Athletes in Action

4+0 YARDS LO\V HURDLES (9) VERY powerful first-after-landing stride-action is portrayed by Simpson in Fig. 9 on the page opposite. It will be seen that there is a most forceful drive coming from the fully extended rear leg and that the body has been driven right up on to the toes before the right foot left the ground . The full stretch of the thighs, with the left leg swinging through from below the knee, indicates that a stride of the full average length of just over 6 ft . is being taken, but although the legs arc so widely separated and the arms are working with full punching po·wer and range of swing, Simpson is not allowing their action to drag either his shoulders or his hips out of their proper position of squareness to the direction in \Vhich he is running. The long, feet-close-to-ground stride shown is certainly to be recommended, but it would have been better if he could have contrived to check th~ backward swing of the left arm when the hand came level \vith the left hip. The forward thrust of the head is not recommended for general running action between flights; but, in the case of Fig. 9, is due to the fact that Simpson is striving to accom- plish the full length of stride in the first stride after landing from hurdle clearance . \.0 """-1