University Daily Kansan
Page 9
Monday, Sept. 12, 1955.
Blair Tops In Europe
By Sam Jones Kansan Sports Writer
A month and a half tour of Europe was the summer vacation for Dick Blair, KU dash man, and five other American trackmen at the expense of the European Amateur Athletic Unions.
Most of the time, the team ran in small towns, against the local athletic clubs. In Finland, track and field are practically national pastimes, said Blair.
"The summer was three weeks late in Finland, so it was a little chilly when we got there," said Blair. For the Kansan, it was his first trip to Europe.
"We ran under all conditions." Blair said. "All of the tracks were cinder and most of them were good tracks. They were kept in fairly good condition."
Dick was selected to go to Finland, Czechoslovakia, Belgium and England, with Tom Courtney, half-miler from Fordham, Bob Backus, Boston hammer thrower, John Bennett, an army broad-jumper, Bob Seaman, UCLA miler, and Ken Reiser, distance and steepechase man from Oregon.
The crowds at the meets were all large according to Dick. "They had much better crowds than in the U.S.", said Blair. "But the people in Belgium showed the least interest in track."
"When we'd go to some of those little towns, very few people spoke English," said Blair. "But we'd ask the local athletic club to give us an interpreter, and he'd take care of the rest."
The day after the selection at Boulder, Blair and the team, with Frank Potts, of Colorado, as coach, flew to New York, thence to Helsinki on June 28.
The Americans received various receptions in various countries. In Finland, they were very well treated
June 30. Blair ran the 100 meters in :10.5 at Helsinki. The following day, he ran the 200 meters in :21.5. The team moved to Tampere, Finland, on July 3 where Blair ran the 100 meters in :10.7, followed the next day with a :21.4 at 200 meters.
Blair's record during the European running, though the distances were mostly metric, were pretty good.
Blair said. Because of the small towns we went to, we got to know the Finnish people very well," Blair said.
"In Prague, though, we really got cordial to us but I think they were cordial to us but I think they were trying to make a good impression."
The American team got to take several sightseeing trips around the towns they visited. But when they were 200 miles from Paris, while in Belgium, the team decided not to go as "we'd spend all the money we had if we went to Paris, so we just didn't go."
Blair said the experience and the running itself will help him a lot in American competition this coming track season.
About the competition the team faced, Blair said, "Our distance boys got into a little trouble over there. The shorter the race the better the chance the Americans have."
*from Finland the team went to Prague, where Blair ran the 100 meters in :10.4 and the 200 meters in :21.2. Two days later in Ostrava,*
On the trip to Europe, Blair said he took 36 pounds of baggage, but came back with 90 pounds—“mostly prizes.” The team was given Czech crystal, Danish porcelain and silver, Finnish silver and crystal, clocks, and silver and glass hors d'ouevres sets from England and Scotland. “We were usually given something that was native to the town or country we ran in,” said Blair.
Blair ran the 100 meters in :10.4, and the 200 meters in :21.0. In Brussels, Belgium, Blair ran the 100 meters for the third straight time in :10.4, with a :21.3 for the 200 meters.
DICK BLAIR
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