Muscular Missionaries

In Sweden, gymnastics is a national pastime, embraced with evangelical fervor. Last week a 13-man group of muscular missionaries from Sweden, including the nation's entire eight-man Olympic team, reached the University of Illinois in the course of a 10,000-mile tour to carry the calisthenic word to the New World. The Swedes gave a packed house of 4,000 Illini an athletic eyeful. In turn, the Swedes were given a tumbling treat by U.S. Champion Dickie Browning that left them gasping.

Following their regimen, the Swedes ate nothing for four hours before the meet. Explained Coach Erik Linden, 46, known as the father of modern Swedish gymnastics: "A starving dog hunts better." Linden believes that a good gymnast "must work harder than a ballet dancer, though he must have the same natural gifts--a supple body, good balance and above all a sense of rytm [rhythm]." The hungry Swedes, full of rytm, won five of the six events. Star of the show: Swedish Cham pion Borje Stattin, 23, a typographer by trade.

Slightly built (5 ft. 7 in., 135 Ibs.) Stattin was at his spectacular best on the horizontal bar, brought ohs from the crowd as he twirled around the bar like a human propeller. Quickly, Stattin reversed his hands and direction, crossed his hands on the bar, did several handstands, and capped his performance with a double backward somersault which dropped him to the mat with a sure-footed slap. In all, Stattin won four firsts (horizontal bar, parallel bars, long horse and rings), a second in calisthenics, and a fifth in side horse (where the Illini scored a 1-2-3 sweep).

Then it was Tumbler Browning's turn to draw the cheers. Browning, who has caused a storm of controversy in track and field circles by his trick high jump (TIME, Jan. 25), went through his now-famous tumbling approach routine that lifts him up and over a high-jump bar higher than the world record. He first cleared the rod at 6 ft. 8 in., then somersaulted over at 7 ft., half an inch over the record. As a topper, Browning cleared 7 ft. 2 in., to resounding roars from the crowd. Browning's coach, Charlie Pond, growlingly challenged anyone to prove that his star pupil did not use a one-footed take-off as required by high-jumping rules.

Swedish Coach Linden, after watching Browning, went over to Coach Pond and said: "Fabulous! I congratulate you." Then the missionaries from Sweden, who have yet to lose a meet in the U.S., packed up to carry the calisthenic word to points as far south as Florida.

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