Athletics of To-Day 1929

The High Jump 1 95 hot and bothered " by the quiet persistence with which he replied et Not yet," each time the bar was raised and he was asked if he was going to commence jumping. That was a remarkable year, for G. M. Moll,* Bedford School, had earlier in the afternoon made a new" under r6" record of 5 ft. 5 ins., and was still jumping in the senior contest when Simmons disrobed himself, measured his approach, kicked a good deal more than the height of the bar, and came in at 5 ft. 4 ins. In the previous year C. E. S. Gordon, Charterhouse, had taken the record up to 5 ft. ro ins., and that year Simmons and C. L. Napier, Sloane School, tied at 5 ft. 8 ins. Napier had the beginnings of a style, but Simmons's action was purely u scissors," from a plain walk up with an amazing high kick. In an article of mine which appeared in The Field of November 17th, 1927, I critici ed Simmons's form, adversely, I am afraid, and he wrote to ask what I could recommend to improve his technique. From that time onwards letters, photographs, diagrams, and sketches passed between us week by week, and on March 3rd he wrote me that he had cleared 5 ft. 9 ins. in the new style he was I arning; and, as I had expected him to go back in his work, I was delighted and told Mr. Wadmor , the British Olympic team manager, that I had a boy in training who would be good enough to go to Amster– dam and would, I hoped, beat the best of our Briti h high jumpers. In April I saw Simmons again, for the fir t time during a year. He carried off the Public chools high jump with a record of 5 ft. ro! ins. and was unlucky to bring the bar down at 6 ft. His style was now taking shape. The Champion hips came in July, and he gave us 6ft. r in. That made hi place in the British t am secure, an h broke e rges Andre's record, which had stood since rgo8, of b ing the youngest athlete ever to r pr sent any nation at the Olympic Games, for Simmons was still a schoolboy and only seventeen y ars of age when he went to Amsterdam in July, rgz8. There he fulfill d my prophecy and did ind ed prove • On March 28th, 1929, at B dford chool, Moll cleared 5ft. niins. ; he was 171- years old, and stood sft. gin.