Athletics of To-Day for Women

I 76 Athletics of To-day for Women gives away an ounce of her finishing or starting speed, nor the team as a whole lose its accumulated momentum. In this connection pace judgment is again all important. The girl who is waiting to receive the baton must be able to assess the powers of the girl who is racing to deliver it to her ; otherwise she cannot judge in which part of the zone the change over should be made. A tired runner must be given the chance of getting rid of the baton in the first ten yards of the zone. But when the incoming girl is finishing fresh and full of running then the outgoing relay can make a fairly fast start and should receive the baton in the second ten yards of the zone. Watch the incoming runner until you are sure of her condi– tion, but when you are satisfied as to the state of things start your run with your head and eyes directed straight ahead. This action is shown correctly by Edwards in Pictures ro3 and I04, by the Latvian girls in Picture 105, and again by Edwards in Pictures 106 and 107. In Picture 102, however, Haynes, although her leg action is p rfect, has committed the fault of looking back for the baton and has not allowed Seouler to come up near enough to her to effect an absolutely safe exchange. Pictures 102 to 104 give the story of the triumph of the British girls in th Relay Race at the Second International Women's Games at Goth nburg in 1926. It will be seen in Picture ro2 that Miss Scouler has r tained a firm hold upon the lower end of the baton, and is giving Miss Haynes practically the whole length of the baton to grasp. Miss Haynes has touched her team fellow's fingers and is letting her hand slide forward to grasp the baton as soon as she " feels wood." This is all as it should be. Her sprint action also is admirable, but she should not have turn d her shoulders to the sid , nor her head to the rear. Miss coul r s ems to be abandoning her effort a fraction of a second too soon. This is rev al d by three points-first, the straightening up of her body; second, the flinging up and out of her right arm ; and, third, the kick up of h r right heel and the grounding of her 1 ft. Picture 103 portrays the beginning of a p rf et xchange b tween Miss Thompson and Miss Edward . Every fine