieve a second great victory.
Right behind, up in second place,
is Reiff of Belgium.
Zatopek! Zatopek! Zatopek!
Zatopek! Zatopek! Zatopek! Zatopek!
Zatopek! Zatopek!
Three laps from the finish, Reiff
springs the first surprise of the race
when he challenges
and passes the Czech.
Slijkhuis of Holland, number 189,
moves up into second position,
as Z?topek drops back,
apparently tired out.
Seen in slow motion, Reiff goes on,
increasing his lead to 40 yards.
And now, with amazing
suddenness, Z?topek,
who looked right out of the race,
comes after him with an amazing burst
over the last 300 yards.
- Zatopek! Zatopek!
- Even Reiff can hardly believe it.
But Zatopek's lightning spurt
has just come too late,
and Reiff beats him
in a breathtaking finish.
A delirious welcome from his fellow
Belgians awaits the valiant champion,
while the great-hearted Zatopek,
as runner-up,
moves past the victorious group.
Reiff has indeed proved a worthy winner
in putting up a new Olympic record.
But not one of the whole vast crowd
will ever forget
the all-out, last-minute effort
and indomitable courage
of Emil Z?topek.
Over to Stewart MacPherson.
Now we come to the first semifinal
of the women's 100 meters.
The first two qualify for the final.
That's Shirley Strickland,
number 668 of Australia,
and Lovso of Denmark, number 685.
Also prominent at the start are Fanny
Blankers-Koen of the Netherlands
and number 689,
Dorothy Batter of Great Britain,
Tagliaferri of Italy
and Lightbourn of Bermuda.
They're set, and they're off.
The halfway mark,
Blankers-Koen has forged ahead.
And on the left, it's a fight
between Strickland and Lovso.
Blankers-Koen wins, and Strickland
of Australia is runner-up.
The time, 12 seconds flat.
The second semifinal,
with Dorothy Manley of Great Britain,
Russell of Jamaica, de Jong of Holland,
Pat Jones of Canada,
Bergendorff of Denmark
and Daphne Robb of South Africa.
Set!
They're off, and it's a fight
between Dorothy Manley on the left
and Jones of Canada
and Robb of South Africa.
In a photo finish, Dorothy Manley wins,
with Pat Jones of Canada second.
The time, 12.4 seconds.
And so, to the final itself,
with Great Britain, Canada, Australia,
Holland and Jamaica.
Set!
They're away, and in slow motion,
Blankers-Koen moves into the lead.
On the left,
Dorothy Manley challenges strongly.
And third from the right, Strickland
comes up with grim determination.
Once more, it's a photo finish,
but there's no doubt about the winner -
Blankers-Koen of Holland
in 11.9 seconds.
Dorothy Manley of Great Britain
was runner-up
and Shirley Strickland of
Australia, third.
Holland had won
her first Olympic victory,
but the name of Fanny Blankers-Koen
was to become greater yet
as the games continued.
Anothergroup of officials are now
making ready for the next field event,
the hop, step and jump,
the world record for which
is 52 feet, six inches,
achieved at Berlin in 1936.
Here's Pereira da Silva of Brazil.
Da Silva qualified for the final with
a distance of 48 feet and half an inch.
Vera Guardia of Chile.
But he fails to qualify.
Hallgren of Sweden.
McKeand of Australia.
Forty-seven feet, nine inches.
Larsen of Denmark.
Moberg of Sweden.
Oliveira of Brazil.
And now the Australian hope,
G.G. Avery.
A distance of 50 feet,
four and three-quarter inches,
the best jump yet.
Now, what will Ahman of Sweden do?
Fifty feet, six and a quarter inches.
That was the winning effort, and yet
another athletic
triumph for Scandinavia.
Over to Harold Abrahams.
Putting the shot.
The shot weighs 16 pounds.
And here is James Fuchs
of the United States,
ready to make his throw.
Fuchs reached a distance
of 52 feet, one inch
in the qualifying round.
Lomowski of Poland.
He qualified with a distance
of 48 feet, three inches.
Lehtila of Finland also trying to
outdistance the 1936
Olympic record throw
of 53 feet,
one and three-quarter inches.
Wilbur Thompson of the United States.
That was the winning throw -
56 feet, two inches.
And a new Olympic record.
The 1948 champion looks
with satisfaction at the scores.
United States is first,
second and third,
each having broken the Olympic record.
Now the women competitors
from eight countries
are ready to take part
in the same event.
But with a much lighter shot
of eight and three-quarter pounds.
Representing Czechoslovakia,
Kom?rkov?.
