Athletes in Action

l,.lJ\C¥: L.anoon, '-'·~·'"·' Vl)tn-plec · -::natn.\)~On ,- l•p.o;J ·~-- --· - - - THE HIGH JU:\IP. EASTERN CUT-OFF (6) ArTER the " body-centralised-above-bar" position, shown in Fig. 5, has been reached, the left (take-off) leg has still to complete its kick, but \\'ith the finish of this kick must be combined the" lay-out," which brings the heavy head and shoulders down to the centre of gravity, in accordance with a fundamental principle of High Jumping. This must be done to allow the hips to come up and clear the left buttock over the bar. The method of executing the lay-out is shown perfectly in Fig. 6 opposite, by Dick Landon, U.S.A., a former Olympic champion. In the final clearance action the free right leg (shown bent at the knee in Fig. 5) is stretched straight out across the bar with the toes of the right foot partly pointed towards the sand-pit. At the same time the left leg, almost completely straightened at the knee, continues its follow-up swing so that the left foot actually rises above the level of the right shoulder as the trunk is twisted still further round to the left and is forced down over the thigh. This twist-and-bend of the trunk lightens the weight above the hips and allo\\"S them to rise, while the vigorous finish to the follow-up S\ving of the left leg lifts the left hip up, over and partly away from the cross-bar. Note the- wide spread of the arms and the fact that Landon has turned his face directly down- wards towards the ground, to which, also, his chest is almost parallel. This lifting, follow-up kick of the left leg, and the body-twist and lay-out must be practised constantly and for a very long time at such a height as you can be perfectly sure of clearing. Until the technique of this phase of the jump has been mastered perfectly no attempt should be made to clear extreme heights. 1--4 1--4 l...rt