The Observer from London, Greater London, England • 18

1 Sport THE OBSERVER, OCTOBER 25, 1964 from CHRISTOPHER BRASHER the era of Herb Elliott. And as they crossed the line they shook hands and pulled up with hardly a hair out of place. Two days later when Snell became the first man to win both the 800 and 1,500 metres since Albert Hill in 1920, a German journalist said: "He is not a man. He is a god." It seems, however, that the Japanese will remember Ranatunge Karunananda of Ceylon, a diminutive man who kept on and on running long after everyone else bad finished the 10,000 metres. All on his own he ran two solitary laps in front of 80,000 cheering spectators and now the Olympic Village Post Office has had to ask him to come down and collect his mail every day because the sack is too big for it to deliver.

Conscientious man that he is, Mr Karunananda sits down to reply to everyone of them. He is worried that he is falling behind because too much time is spent on visiting all the schools that have invited him to talk. The Japanese admire a man who will not give in but they hate humiliation. Yesterday, when the gargantuan Anton Geesink of Magnificent but Britain can never repeat it small element of luck in almost all gold medals. In 1956.

the world record holder for the steeplechase had stomach trouble. This is the event in which Brasher himself won a gold In 1960 the weather was perfect for Don Thompson and his heat conditioned training. No, it is far more than luck and acclimatisation and weather. In the lift down to tfie interview room on the last day of the track and field programme, a Finnish journalist announced to bis sardine-packed and suffering colleagues that the British bad guts guts down to their little toenails. And immediately I remembered a conversation with Paavo Nurmi, the master of the 1920s who won five gold medals in middle long distances at one Olympiad.

Those good old days THREE PICTURES that illustrate more visibly than any number of words the degree of advance in the Olympic Games. Being cooled off by hose is the French marathon runner Orpb.ee in the II Games at Paris in 1900. The race was won by a French baker, Theato, who, it is said, knew a number of short cuts. In the III Games at St Louis in 1904, one of the very few winners not from the United States was the French-Canadian policeman Etienne Desmareau, who won the Gold Medal tor the 56 lb. weight throw with a heave of 34 ft 4 in.

The event was discontinued after the 1920 Games. In the IV Games in London in 1908 some heavily-clad women gymnasts appeared and here is a Danish girl making heavy weather of a low high jump of abont 2 ft The 1964 female record is 6 ft 2i in. THERE ARE NO qualifications whatsoever this is the greatest athletics team ever to leave Britain. The word "athletics" is important because the rest of the Olympic team have put up the usual average British performance five silver medals from 142 competitors. But the 61 boys and girls of the track and field team fly home this week with 12 medals four gold, seven silver and one bronze.

As Denis Watts, one of the team coaches, said yesterday "Even after a good day's sleep, I still feel that I've dreamt it. It seems miraculous." It certainly is. On gold medals alone you can lump the total haul from Berlin, London, Melbourne and Rome into one side of the scales and they will just balance the four gold medals won here by Mary Rand, Ann Packer, Ken Matthews and Lynn Davies. And when one adds the seven silver medals there isn't a British team in the history of the Olympics that can stand comparison. Boycott It is truly amazing, particularly when one remembers that in 1908 a massive British team competing in its own country could not do as well even with the help of some officials who made such a nonsense of the 400 metres that when it was re-run all the competitors, except an Englishman, boycotted the race, giving the British team a walk-over gold medal.

There is only one prophecy that one can make with certainty such success will not happen again. The whole trend of the last two Games is that medals are becoming more and more widely distributed around the world as more countries emerge from poverty and disease. But it is obviously important to try to find out what went right (a very unfamiliar sentence to any British portswriter of the last two decades). There were extraneous factors which helped the weather for one. It has been identical to an English summer with days of mild sunshine and more days of grey cloud and rain and the temperature in the 60s and low 70s.

The team arrived with plenty of time to recover from the journey and to acclimatise. And the luck has been with the team: the wind dying for Lynn Davies's vital fifth jump: the absence of Sin Kim Dan in the women's 400 and 800 metres. But it is terribly unfair to' the team to say that luck played anything more than a very minor role. There is a in Tokyo rumours that next year- the captain will only be appointed match by match), and coaches are now an accepted part of the team and given responsibility. And the team manager and the women's manager are both on the man-management side of industry.

