Athletics of To-Day 1929

Athletics of To-day R. Passemann, who also took the pole vault. From then on, until he finally retired from athletics, Baker was only once beaten in the English Championships, that was in 1914 when Wesley Oler, U.S.A., took the award at 6 ft. zi ins., winning by the odd half-inch because he could get his body out a little flatter before the under leg kick than Baker at that period of his career was able to do. In the previous year Carroll had cleared 6 ft. 5 ins. ; the per– formance was passed by the Irish A.A.A. but has never been accepted as a British record. Throughout the War Howard Baker served in the Royal Navy and sustained an injury to the ankle of his jumping leg, which, it was thought, would terminate his sporting career. But on the resumption of athletics in 1919 he won the Championship as readily as ever and showed such an improvement in style as made us hopeful for his success at the Antwerp Olympiad a year later, for he had enjoyed no luck at Stockholm in 1912. He was, however, destined to meet a very wonderful American, Richmond W. Landon, who stood 5 ft. 9! ins. and weighed 9 stone 6 lb. when at the age of twenty-five he created a new Olympic record of 6ft. 4 4 ins. and, incidentally, jumped 6! ins. higher than the top of his own head, using an adaptation of the style employed by M. . Sw eney. The following year brought Baker to the zenith of his career. He was now sure of always cl aring 6ft. 3 ins., and at one meet– ing went for 6 ft. 6 ins. Just as he was running up a more than meticulous official shouted to him to stop. He did so and burst his shoe. The trouble was that he had tied a handker– chief to the bar and the p rnickety fool of an official declared that to contravene the rule that the bar mu t be made ntirely of wood. Since then a handkerchief as a sighting mark has been 1 galized. Baker was to have his British record, however, for at Huddersfield on June 25th, 1921, he accomplished 6 ft. 5 ins. from a gras ta:ke-off. Six foot thre inches, or p rhaps a bit mor , in height and weighing best part of 14 stone, aker was more than merely a fine high jumper. He could do any field event well, played