Athletics of To-Day 1929

232 Athletics of To-day from the rain with towels. The cinder path was sodden and had to be re-rolled between every vault, and yet Frank Foss, U.S.A. (No. 4, Plate 32), using the comparatively new tf jack– knife" clearance to perfection, won the contest at I2 ft. Sf ins., then upset Olympic record with a vault of I3 ft. If ins., after which he achieved a world's record of I3 ft. 5 ins. He was a short, sturdily built man with fine legs and tremendous shoulder strength. The next year we heard rumours of a wonderful Scandinavian schoolboy, and in I922 I went over to Norway and met him. At the Bristol Hotel in Christiania-as the capital was then called-! ran across Frithof Dale, who invited me to go down to Copenhagen for the Landskamp-an annual Triangular International between Norway, Sweden, and Denmark-as an honorary member of the Norwegian team. Needless to say, I jumped at the chance and that was how I came first to meet Charles Hoff (see Plate 33). He was a tall, beautifully pro– portioned youth, nearly 6ft. 3 ins. in height, and, I should say, well over II stone, and an artist by profession. He told me that he had invented a new vertical lift to effect clearance, which would, he thought, cut the tf jack-knife " right out. tt I shall," he said, tf leave the pole and soar upwards like a bird. You will see what happens." tf Right, my lad," thought I, tf we shall see, but I doubt if you'll be in a state to understand anything." For, frankly, I thought he'd break his neck. We had two pretty good days in Copenhagen before the match, but the Sunday afternoon, when w went out to the stadium for the sports, was a soaker. Hoff looked like a music– hall turn in a long flowered dr ssing-gown and carrying an umbrella. He started off, however, by winning the long jump for Norway at 23ft. I in., half a foot ahead of the I920 Olympic champion, tf Kalmar " Pettersen, Sweden. The pole vault followed, and I believe he failed twice at every height until he had won at somewhere round about I2 ft. 3 ins. from Henry Petersen, Denmark, who had tied for second place in the I920 Games. Hoff was, with difficulty, persuaded to try to beat his