From the S&S archives: IOC head Brundage takes in the sites, lauds Japanese

TOKYO — Avery Brundage, president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), inspected Japanese Olympic facilities here Tuesday and said he was "greatly pleased" at what Japan is doing for the 18th Olympiad. The games are only 137 days away.

After calling at the headquarters of the Tokyo Olympic Organizing Committee in the morning, Brundage, accompanied by Japanese Olympic officials Daigoro Yasukawa, Shigeru Yosano and Tsunenori Takeda, visited various facilities at Meiji Olympic Park and Yoyogi Sports Center.

Brundage, here for a one-week visit, inspected the National Stadium, the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium, the Indoor Swimming Pool, Press Center, Press House, Olympic Village, National Gymnasium, Radio and Television Broadcasting Center and Olympic Memorial House.

Brundage said he was "greatly impressed by the size of operations and the quality of work being done" in preparation for the Summer Games Oct. 10-24.

He took voluminous notes, shook hands with Workers and signed his signature for autograph seekers.

Later in the afternoon he inspected the Komazawa Sports Park and Equestrian Park.

Brundage said he was particularly impressed by the unique building construction at Komazawa Sports Park where the Olympic soccer, field hockey and wrestling events will be held.

"The designers of the buildings should be congratulated," he said. "The world has become all the same nowadays but Japan still remains Japan in that area. The designing is typically Japanese."

Brundage said he was satisfied with the Olympic Village at Harajuku, formerly the Washington Heights Housing Area operated by the U.S. Security Forces.

He said it has a quiet environment and enough space and quipped to newsmen, "It all depends on you whether this quiet place is kept quiet."

The IOC president made a brief speech at TOOC headquarters in Akasaka. to encourage the 300-member staff.

"Japanese are a very proud people and all of you are now responsible for bringing peace, international amity and friendship the world over." he said.

"You have many ideas and dreams today but these ideas and dreams will not bear fruit without the execution of efforts," he stressed.

"I never doubt a successful Tokyo Olympics if all of you inject a traditional Japanese spirit of honor into your preparations," he said.

In a statement circulated Tuesday, Brundage said the tendency in some quarters to consider the Olympic Games a battle between two great powers "is strongly resented by the International Olympic Committee."

"The idea that results in any sports contest measure the superiority of one political system over another is ridiculous," he said.

The 76-year old American IOC chief arrived here Sunday to inspect the progress of preparations for the 18th Olympiad in October.

"The heroes of the Olympic countries like Finland, Hungary and Australia, and in the Olympic Winter Games, Norway, Finland, Sweden and Austria," Brundage said.

He said, athletes of these countries "have on a per capita basis won many times more medals than those of the large countries, and this is the only correct way to rate them.

"The tables of points widely published after each Olympic Games are completely misleading in this respect."

Tuesday night the IOC president was honored at a cocktail party in Tokyo's Imperial Hotel hosted by TOOC President Yasukawa.

Brundage planned to visit more Olympic facilities Thursday through Friday. Saturday he will depart Tokyo to visit the two ancient Japanese capitals of Kyoto and Nara.