Athletics of To-Day for Women

England's Triumphant Start with some girls from the Woolwich Polytechnic, to compete in gymnastic events against the girls of other European countries. The news came later that a basket-ball tournament and athletic events were also to be decided. The girls were then asked to meet at Paddington Recreation round on aturday afternoons to give Mr. Palmer, who was to undertake their training, a chance of discovering if any of them could run or jump or hurdle. They could do all these things-after a fa hion-but the best part of a month passed befor any of them w re beginning to show proficiency in the art of starting; by that time, too, they w re beginning to shape w 11 at passing a relay baton. Th n some attempted hurdling ov r a pole perched upon two sticks. t this they showed good form from the fir t. Th re wa , however, very little that was scientific about the jumping, and the throwing events were not cv n attempted. Me n– while the basket-ball team was getting into really great shape. Finally, eighteen excited young f males a sembled on the boat-train at Victoria, with hordes of r lative and pr ss photographer to see them off. They w r the Mi es Bradley, irchenough*, Becker, Cast*, Fuller*, Hatt*, Jack on, Lines*, Look, Russ 11*, U. mith, Thomas, Wright*, March, gent, rett, M. mith, and L gal. Thos who nam r starr d took part in th athl tic cont t , and many of them r seen in th illu tration . Th y are pecially m nti n d, b ause th y wer th first girl v r to represent r at Britain-even uno:ffi ially-in athl tic . The Fr nch team consi ted of 58, that of Italy I , orway nt 7 girl , and witz rland I . Th r w re n cont ts on the first day, and the Engli h girl all njoy d a run to str tch lim cramp d by a thirty- ix hour railway j urn y. The sp rts ar na wa th pig on sh oting round, \ hi h li in front f the famou a in . It ha th s n thr i it nd i p rch d on high r k which jut ut into th w t r. n ~riday, March Ioth, th am b gan. Th Engli h girl , having no rt f n ti n of th pr w . of th ~ r n h, Italian, orw gian, and wi ~ girl , w r littl