They Never Come Back

On water as well as land, the old champs fared badly. The U.S. Naval Academy's famed "Admirals," winners of 29 straight races and the 1952 Olympics, had been recalled from active duty in Navy and Air Force to try again. They did not do well in early races, but observers blamed it on lack of condition. Last week, as the crews lined up for the final test on Onondaga Lake near Syracuse, N.Y., the last trace of sedentary lard was gone, and the Admirals were as ready as they ever would be.

The Admirals jumped into an early lead, rowing a lung-bursting 41 strokes a minute. But the younger college boys in the other crews hung on. Undefeated Cornell was closest, followed by Washington, Yale, Wisconsin. The Admirals could not keep it up. Slowly, the big Yale crew inched by; Cornell crept up. In the last 500 meters the Admirals made a final bid. It failed, and they fell back. The triumphant Yale crew slipped past the finish to win the Olympic berth by an easy three-quarters of a length over Cornell, whose closing drive brought them in second, a full length ahead of the fading Admirals.

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