Athletics (British Sports Library)

56 ATHLETICS perhaps one should say, to generate more power– otherwise there will be a distinct falling off in pace for a period of two strides-not much, but quite sufficient to cause him to sacrifice the race. Others breathe all the time. Finishing is largely a matter of the ability to hold one's form in the stress of great excitement. Paddock, we know, uses a jump finish (Sketch 6, D), which upon occasion has served him well, but Paddock is a phenomenal performer, and there are few sprinters, one believes, who can afford to break the precise action of their legs by such a perform– ance, added to which the average sprinter neither is nor should be poised for jumping at the conclu– sion of a hard race. Many men accomplish a successful finish by running straight through the tape without any variation at all in the sprinting action ; others throw the shoulder at the tape in the last stride; but although this method has un– doubtedly won races, it usually results in the athlete screwing his head round and bringing his knees up in such a way that he actually retards his progress (Sketch 6, B). One should aim to run to a point well past the winning-post, and I think Mr. Mussabini's method of throwing the head and chest as far forward as possible in the last stride– in other words going down to the tape-is the best style of finishing I have ever seen (see Sketch 6, c).