1912 Olympic Games Official Report Part 2

THE HOUSING OF THE BOATS.The only place at the disposal of the Committee was the boat-housebelonging to the Stockholm Rowing Club, with the little plot of groundattached, but, by raising a marquee in a line with the boat-house, 30metres long, and deep enough to house the big eights, as well as thenumerous fours and sculls expected to take part in the Regatta, itwas found possible to shelter 16 eights, 23 fours and 14 single sculls.A large tent was erected for the crews on the grounds just southof the boat-house, with separate dressing rooms, each intended for 14men and marked with the flag of the nation for which it was reserved.Among other important arrangements made may be mentioned theerection of a Grand Stand close to the winning post at Strandvägen, for the thousands of spectators expected by the Committee.THE OLYMPIC REGATTA AT STOCKHOLM.The foreign crews began to arrive in the early part of July, thefirst to make an appearance being the Hungarian eight and the twosingle sculls, Leviczky and Mészmros. There was an old acquaintanceof Stockholmers in the eight — M. Miltiades Manno, one of Hungary’sbest racing skaters, in which character he appeared here in 1905,when he took part in the Northern Games.The crews arrived one after another, and when, two days beforethe beginning of the Regatta, the Belgians and Frenchmen came,all the nations and crews entered on the lists were present in Stockholm.This enabled the Olympic Regatta of 1912 to set a recordwhich it may prove difficult to beat, for, both as regards the numberof nations taking part in the contest and the quality of the oarsmen,these Olympic Rowing Competitions were far and away superior to anypreceding events of the kind.In consequence of the enormous number of entries, the RowingCommittee found it necessary to have three days for the racesinstead of two; the length of the programme, indeed, making thealteration quite indispensable. The Committee sent a circular to thiseffect at the beginning of June to all the nations taking part in thevarious contests, but Australasia and France entered protests againstthe proposed alteration — according to which, racing would take placeon July 17 as well as on the 18 and 19 — and so the Committeewas obliged to delay the alteration until all the crews, those fromAustralasia and France, too, had arrived in Stockholm, so as to beable to arrange the matter in the most suitable way. A formal protestwas raised, however, by the representatives of Great Britain, againstnot beginning the Regatta on the 17 July, it being considered asoffending against the proper spirit of sport to row twice on two daysin succession — an expression of opinion that the Swedish Committeewas quite able to agree with. At the invitation of the Committee, and afterthe arrival of the French crews, therefore, there was a meeting ofrepresentatives of each country, at 3 p. m., Monday, July 15, at theOffices of the Olympic Games, for the purpose of trying to persuade661