But still there is no planning, no organisation and no money. The first two are the responsibility of the administrators, and it has been said time and time again, even to the point of boredom, that we need a new structure and new faces. But money can only come from the Government and a cheer went up from most of the team when the news came through that Labour had won the election. Danger One could write a treatise on what needs to be done. The athletes know, the coaches know, the team management knows, and this is the battle they must fight when they get homeif they have any energy left.

There is, however, a real danger that the jealousy of those at home who have not shared in. the glory will try to find other explanations and to set back the small amount of progress that has been made. It will be a disgrace to the sport if they succeed. But these are the Olympics of the world and there has been so much for the world to marvel at and to laugh about and to remember. For sheer wonder, I will remember Bob Hayes, the huge "jet-black American sprinter, taking over the baton three yards down on the last leg of the relay.

Any second it seemed that his joints would give under the strain and his arms and legs come flying off like a car at full speed whose wheels suddenly part company from the chassis. Within 30 yards he was level, within 80 yards he was 10 ft ahead. He is the fastest human being ever bom and I really don't think he could have been trying when he won the 100 metres. Strangely, the abiding memory of the middle- and long-distance races is of the semi-finals of the 1,500 metres, at the unlikely hour of, 1 1' on Monday morning. After going through two laps in 1 min.

55,8 three laps in 2 min. 55.8 Peter Snell and Witold Baraq crossed the line together ih 3 min. 38.8 sec. (about 3 min. 56.8 sec.

for a mile) a world record until Have you ever asked yourself Why the hell am 1 doing SI Caopar Talent Nunmi said that British athletes were the only ones that he had ever encountered who could run themselves to the point of ulter exhaustion. A few days later Gunder Hagg, the Swedish wonder runner of the 1940s, made the same remark. At first one takes it for politeness but it is genuinely meant and they both wished that they had had the same ability. But it is a talent that we have wasted and squandered through poor facilities, little coaching, no planning and bad management. It has merely given its the tag of gallant losers." How has this been suddenly turned into gallant winners By collective responsibility a Soviet-like expression but appropriate because it started in Russia during the match in Volvo-grad in 1963.

Athletes are normally introverts and hypochondriacs the very nature of the spori makes them so. None can help them when they are alone in the middle of a stadium alone with their knowledge and their training and their courage. No cliques Before they get into the stadium they worry and fret and turn in on themselves. But because this is aa experienced British team without any cliques and factions, they have cared about each other's performances almost as much as about their own. The older, experienced members have welcomed the new and the young.

And they have had leadership from an athlete for the first time in my recollection. Robbie Brightweil has taken responsibility and Pat Sage, the team manager, has given it to him. The team have, in BrightwelTs words, "motivated each other," Ann Packer 800 metres Gold 1 and on that first day Mary Rand showed them all that it was possible to win and break world records. Alan Simpson tells how before the final of the 1,500 metres. Bright-well came up to him and said: Maybe you can't win but you can run till your bloody legs drop off." When Simpson found himself boxed in arid almost last on the top bend of the last lap, he remembered BrightwelTs words and he did run his bloody legs off.

He missed a medal by a tenth of a second but it was one of the performances that made that Finnish journalist say: "The British have guts guts down to their little toe-nails." I bow, Japanese style (and that goes on for ever) to Simpson and promise him that never again will I imply that he is not fit to be classed with the great athletes of the world. He is the fourth metres runner in the world and he doesn't know when he is beaten. I make him': champion of-'those Who did-not-win a medal. To Reasonable people it may, seerii-natural 'that" the 'team should have a quiet word with an athlete before his event, even though the captain is competing himself that day. But in five years of international competition no captain, no coach, no team manager ever talked to me about my races.

The captain was only appointed for one match and then only as a courtesy gesture, coaches were hardly allowed on the team and the management wouldn't have known what to say. It has taken eight years of fight ing and public quarrels to improve the situation and at this rate there are. 64 years Of quarrels -ahead of us. As Briehtwell says: "We have become accustomed to the fact of dissension between athletes and officials. It has been an unhappy year at home but we have done this in spite of what has happened at home.

