Athletics of To-Day 1929

----------------------~ -· 152 Athletics of To-day Meantime hurdle races at odd distances survived for a long time in England, and Oswald Groenings made a British record of 36! secs. for 300 yards over ro flights of 3 ft. hurdles as recently as rgo7. I well remember him as a genial young giant, always game for a joke or a gamble. He once made a bet with me that I daren't start jumping in a high jump com– petition at 5 ft. 6 ins. I said that I'd take it on, if he'd do the same. We both brought the bar down twice, and each made it tremble at our third and final attempt, after which I think he beat me at a few inches higher. Oxford and Cambridge did not again turn their attention to the Low Hurdles until rg22, in which year W. S. Bristowe, C.U.A.C., won in z6t secs. In the next year the American Rhodes Scholar, Trevis Huhn, gave Oxford the only win they had scored up to rgz8. Then Bristowe won again, and after that came Lord Burghley's three successive wins, in the first of which he brought the record down to 24! secs., a figure that was equalled in 1923 by G. C. Weightman-Smith. Neither in England nor America is there a Universities 440 yards Low Hurdles Race, if one excepts the Championships of the British Provincial Universities (record-59~ secs., D. McC. Bone, Liverpool University, 1924) and the 400 metres Hurdles Championship at the Pennsylvania Relay Meeting. England was before America in instituting a national440 yards Low Hurdles title, the A.A.A. granting to the Amateur Field Events Association permission to hold a championship at that distance over ro flights of 3 ft. hurdles in rgr3. The first winner was E. B. Greer, L.A.C., who fell during the War when commanding a battalion of the Guards. His time was 63! secs. In the following year the A.A.A. took over the event, and it was won by J. C. English, Manchester A.C., in SSt secs., while the A.A.U. instituted an American Championship, won by W. H. Meanix, Boston A.C., in 57t secs. Sweden, also, insti– tuted a 400 metres (437 yds. I ft. 4i ins.) championship in rgr4, which was won by P. G. Zerling, A.I.K., Stockholm, in 6r! secs. A 400 metres Olympic Championship was instituted in rgoo, and this title was won at every Olympiad up to rgz8 by America.