Forty feet must be reached
in order to compete in the final.
Ostermeyer of France,
the 1948 Olympic champion
in the discus.
She qualifies.
Bevis Reid of Great Britain.
Another throw which made
the qualifying round.
Veste of France.
She also qualifies.
Schaffer of Austria in the final round.
Forty-two feet, 11 inches,
the best yet.
From Italy, Piccinini.
Better still.
Forty-two feet, 11 and a half inches.
Again, it's Ostermeyer of France.
Her final throw.
And it's 45 feet, one and a half inches.
The winning throw.
Eighty meters hurdles for women,
and here are two likely finalists,
Maureen Gardner of Great Britain
and Shirley Strickland of Australia.
Heat two in the first round.
Set!
They're off, and Gardner leads.
She knocks down the second hurdle.
But in spite of that,
she wins in 11.6 seconds,
only 1/10th of a second
outside the Olympic record.
Limbering up, a very necessary
preliminary for the final.
From the camera, the order is
Fanny Blankers-Koen of the Netherlands,
Maureen Gardner,
the British record holder,
Oberbreyer of Austria,
Monginou, France,
Strickland, Australia
and Lomsk? of Czechoslovakia.
It's a fine start.
And over the first hurdle,
it's Gardner who leads.
At the third hurdle,
Fanny Blankers-Koen is even.
Now she's ahead, and the Dutch
champion wins in 11.2 seconds,
a new Olympic and world record.
Maureen Gardner, the runner-up,
clocked the same record time,
but to Fanny Blankers-Koen
goes the honor of obtaining
a second Olympic title.
Just in time to join in the acclamation
for the women hurdlers,
Their Majesties arrived
in the Royal Box.
For the Queen, this second visit
to Wembley Stadium
is a birthday celebration.
Over to Bill Stern.
Men's high hurdles. They're off!
Finlay leads, well on his way
to his third Olympic final.
At the last hurdle, disaster.
He falls,
rolls over and fails to finish.
A tragic finale
for Britain's immortal hurdler.
On to the final. Three great Americans
with little to choose between them.
On the left, Scott, and on the
extreme right, Porter and Dixon.
Set!
They're off!
Watch Bill Porter go to the front.
The other two Americans
are neck-and-neck to the finish.
Porter wins by two yards,
and with a time
of 13 and 9/10th seconds,
it's another new Olympic record.
The 400-meters final.
A British commonwealth/United States
battle with McKenley and Wint of Jamaica
and Whitfield of the USA.
They're off.
World-record holder McKenley
dashes into the lead
and at the halfway mark is almost
ten yards up on the rest of the field.
Coming into the homestretch,
it's Wint who challenges the leader.
Fifty yards from the tape, it seemed
impossible that he could do it.
But he comes through
with a magnificent effort
to equal the Olympic record time
of 46.2 seconds.
Slow motion emphasizes
his perfect action
at the end of a brilliant race.
This outstanding 6'4" athlete
credits Jamaica
with her first Olympics victory ever.
Heavy rain made a dismal setting
for the next sprint event,
the women's 200-meters final.
On the inside, Blankers-Koen of Holland
and Strickland of Australia.
And away they go.
Right from the start,
the American and the
Australian girls made a great effort,
but there was no stopping Fanny
Blankers-Koen coming up on the inside.
The Dutch champion streaks away
up the home stretch
to win her third Olympic title
in the excellent time of 24.4 seconds,
seven yards ahead
of fast-finishing Audrey Williamson.
And what better place to finish
than in the arms
of her husband, coach and adviser.
And with her on the dais,
the gallant runners-up,
Audrey Williamson of Great Britain
and Audrey Patterson of the USA.
The women's sprint relay,
and a battle between Holland, Denmark,
Canada and Australia.
Denmark flashes into the lead
and is well ahead
as they come over to the first change.
Now the second change,
and at another vital point in the race,
smart work by the Canadian
and Australian girls
takes the lead from Denmark.
Coming up now to the last change.
Fanny Blankers-Koen waits
to carry the baton for Holland.
There she is in the second lane.
It's a fight right to the end.
But once more, Blankers-Koen
comes through in sensational style
to win her fourth Olympic title,
the first woman to do so
in the history of the games.
Well done, Fanny Blankers-Koen.
And well done,
Australia and Canada too.
400-meters men's relay.
And they're away to a great start.
Once again,
the Americans made the running,
streaking round the track
towards the disputed changeover.
A lightning change, Ewell to Wright.
And now it's Wright who keeps
the US team well in the lead,
with Great Britain challenging.
