Athletics of To-Day for Women

16 Athletics of To-day for Women were founded in the clubs, and women's records were registered. Some women's meetings were organised in rgrg and rgzo, but at first only competitions at roo metres and 4X roo metres relay races were run, but soon •further competitions in long jumping and weight putting and throwing were introduced. In rgzr the first German Women's Championships were held, Fri. Kiessling, Munich, won at roo metres in rz~ secs., and the Long Jump at 17 ft . rr ins. Frl. Grasse won the 5 kgs. Shot Put at zg ft . zt ins., and Munich the 4X roo metres Relay Race in 52-fo- secs. To-day German women are among the finest athletes of their sex in the whole world. This circumstance is partly due to good coaching and first-class facilities, but mainly to the fact that Germany aims to develop the womanhood of her nation as a whole, and is therefore able to maintain a very high standard of performance, as will be seen by the following rgzg championship stati tics : - - - 'VE T. ixt.h. Average f 6. ft. ins. ft. in . ft. ins. High Jump ... 4 9 1 1 0 4 5 4 6~ Long Jump !8 7g 17 I 1 17 7 Shot Put ... 42 1 1~) 30 I 3 7 Javelin (6 grs.) 125 5 ~ 99 5 ih- I II iscus {t kilo.) 123 5 _I_ ro6 310" I 14 8 - Belgium did not found its Federation portive F'minine Beige until October, rgzr, when it had appro. imat ly half a hundred m mb rs. That little country wa abl , however, to send fourte n girl athlet s to the Olympic Games in rgz8, and a y ar later its Federation had a membership of 823, r pr sentativ of a dozen clubs. Am ri a has been mention d already, but it was not until rgzz, wh n merica s nt fift en girls to take part in th fir t La i s' Int mation 1 am s at ari , that the Amat ur A hl ti ni n to k ov r th ntr 1 of worn n' athl ti . Prior t that tim th r wa n nati nal org nisation ha ing