Athletics of To-Day 1929

CHAPTER XVII THE HoP, STEP, AND jUMP THE history of the hop, step, and jump is practically Olympic history. This event has been in the American National Championship programme since r893 and has been practised in Ireland, and possibly Scandinavia, from time immemorial, but has never found favour with the Universities on either side of the Atlantic, nor was it practis din England until the Amateur Field Events Association promoted the first national champion– ship in 1911. This was won by an Irishman, M. D. Dineen, at 41 ft. 6 ins. The hop, step, and jump has, however, always figured in the programme at the Olympic Games since ]. B. Connolly, U.S.A., took the title with a triple ffort of 45ft. at the first of the modem Olympiads in 1896 at Ath ns. onnolly, an Irish-American, se ms to have specialised in this one event, but Myer Prinstein, U.S.A., who took the Olympic honours in 1900 and 1904 at just over 47 ft., was a fine all-round athlet , although he had little chance as a h p, st p, and jump r in the States where a championship was instituted in 1893, dropped in 1894, and not resum d until rgo6. He took National and Int r- oil giate long jump championships, how v r, at over 23 .. ft. At the int rcalated seri s of ames h ld at Athens in rgo6, eighteen athletes took part in the hop, step, and jump. rin– st in had a game ankle at the time and r ach d only some 41 ft . . Leahy was xpected to win but had troubl in hitting the take-off and was beaten by 3! ins. by his f llow Irishman, P. 0' onnor, the world's long jump r cord holder (No. 2, Plate 30), who cleared 46 ft. 2t ins. Both m n were excellent high and long jumpers (see preceding chapters). 219