The next change,
and now it's Wright to Dillard,
who again carries the American colors to
the front with Britain still in pursuit.
The last vital stage.
And for America, it's Dillard
to yet another ace sprinter, Mel Patton.
Hot on his heels comes Jack Archer
of Great Britain,
putting on a final spirt.
But nothing can catch Patton now.
Up to the finishing line,
in slow motion,
a win for the USA, with Britain
in a very good second place.
At first, the victorious American team
were disqualified
for an alleged faulty changeover.
But this decision was later reversed.
The final result:
The USA first, Great Britain second,
Italy third.
Torbay, the chosen arena for the
yachtsmen of the Olympic regatta.
There are five classes competing
in the regatta:
The international six meter, the dragon,
the star, the swallow and the firefly.
Every class races
on each day of the regatta.
The final awards are based
on the total number of points
gained by each competing country.
Here's part of a typical contest
in the six meter class,
with a leading crew hoisting the
spinnaker as the wind freshens.
Now the star class.
Chief honors for the day
and for the regatta went to the USA.
A sport whose elements of comradeship,
danger and achievement
make it a very notable part
of any Olympiad.
Herne Hill, and the first leg
of the 2,000-meters tandem final.
Great Britain versus Italy,
and the British pair,
Reg Harris and Alan Bannister,
are well in the lead
as they reach the peak of the race.
But now the Italians
are dangerously close.
Britain crams on the pace,
but the Italians hang on grimly,
and now they make a determined sprint.
But Harris and Bannister
prove equal to the challenge.
Great Britain wins the race,
but not the title,
the Italians gaining the championship
by two victories to one.
Windsor and His Royal Highness,
the Duke of Edinburgh,
arrives to greet the
competitors at the
start of the cycle
road race of 120 miles.
Ninety-six riders from 29 countries,
and they're all set as the duke prepares
to fire the starting pistol.
A massive field,
all hoping to win Olympic honors.
But more than 40 of them
are doomed to drop out
before the end of the long grind.
In the early stages,
turns are something of a nightmare.
One fall in a field of this size
is generally followed by others.
Around the course, they keep a
sharp lookout for the leaders,
and here they come -
Johansson of Sweden
and the Dutch champions,
Voorting and Faanhof.
Down to another landmark of the course,
Blacknest Gate.
They take it in their stride, but
there's plenty of trouble not far ahead.
And here it comes.
A collision which has
plenty of repercussions.
Too bad that it happened
just where it did.
But even the arrival of the official car
doesn't stem the tide
of some perfectly natural feelings.
A story that needs no words.
On they go, but by this time,
the course is really taking its toll.
Andersen of Denmark has tire trouble,
and for the moment,
he's out of the running.
Faanhof of Holland deals
with his share of the bad luck.
The leaders push on,
but before long,
Faanhof has fixed that tire
and is ready for the next round.
Other casualties come thick and fast,
all working furiously
to get back into the race.
One by one, they're feeling the pace,
but they all battle on gamely,
determined to finish the course.
The service pits are kept busy
supplying spares and tires,
not forgetting the refreshments picked
up by the competitors as they flash by.
Round they come again,
and who's in front now?
It's a British rider, G.W. Thomas,
and with him Delathouwer of Belgium,
Voorting of Holland,
Hoobin of Australia
and Maitland, also of Great Britain.
Thomas still leads, going strongly
as they reach the last few miles.
Another downhill stretch,
and here's a newcomer in the lead.
It's Jose Beyaert of France.
Maitland of Britain is just behind.
Thomas has dropped back.
Now the order's changed again, and
Thomas of Britain is back in the lead.
Beyaert lies second.
And it's a duel all the way
between Britain and France.
Less than a mile to go,
and Beyaert really puts on the pressure.
And he's all on his own.
A brilliant sprint gives the Frenchman
an unbeatable lead,
and he's coming home to a great win.
Jose Beyaert had completed
a magnificent piece of riding -
120 miles
in just over five hours, 18 minutes.
The river Thames at Henley.
The famous battleground of so many
generations of British oarsmen
and now the picturesque setting
for the international rowing events
of the 14th Olympiad.
For three days, the heats and
semifinals were fought out,
and now, in the final of the eights,
it's a three-cornered fight
between Great Britain, Norway
and the United States of America.
Norway, on the far side,
USA in the center
and Great Britain nearest the camera.
From a good start,
the British crew go into the lead.
But already, the machine-like precision
of the Californian crew begins to tell.
At the 1,000-meter mark,
the Americans are ahead.
Britain makes a stern bid to draw level,
but it's too late.