And you can always say that we could have done better if the year had been planned from the start." But at least Brightweil was ap pointed for a year (there are Holland, the World Judo Champion, crushed the Japanese Champion Akio Kaminaga in an enormous bear hug, Kaminaga's coach sat beside the ring and wept. And then there is Otto Turek, the 27-year-old pentathlon athlete who became very nervous during the pistol shooting event. He managed to hit the silhouettes, each of which appears for three seconds only, with his first five shots but missed with his sixth. In a panic and without thinking, he reloaded and shot again. But he knew that he had cheated and he knew that he had been seen cheating and he stood there and vomited in disgust at himself.

Of all the superlative performances of a superlative Games none can match that of the 32-year-old Ethiopian soldier, Bikila Abebe. Five weeks to the day after an appendix operation he won the marathon by over three-quarters of a mile and the only time he looked human was when, still running hard, he took a drink of rosehip syrup and glucose from a bottle. When asked whether he would compete in the marathon in Mexico City in 1968 (he had already made history by becoming the first man ever to win two Olympic marathons) he smiled and said, Yes and I will win. Mexico City is at the same height as Addis Ababa." Thin air And thereby hangs what will ba a very ugly tale in four years' time. The rarefied air of Mexico City (7,300 ft) will produce sensational performances in the explosive events and disaster in the stamina events.

Ever since the International Olympic Committee awarded the 1968 Games to Mexico I have feared that they will be labelled The Death Olympics." But I am not enough of a physiologist to justify saying so. Yesterday, however, Onni Nis-kanen, the Swede who went to Addis Ababa 18 years ago as a physical educationist to the Emperor's bodyguard and the Ministry of Education and the man who coaches Bikila Abebe said to me An Olympic athlete will always do his utmost but few of flhem will have any idea of what the lack of oxygen can do to those mho are not used to the altitude. Suddenly blackout. There will be those that will die." Russians on the carpet THE Russians' performance at Tokyo was their worst since the Helsinki Games 12 years ago. The Kremlin has demanded an explanation.

Not only did American athletes collect more sold medals than Russian, but they almost overtook the Soviet Union in the total medals count, something that has not happened since 1 952. Pravda. the Soviet Communist Party newspaper, said that Soviet sports fans have the right to demand detailed explanations for Russia's disappointing performance." The Soviet athletes' coach, Gabriel Korobkov, blames the poor high-school athletics programme and facilities in Russia. to where trol the flow of the game. Venables, once he lost his nervous inhibition, did much of the necessary hard work.

But neither of them could give the pass that would turn a defence. None of the forwards is a completely rounded' player, but at least they have all the virtues between them. To be continued Thompson was always busy, always beating his man but though he always caught the eye he rarely achieved anything. Hinton, drawing away from a tackle, never chasing back, made it clear why a manager like Cuius should transfer him. Yet his stinging shot and centres brought one goal and most of our openings.

Pickering, at times fumbling and awkward, is always trying something new and is always dangerous near goal. Greaves was greatly subdued but one has only to look at his scoring record to know that he never stays quiet for long. So Ramsey will continue bis slow; methodical check over the material available, changing one or two every match but never disturbing the structure of the side. Wilson should come in at back when he is fit and deserves a trial, though one would expect him to be as limited as Milne. Forward, Eastham still looks the best of the insides though Byrne is too clever a player and too constant a scorer not to be somewhere in the attack.

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If they 10 wis bed. be permitted to work on the exploitation of the development after it had progressed throuBh the production phase. Application xhould be addressed to Box 5718 statins age, qualifications and experience, wi ih special emphasis on toe ResearchTecholcalCreative wort in which applicants have been Involved. FOOTBALL: TONY PAWSON Is England back Ramsey came in To apply, you should be between 17 and 26 with G.CE. at 'A or 'O level (minimum 5 acceptable 0 levels, including English language and mathematics).

You will also have to satisfy a Selection Board that you have the right qualities of intelligence, aptitude, and potential leadership. If you would like to discuss R.A.F. careers, telephone the officer in charge of your nearest Careers Information Centre; or write to Group Captain J. W. Allan, D.S.O., d.f.c., a.f.c, r.a.f., House.

