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U.S. Awarded 1960 Winter Olympics To Stage Events At Squaw Valley IOC Committee Approves California Resort After Bitter Five-Hour Debate By PETER UEBERSAX United Press Sports Writer PARIS, Prance, June 17. Squaw Valley, Calif., a little-known skiing resort on the Sierra Nevada range, was chosen today by the International Olympic Committee as the site of the 1960 winter games. Squaw Valley defeated its strongest contender, Innsbruck, Austria, on the second ballot, 32 to 30. But the ballots were taken only after a bitter five-hour wrangle. The U. S. resort won out mainly because of "a brilliant explanation" by Alexander C. Cushing, president of the California Winter Olympics Committee. A group of European delegates, led by Albert Mayer of Switzerland, claimed Squaw Valley was a "business corporationi-run by private interests and therefore not eligible to stage an Olympiad. There is ah Olympic rule that the games can only be awarded to a town or municipality. The vote was postponed from this morning until late in the afternoon because of the debate over Squaw Valleys eligibility. During a one-hour secret session between the regular meetings, Cushing gave the delegates what IOC chancellor Otto Mayer of Switzerland called "a brilliant explana- tion of municipal organization in the United States." Hot a Business Enterprise Cushing, who said the incorporated city of Squaw Valley was "by no means" a business enterprise, turned the tide in favor of the resort. "T am very glad we won. I think moving the games to the United States will give a tremendous boost to winter sports thee. The state of California is very much aware of the great responsibility that has been handed to us," Cushing said after the balloting. "We intend to do a first rate job." Squaw Valleys victory was not in doubt after Cushings talk. When the first vote was taken, it received 30 votes against 24 for Innsbruck. Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, received five and . St. Moritz, Switzerland, three, being eliminated from the second ballot. The individual voting is kept secret but it was reported that Constantin Adrianov, head of the Russian delegation, voted for Squaw Valley. "It seems the simple and healthy atmosphere of Squaw Valley will guarantee that the winter games are held in true Olympic spirit," Adrianov said yesterday after the four candidates made their reports. Squaw Valley is an unspoiled area set on granite peaks and beside a vast lake along the crest of the Sierra Nevadas. It is 1,861 meters 6,104 feet above sea level. It js 155 miles from San Francisco, 360 miles from Los Angeles and 35 miles from Reno, Nev. Cushings Most Impressive Points Delegates Were most impressed by the following points in Cushings presentation: 1. An unconditional guarantee that the transportation of an athlete from any country to and from Squaw Valley and all expenses of his stay there would not exceed 00. 2. A guarantee that the State Department will cooperate in every feasible way to cut red tape for visiting athletes. 3. Squaw Valley is "snow-safer" than any of the three Alpine resorts with average snow depths exceeding those of St. Moritz by 15, those of Garmisch by 300 and Innsbruck by 1,000 per cent. 4. Stadiums, ski runs and bobsled runs and other sites are centralized, separated by only a few minutes walk. 5, Officials and athletes will live separated from the mass of spectators in isolated hotels reserved strictly for their use. The award of the eighth wirier games to Squaw Valley marked only the second time they have been held outside Europe in their 31-year history. The 1932 competition held at Lake Placid, N. Y., was the only other winter Olympiad not staged in Europe. The seventh winter games, those of 1956, will be held at Cortina, Italy. Choosing the site for the 1960 winter games was the third and last major task on the agenda of the 50th IOC congress which ended tonight. Yesterday, the delegates selected Rome to hold the 1960 summer games, turning down a bid by Detroit which included an offer to pay the traveling expenses of visiting athletes. On Tuesday, the delegates confirmed Melbourne, Australia, as the site for the 1956 summer Olympiad. "We did all we could and had as good hopes to the very moment the selection of Squaw Valley was announced," said Dr. Hermann Rettmeyer, head of the Innsbruck Sports Board. "We accept the decision and all we can say is that winter sports and many others things are gradually passing over to the new world."