The US crew
is two and a half lengths ahead,
coming home with that swinging stroke
of theirs to a resounding victory.
Another final, the coxed fours.
Three countries represented,
the USA, Switzerland and Denmark,
in one of the closest races
of the whole regatta.
Once again, the well-drilled Americans
are in the lead.
Close behind, the pursuing Swiss
are cramming on the pace.
So are the Danes.
But it's the American's
race from now on, and
there they go,
a victorious crew indeed.
To make the occasion compete,
the American custom of dunking the cox
is not forgotten.
The coxless pairs, and left to right,
Great Britain, Switzerland, Italy.
They're away,
and the British pair, Laurie
and Wilson, are watched by eager eyes
as Switzerland take an early lead
of half a length.
At 1,000 meters,
Laurie and Wilson are ahead,
a perfectly matched pair
in the race of their lives.
Switzerland make a strong challenge,
but the British pair,
rowing as well as ever, hold it off.
A final spurt, and Laurie and Wilson
come up to the finishing line
with the style of true champions.
So Britain scored one
of her two victories
in the Olympic regatta at Henley.
Back at Wembley Stadium,
the equestrian events reach their climax
with the Prix des Nations,
rightly celebrated
as the world's greatest show
jumping test for man and horse.
Forty-four riders,
the cream of 15 nations
and a thousand-meter course
with 16 obstacles,
each with its own peculiar difficulties.
An early competitor
clips one of the parallel bars,
and down it goes.
Major ?ncu of Turkey
has trouble at the double,
as many of them did.
Here's a sound jump,
but later progress is not quite so good.
Each obstacle knocked down
means four faults against the rider.
One of the French team,
Captain Maupeou d'Ableiges.
A good jump, and now for the next.
No, a bad fall!
And that led to his elimination.
Colonel Frierson of the United States
was equally unlucky,
to say nothing of a quick getaway
by his horse.
Danger ahead
for Captain Acthon of Denmark.
Major Martins of Portugal,
and a refusal at the logs,
the very first jump.
A penalty of three points,
but the second attempt is faultless.
Count Bettoni of Italy.
And here's Lieutenant Colonel Nicoll
of Great Britain on Kilgeddin.
Good going, Great Britain.
Captain Russell of the USA.
Yes, nicely over the parallel bars,
but at the rustic gates -
What a refusal.
The triple bars and the sleepers
seem to present the least difficulty.
This competitor clears
the stile nicely too.
Commandant Cruz of Spain
takes the jumps at a cracking pace.
Better still,
Captain Ruben Uriza of Mexico.
Only eight faults,
and that means he's tying for the lead.
But now comes Mariles Cortes,
also of Mexico,
who provides the real drama.
With very nearly
an immaculate performance,
Mariles Cortes, in the last ride of the
day, snatches the individual honors.
Mexico also achieves
the best team placing,
with Spain second
and Great Britain third
in the Prix des Nations.
The Empire Pool. High diving.
The men's final series, and for the USA,
Sammy Lee.
G.H. Mandy, South Africa.
R. Mulinghausen, France.
R.M. Stigersand, Norway.
L. Brunnhage, Sweden.
J.P. Capilla, Mexico.
Peter Heatly, Great Britain.
Bruce Harlan, USA.
And here again, America's Sammy Lee.
An outstanding exhibition,
which deservedly
won the high-diving
title for the USA.
With Lee on the rostrum
are his teammate Harlan, the runner-up,
and Capilla of Mexico in third place.
And now the women's high dive
final series.
Pat Elsener of the USA.
L.M. Bisbrown, Great Britain.
M. Pellissard, France.
M.A. Hider, Great Britain.
Gregersen, Denmark.
V.M. Draves of America.
Sammy Lee watches the next dive
by the same American hope, Vicki Draves.
And it's good.
Also from the US, June Stover.
A. Staudinger of Austria.
Another British hope, Denise Newman.
Again, Vicki Draves takes her place
on the high board,
and this is her last dive.
Yes, that was the dive which set the
seal on yet another American victory.
Vicki Draves becomes
the Olympic titleholder,
with Pat Elsener second
and B. Christoffersen
winning third place for Denmark.
The men's 100-meters backstroke final.
And they're away.
Six countries represented.
Great Britain, USA, France, Mexico,
Argentina and South Africa.
It's a battle of champions, but now
it's Stack of the USA in the lead,
with his teammate Cowell
and Vallerey of France close behind.
Cowell, USA, makes his big effort,
but it's Stack who comes home first,
with his fellow American second
and the Frenchman Vallerey third.
