Athletics of To-Day for Women

Second International Ladies' Games, 1926 6 3 watched them as they circled a moment, seeking their bearings, above Slottsskogsvallen, and every ye followed them until they finally vanished in the blue f1rmament upon their home– ward ways. The Games began at once. E.·pedition and despatch were, indeed, the key-note of the eel bration, which bore incontro– vertible witne s to th consci ntiou w rk of the leaders and the disciplin and sporting spirit of the cont tants. ~or three days of unbrok n sunshine the amcs continu d, and one could not but marv 1 that among the \vomen taking part the stern desire to win was so justly blended with an admirable ability to accept d feat. The first ont st, Ieat I of the roo yards was scheduled for 5.30 p.m. on •riday, August 27, and at 5.30 to the s cond the start r' pi t 1 crack , an th fir t race was on. Mlle. adideau won that h at in rz s cs., and I think we all r alised, from h r per£ et action, that ~ranee had pr du d a potential world's hampion, but when os Thomp~ on just romped away with the n xt h at in rr 2 secs., eating the won erful zecho- lovakian, ychrova, c mf rtably, the h pc of the British supporters rose very high. Th result of the third heat caus d, h wev r, a f? o d al of surpris . fi . IIaynes was Engli h sr rint ham i n n ju t r ching h r best, an yet the myst ry-w man from J ap::m- 1 inuyc IIitomi- beat th ritish girl with a lot to spar in II 4 secs. ( ictur 7). vVord had rea h some of u from friend in the Far East oncerning this Japan se la y. It wa said th t she wa the best all-round athlet in the world, and that ven sh id not know whether h r forte lay in printinO', di tance running, jumping, or throwing. Th heer romanc of h r s emed to thrill the p ctators; and, de pit Mlle. a ideau's b autiful form and Ros Thomp on' gr at time of II~ secs., no one w uld hear of it mi b ing beat n in th final. ' r 1 r a on th fa t st third, I\111 . lanch , Franc , a w ll as the ' inn r and rnnn r-up of ach h at, wa admitted t th final, an wh n th s n girls w nt t th ir marks you could hav h ar l a pin lr p. Th r wer two l•r nch