Athletics and Football (extract)

JUMPING, WEIGHT-PUTTING, ETC. championships have fallen more often to Irish and Scotch competitors than to native Englishmen. The Scotchman J. W. Parsons, who was English champion in 1880 and 1883, deserves a word of notice. Compared with Brooksand Davin, he may be ranked as a small man, and, if our recollection serves us aright, stands about 5 ft. 9 in.; yet in 1883 he cleared 6 ft. \ in., which,when compared with his High jump. height,showshim to be a performeralmost of the calibre of the other two. The championof 1885—Kelly,an Irishman—cleared 5 ft. 11 in., and it may probably be said with truth that the averageof high jumpingat country sports is better in Ireland than in England. Except, however, in jumping and weight- putting, the averageperformer at English sports is better than the average Irishman, 1he improvement made of late years in long jumping is L 2