Athletes in Action

1 59 THE L G JUMP (3) F1cs. 5 and 6 on the p1ge opposite show the beginning of the right-leg mid-air step-action. The 1 ft leg still maintains it stiff posture throughout its entire length, but it is falling lower in a perfectly normal manner (Fig. 5) while the heel of the right leg ha reached the high t point it will attain in the back pick-up. The ea y po ition of the whole body i particularly note- w rthy and pccially in relation t the asy p isc of the head and the relaxed hang f the arms d wn- wards from the shoulders. In the transition period b tween the two pha e f the mid-air running-strid the arms should fall to th ides as shown. The commencement of the next (right leg) running- stride in mid-air i seen in Fig. 6 oppo ite. gain, the body i held p ·rfcctly upright the left leg having completed its work for the moment, has fallen t an almo t rtical po·ition as it\\ uld be in a running- stride on the ground, but the ynchroni -cd a tion f the left arm and ri ht kg i remarkable. It will be ccn that the flcxion of the arm at the lbow and th leg at the knee corre pond and that the arm-acti n is aiding materially the admirably high pick-up of the right kne , and similarly, the relaxed straightnc f the right arm and left leg arc in direct relationship to one another. But f r th fact that the athlete has prcscrv d a perfectly corre t body rcctnc for jumping he might 11 be running up n the gr und, to all appcaranc s, instead of as is the ea c) running in mid-air,