The winner's time,
one minute, 6.4 seconds.
The men's 200-meters breaststroke final.
They're away to a good start.
And it's the powerful American trio,
Verdeur, Carter and Sohl
meeting a strong challenge
from Australia, Yugoslavia and Brazil.
All but one of the competitors
are using the butterfly stroke.
And there are Verdeur and Carter
forging ahead,
with the third American, Sohl,
and Davies of Australia well up too.
It's the last lap, and it's Verdeur,
the world's record holder.
That's him in the center,
sweeping home into first place
in a new Olympic record time
of two minutes, 39.3 seconds.
The runner-up is Carter,
also making record time.
Third was Sohl,
again for the United States.
And fourth, Davies of Australia.
An outstanding national victory as the
Stars and Stripes take pride of place.
Climax of the women's swimming events,
the 400-meters freestyle.
The American favorite, Ann Curtis,
the Danish champion, Karen Harup
and the British hope,
17-year-old Cathie Gibson
were outstanding among the eight
star swimmers from five countries.
America, Britain, Denmark and Belgium
all battle it out for the lead.
Ann Curtis leads the field
with that long, easy stroke of hers.
Denmark and Belgium are well there,
and so is Cathie Gibson
of Great Britain.
The final stretch, and now
a tremendous spurt by Cathie Gibson.
She's coming up, but no,
it's going to be Ann Curtis of America
who's going to get there first.
Harup of Denmark is next,
and in the second lane from the left,
the British girl,
after a gallant effort, comes third.
Each of the first five
had broken the 1936 Olympic record,
the winner's time being
five minutes, 17.8 seconds.
A magnificent achievement by Ann Curtis,
Karen Harup and Cathie Gibson,
who together had written a new chapter
of Olympic swimming history.
Water polo.
Italy meets Holland in one
of the key matches of the final group.
The Italians, whose speed and skill
is well-matched by the Dutch team,
gradually gain the upper hand after
some exciting, rough and rugged play.
There's a shot from the wing.
It's close.
And the rebound. And Holland scores.
But the final score,
Italy 4, the Netherlands 2,
a result that left Italy
with an unbeaten record
to gain the championship
for the whole series.
Wembley Stadium and the eagerly
awaited result of the decathlon.
Ten contests had to be completed
within two days, whatever the weather.
The most grueling test
of athletic versatility in the world.
The winner,
17-year-old Robert Mathias of the USA.
He has rightly earned the title
of the greatest all-around athlete
of the 14th Olympiad.
The marathon race, the sternest of all
tests of endurance for any athlete.
Forty-one of the world's finest runners
representing 22 nations
are ready to begin the race
over a course of more than 26 miles.
The marathon begins.
One of the three Koreans, Choi,
goes to the front
to lead the procession
out of the stadium.
A brave company.
But how many will survive
the long and weary course?
Out on the Olympic Way,
and Choi of Korea leads.
Heino, the great Finn,
with Seo, another Korean.
Running together
are the South African pair,
Coleman and Luyt.
Number 252 is ?tienne Gailly,
the young Belgian,
running with Luo of China.
Jack Holden, Great Britain's chief hope,
not far from the leaders.
Gailly continues to set the pace.
For the first time,
Cabrera of Argentina is seen.
Another British runner, Tom Richards,
well back but reserving his power.
Bad news for Britain, as Jack Holden,
after struggling on for miles
with badly blistered feet,
is forced to retire.
But Great Britain is still there
with Tom Richards.
Choi still battles on for Korea.
Fatigue attacks Larsen of Denmark.
Choi, the Korean,
has now dropped to a walk.
Nearer yet to the goal, but Gailly,
his effort apparently spent,
has now been passed by Richards
of Great Britain.
But Gailly rallies and retakes the lead.
Close up is that figure of
fate, Cabrera, the Argentinean,
dogging the footsteps
of the exhausted leader.
?tienne Gailly of Belgium
is first into the arena,
a figure heroic and tragic,
staggering onwards
like a man in a dream.
Next, Cabrera, the fateful challenger.
Unexpected good news
for British spectators -
the arrival of Tom Richards.
Richards, too, bears down upon Gailly.
All eyes are on the brave Belgian.
Now Richards makes a fighting effort
to overtake Cabrera.
But it's too late.
On goes Cabrera,
a worthy marathon champion.
Tom Richards of Great Britain
a good second.
Third, ?tienne Gailly of Belgium.
The marathon race of 1948
has been well-run indeed,
an achievement
in the true Olympic tradition.
The 14th Olympiad comes to an end.
Victory in sportsmanship
and in peace.