Athletics of To-Day for Women

FOREWORD Loorr ·c at the great number of worn n athletes scattered all v r rea.t ritain to-day, and se ing th amount of sp ce d voted to their performances in variou field of sport, it s n1s a very far cry to the day wh n, at Monte arlo, I saw what, as far as I can rem mber, wa the first international me ting of women athl t s. otice w r put up in th town h ad d " ports F'minin ," and 1nany of u w nt to s ~vhat it all m ant. And y t that was only nine years ago– m rgzr. Th meeting \ a held on the old pig on- hooting ground, and t king part was at am of Engli h girls. I don t think th y r lised it, an I am ur no on lse n th ground did, but th Y \ver the pion ers of a gr at mo m nt. n the way horn the e girl (aft rwards I~no\ n a th o don lympia s) form d th f1r t \Vomen's thleti lub. At this pion r 11 eting in M nt. arlo our r presentat.i s \ r not · ry w 11 organi ed or suitably lr ed, and th ir training was not all that could b de ir d. ot one of thos thr ritici m ould v r b mad to-d y about a r pr - ntativ worn n's t. a1n of athl t s which i s nt abroad. Th organisation has d clop db yon all knowl dg , lthough th r have b n 1nany difficulti to nt nd with. a ical hang s, all f r th bett r, ha b n mad in th dr s and quipm nt, and th training ha b om , a it houl be, r ally seri us matt r. Th r ult is that in the fi 1 r n the tracl· i ngli h vom n an hold th ir ' n with those of any nation in th ' orld. In most a s th y mor than hold th ir O\ n. nee the desir to exc 1 in sport, t get away from the days f croquet and that d licate form of pat ball which not so ry long ago among w m n 1 a sed a lawn tennis, had found .· r s ion in th f rmation f Worn n's lubs, th V