The Road to Rome

For months the young U.S. track stars had been popping records like rubber bands. Improving with every meet, the brilliant youngsters were in top form last week for the National A.A.U. championships in Bakersfield, Calif. Boston University's 19-year-old John Thomas set a world high-jump record of 7 ft. 2 in., and his youthful buddies were as fine as expected. But the real drama of the meet was fashioned by a quintet of veteran stars who had won gold medals at the Melbourne Olympics in 1956. Competing with the kids for an invitation to the Olympic trials next week at Palo Alto, the five older men stole the show.

In the 400-meter hurdles, Ohio's sandy-haired Glenn Davis, 25, flashed around the course in effortless stride, eased up at the finish and still won in 50.1 seconds to tie his Olympic record. In the discus, Al Oerter, 24, wound himself into a knot, then exploded for a throw of 193 ft. 9 1/2 in., 2 ft. 10 1/2 in. short of the world record. Whirling mightily, Boston's Hal Connolly, 28, threw the hammer 224 ft. 4 1/2 in., just 11 1/2 in. short of his world record. Patriarch of the U.S. whales, Shotputter Parry O'Brien, 28, a gold medal winner in both 1952 and 1956, this year had lost time and again. But with the pressure on, O'Brien won with a putt of 62 ft. 6 1/4 in., 3 ft. 3/4 in. off the world record.

Most dramatic show of all was staged by Bobby Morrow, 24, the sprinting Texan, who won three gold medals in 1956, but this year had often been trounced by the rising young crop of U.S. speedsters. Plagued by a pulled muscle, Morrow did not even make the finals of the 100 meters, said quietly: "It's just not there anymore." But the next night Morrow grimly set out to make a comeback in the 200 meters. He barely qualified for the finals. Matched against the best in the U.S., Morrow was slow out of the blocks--and hidden in the pack coming out of the final turn. "It was then or never," Morrow said later. "I poured it on." The leg held. Slowly, Morrow closed ground on even the great Ray Norton to finish fourth and earn his invitation to Palo Alto. "Give Morrow five more days in the sun," said a veteran official, "and those youngsters had better be holding some hole cards."

Faced with a collection of precocious kids and resurgent veterans, U.S. Olympic Track Coach Larry Snyder declared flatly: "This is our greatest collection of talent. I look for a remarkable team to take to Rome."

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