Athletics of To-Day 1929

The High Hurdles 139 hurdle, missed a stride, and crashed into the eighth, Atkinson putting up a new British record of 14 ~ secs. At Amsterdam tc Weiters, in his heat produced a new Olympic record of I4i secs. Despite his fall in the A.A.A. Championships a month before, it seemed certain that he must achieve Olympic honours, and would probably break world's record. But in hurdling nothing is more uncertain than the absolute stone-cold certainty. On the morning of the finals I ran across Weightman-Smith in Amst rdam, and somehow he did not look too bright. When he turne out for the great race in the aft rnoon he was obviously bothered about something. He had cause enough for worry, for he had drawn the v ry worst lane in a notoriously loose track. Apart from that I think the greatness of the occasion overawed him a little, while some sub– conscious sense must have brought back to his mind the disastrous fall at tamford Bridge. Weightman-Smith was so evidently suffering from mental strain that he did not even bother to limber up to loosen his muscles. The men went to their marks, three Americans, two South Africans, and one Englishman. The starter kept his field hanging such an unconscionable time that Gaby broke. At the next attempt the six went away togeth r, but Weightman– Smith s emed to d\ ell, and J. olli r, U. .A., showed ahead ov r the first flight, and with each flight increas d his 1 ad from Weightman- mith, who was hurdling v ry high. At the half di tance Collier look all over a winn r, but then his fellow Am rican, . And rson, and the outh African, S. J. M. Atkinson, came to the front, whil L. Dye, U.S.A., pass d Weightman- mith, F. R. aby then b ing well in rear of the field. Anderson and Atkinson passed over the last hurdle absolut ly level, but the outh African was a shade ahead on landing and n v r falt r d as he tore for the t pe to beat the American by the bar st inches in 14 secs., with oilier third, Dye fourth, W ightman- mith fifth and by la t. Atkinson w ll rv d hi win, both on his form and in comp nsation for his bad luck at aris; but very one f lt sorry for '' W it rs," whose case was clearly one of mental strain and the ill-luck Of