Likeliest to Succeed

At the starter's gun for the 800-meter race, the field took off, jockeying for position. One lanky runner, starting on the outside lane, cannily let the field pass him, then moved over and settled down to the well-worn groove by the rail--the shortest course. Running with gracefully flowing strides, U.S. Air Force Sergeant Mai Whitfield, 27, moved through the field, passing them one by one. In the homestretch, opening up, the 1948 Olympic champion whizzed to an 8-yd. victory in meet record time of 1:48.6, a full 1.3 seconds faster than the 1936 record of Pittsburgh's famed John Woodruff.

Next day, at the final Olympic track & field trials, Whitfield again showed speed to spare as he breezed home first in the 400-meter race in 0:46.9. After two days of heated competition in 18 events, 13 new meet records were set and four American records broken. Paced by Double-Winner Whitfield, the U.S. track & field team seemed the best ever. Others likely to succeed at Helsinki this month:

P: Hurdler (400-meter) Charley Moore, whose time of 0:50.7 upset the meet record by a full second.

P: Hurdlers Harrison Dillard, Jack Davis and Art Barnard, 110-meter timber-toppers, whose blanket finish may well be duplicated in the games.

P: Polevaulters Bob Richards and Don Laz, two of the U.S.'s three 15-footers, who are likely to wind up 1-2 at Helsinki.

P: High Jumper Walt Davis, a stringy (6 ft. 8 1/2 in., 210 lbs.) Texas A. & M. basketball player, who barely ticked the bar off at 6 ft. 11 in., the world record. Grumbled Davis: "I can do better."

P: Sprinter Andy Stanfield, who bettered the 200-meter record held by 1948 Olympic Winner Mel Patton by a tenth of a second. Stanfield's time: 0:20.6.

P: Shotputters Darrow Hooper, Parry O'Brien and Jim Fuchs (world record-holder), who have all tossed the 16-lb. ball better than 57 feet. Olympic record: 56 ft. 2 in.

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