Athletics and Football (extract)

1 5 2 ATHLETICS ing to jump sufficiently high and skimmingtoo near the ground. As he had a great natural spring in his muscles,it suited him better to leap a trifle higher than his lighter opponent Kemp. Lockton, who made his mark also as a sprinter and hurdler, was another magnificent long-jumper, having time after time done over 22feet in public. When a lad of seventeen at school he entered for the long-jumpchampionship,and as Davies,who wasalso entered, did not put in an appearance,Lockton wasin­ dulged with a walk over. In 1875, 1879,and 1880 he also won this championship, on the two latter occasions clearing over 22 feet. Indeed, Lockton, from the time he was eighteen, was alwaysgood for 22 feet ; and cleared within an inch or two of this distance at his school sports, when still at school. Lockton did not figure prominently at sports after 1880, and since his time it is hardly too much to say that all our best long-jumpershave been Irishmen or Scotchmen. Parsons, of Edinburgh University,who was, as we have described, a light­ weight of medium height, not only cleared 6 ft. ^ in. at the championship at Lillie Bridge in 1883,but on the same day won the long-jump championship with 23 ft. ^ in. The weather wasfine and warm, but, as he was neither aided by wind nor drop in the ground, the double performance on the same day marks him as a marvellous jumper. Parsons, like Kemp, jumped always with great judgment, never taking-off short of the line, and throwinghis legs wellout in front of him. In 1881 P. Davin won the English championship at the Aston Grounds, Birmingham, witha jumpof 22 ft. 11 in., but was aided by a decided drop in the ground. Davin's long jumping was like his high jumping; he had a remarkable natural spring in his muscles and jumped wellinto the air with perfect grace and no twistingof the back or jerk of the body. Two years later he is credited with having,at Portarlington, in Ireland, covered 23 ft. 2 in., just halfan inch more than Lane's jump of 1874, and there does not seem to be any fair reason for disputing the record. In 1882the championship again fell to an Irishman, T. M. Malone,whowasa slighterman than Davin,