Athletics of To-Day 1929

The Long Jump shoulders to help to lift the body into the air. The free knee is drawn up, but once the jumping foot has executed the spring, with a full extension of the whole limb, it is allowed to hang, or trail. R. W. Revans shows this action well in Picture No. 2, Plate 28, but is already gathering himself for the ((hitch-kick," in which movement the right arm will be snapped forward with the trailing left leg, when the right leg will go back (as seen in No. 3) before being again brought up level with the left leg. Note how Revans has readjusted his body position during the ((hitch-kick." The forward movement of the left leg and right arm and the backward kick of the right leg are all well shown also by Alzieu, a French jumper, in Picture No. 3, Plate 29. No. 4, Plate 28 shows V. B. V. Powell, the Cambridge Blue and English International, who in I923 raised the Public Schools long jump record to ZI ft. gt ins. He had a most efficient ((hitch-kick'' and in the picture is seen reaching his highest point at which his kick was given effect. ompare the forward bend of his body with the uprightness of trunk shown by Revans, Alzieu and Ham. Unless Powell had straight ned himself out from the position shown, the weight of hi body must have forced his feet very quickly to earth. The pictur s of Alzieu and Revans seem to me to prove clearly how w ll the (t hitch-kick'' serves to get the body back to the vertical, so that the weight is kept back of the centre of gravity, instead of forcing it down. Picture No. I, Plate zg, is of P. O'Connor, form r world's record holder, who did not use the ((hitch-kick," but imply drew the knees up towards the chin and trusted to his initial v locity to carry him (t sailing " through the air. The weight is disposed forward, but had he known the mod rn t( hitch– kick" method I think he might well have xceeded z6 ft., instead of just failing to reach 25 ft. No. 2, Plate zg shows Ed. Ham, U.S.A., lympic hampion an British Record holder (25 ft. I in.) in about the same stage of th jump as 0' onnor, but the American, of c ur , is using the t( kick." The t( hitch-kick, is just finishing; his balance is perfect, and