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Either way you'd have the same stimulating outdoor life; work in the same good company; enjoy the tame high vtandard of living. As an aircrew officer of i you can earn over i ,000 a year. At 25, married and with full allowances, it could be over iTgoo. There are various lengths of service; shorter engagements qualify for a tax-free gratuity of up to longer periods are pension-earning. ORGANIZATION FOR NUCLEAR RESEARCH (GENEVA) Invited, from French -a peak! rig candidates University degree and several years" commercial experience for a post within electronics development group as ENGINEER to take charge of some 25 staff ensued or purchase of special electronic apparatus calibration and maintenance.

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WEL 12121248. EUROPEAN Applications are with a relevant Laboratory and an established ELECTRONIC The dudes will be fn the production and its checking, to scientists of frequently Involves In close collaboration the engineer would provide them with deal with estimates up on contracts Salaries and and leave conditions Application forms Bead Genera GROUP ENGINEER Warbnrtons an independent bakery group with Wholesale and Retail Bread and Cake Bakeries in Lancashire, with 1,000 employees, reaoire a Group Chi el Engineer. He will KflDonafbla to ttte Directors for: (a) Maintenance of ex la tins and planning of new equipment, fb) Maintenance of existing and plannioB of new buildings. c) Responsible for development on the engineering side of the business (d) Supervision and appointment of all enninecrins staff. Qualifications Ensineerina Degree, or equivalent professional Qualifications are essential.

The Company is prepared to pay a substantial salary to tne right man who must be at least 28 yean of age. A company car is provided. Contributory Pension Scheme. Write for application form to WartiartoQi Limited, Ha at o' ur Bolton, Lancashire. RESEARCH OFFICER required by the Furniture Industry Research Association to investigate factors affecting strength of glued joints.

There is scope for varied and interesting work Appl icants should be graduates in Science or Engineering and have had previous research experience. Salary in the range of 1200 to 1500-according to qualifications and experience. Apply to the DIRECTOR, Furnituro Industry Research Association, Maxwell Roed, Stevenage, Herts. -England were no match for them in the basic skills of ball control and dribbling. This is not somethiQg.that can be remedied by wholesale change, -for if- our best team is not talented enough the second eleven will hardly be an improvement.

the game underlined a tactical lesson. We were at our best when going hard into the tackle and moving Jast for the ball. We were at our worst wh'eri trying to be casual and clever. 'Speed spirit and skill are the three main soccer virtues. By world (Standards' we are short on skills, so we can never -afford to neglect the other two.

Several teams in the World Cup will outshine us in individual talent and it will be that we never-let them settle to. their-own pace or try to match- them at-' (heir own styles: As against our mam' weakness was defensive. -Almost it seemed that" we hid a hew tactical conception the dissolving defence. In Belfast both backs-; were to blame but at Wembley only Cohen. Too often he moved impetuously upfield only to be caught as the Belgians thrust immediately into the open space behind him.

Both goals came when he was stranded far upfield without any of Thomson's, speed in recovery. The midfield link is equally unsatisfactory. Milne is a near-sighted footballer, assiduously cultivating his own little area. He needs a foraging inside of exceptional range to help him con TWO YEARS ago; when Alf Ramsey over, the England team was in decline. Its weakness had just been emphasised when it had a hard struggle to draw with France at home.

Last Wednesday night. England were: equally hard put to hold the Belgians and it seemed as if Ramsey was back, where he started. Every game now is part of onr preparation for the World Cup in for if we cannot win it at Wembley when have a chance again? But it is too early to draw conclusions yet 'about our chances: One has only to look back over the period of Ramsey's manager-; ship to 'see how much 'the form and composition of, a side, can in a-co'uple of years. Only Moore and Greaves have been constant factors in the side and its fortune has altered as swiftly. Steady fall From a disastrous defeat in Paris Ramsey built the side up to achieve the most successful European tour in recent times: Then its performance fell awayuntil Wembley's floodlights mercilessly illuminated its present problems; Belgium, of have a current record that makes, them one of Europe's leading teams and their play confirmed it But it was disappointing to see that PLANT ENGINEER MAX FACTOR CO.

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Appointments continued Page 39.