448 SPORTS AND GAMES 



also flourishing in Sweden, and not only are Swedish yachtsmen now famous, but 

 considerable progress has been made in designing yachts of the smaller classes. 



It would not be impossible to construct a scale of the nations arranged according 

 to the degree in which active popular interest was taken in the despatch of competitors 

 to the Olympic Games. This list would in no way represent the total amount of each 

 country's devotion to athletic games, and, if Sweden were placed at the head of the 

 table, Britain would occupy a low place. In Belgium, for instance, a taste for sport 

 is very prevalent, but, as in England, it is not corporately manifested. It will prob- 

 ably, however, find its opportunity at the Ghent Exhibition. In America the doc- 

 trine of physical culture inspires a large amount of organised endeavour; the Athletic 

 Union co-operates with the clubs in encouraging the systematic study of athletics; 

 and it is supported by public interest, and, on occasion, by private munificence. 



Olympic Results 1912. The Olympic Games were carried out in Stockholm in 

 July 1912 during exceptionally hot weather. Although the resources at the disposal 

 of the Swedish committee did not admit of so large a programme as had been under- 

 taken in London in 1908, the whole festival was exceedingly successful. In regard 

 to the presentation of internationalism, the Swedish capital had the advantage of not 

 being so large as to engulf its visitors; and the spectacle of diverse nationalities was 

 therefore most impressive. The stadium and its ornamentation were of striking and 

 beautiful design and were situated in picturesque environment. There were several 

 points in which the arrangements showed an advance on those of 1908, and though 

 there were a few failures in the management of the competitions partly through 

 unavoidable defects in the programme, the conditions and the judging very little 

 cause was given for dissatisfaction. One of the most noteworthy innovations was the 

 electrical timing of the foot-races; and in view of the extraordinary speed attained 

 by the runners, it should be recognised that the use of mechanical apparatus for this 

 purpose can hardly have favourably misrepresented their performances in comparison 

 with the old way of time-keeping with a stop-watch. The foot-races, on account of 

 the facility with which they are exhibited in a stadium, once again were invested with 

 a larger importance than they ordinarily attain in public esteem. By far the best re- 

 sults in this part of the games were secured by the United States contingent, who were 

 also prominent in what are called field events, but not without strong rivalry from 

 Sweden and Finland. 



Comparison of the aggregate number of points gained during the whole series of 

 contests by different nations is of no great utility, for the reasons that success in a 

 team competition counts no more than the victory of an individual in a single race, 

 and that the Olympic programme includes contests which are not in vogue in all the 

 competing nations, while omitting others like cricket, baseball, Rugby football and 

 (at Stockholm) boxing, on which hundreds of thousands of sportsmen concentrate 

 their energies. There are slight discrepancies in the published returns, but it is sub- 

 stantially accurate to state that, three points being counted for a winner or winning team, 

 two for a second place, and one for a third, the United States team gained 85 points 

 in athletics and 45 in all other events; Sweden scored 30 points in athletics and 130 in 

 other events; Great Britain 15 points in athletics, or rather foot-races, and 61 in other 

 events. The British Dominions scored 13, and 29 points; Finland 29, and 23 points. 

 That Sweden was able to make the best total was mainly attributable to ability to 

 undertake a greater number of competitions and to place in the field a greater number 

 of competitors than any other country on account of the locality of the Games; but 

 largely also to organised preparation. The United States had better results in pro- 

 portion to the number of entries, and actually held the lead until the yacht races at 

 the close of the meeting. These races, from geographical and other considerations, 

 were practically limited to a very few countries. The Americans took no part in 

 rowing or football, and sent in but one competitor for the gymnastics; the British 

 were not represented in open-air lawn-tennis, the javelin, the discus and the weight 

 events which have never interested Englishmen, the athletic decathlon and pentath"- 



