Athletics of To-Day 1929

The Pole Vault '2JJ own Scandinavian record of I3 ft. zl ins., but did so to oblige. At the first attempt he simply soared over I3 ft. 4 ins. The bar was then raised to I3 ft. 6! ins., but he was not a bit keen on going for the world's record, as he had still another event in which he was due to represent Norway. At last he was persuaded and at the first attempt went over with plenty to spare, as the accompanying picture (No. 3, Plate 33), taken at the time, proves. After that he ended up the afternoon by finishing second in the hop, step, and jump at 46 ft. 9 ins. to Folk Jansson, Sweden, who cleared 47ft. I in. In the following year I was again with him at Gothenburg, when he further increased the world's record to I3 ft. 9i ins., and he again increased it at Abo, Finland, in I925 to I3 ft. IIi ins. This actual vault is shown in No. I, Plate 33· Meantime he had struck a patch of real bad luck. A vault of I4 ft. and Olympic laurels were in sight, and then, early in I924, he broke his ankle. Pole vaulting in Paris was out of the question, but he ran finely for his country in the 400 metres, going through to the Olympic semi-final stage, but having to be almost carried from the track after each heat. We both took a good look at the American schoolboys, Lee Barnes and Glen Graham, who broke level in the pole vault at I2 ft. IIi ins. Great youngsters, both of them, but we thought Barnes the more likely to develop into a world b ater. We were much taken too with the style of the young anadian, V. Pickard, also a schoolboy, who went to I2 ft. 5f ins. The spring of Igz6 found Hoff right back in form and making a new indoor world's record of I3 ft. 8 ins. in the Stat s. From America he wrote me that he had seen a lad who was going to break all previous records and would certainly be the first athlete ever to clear I4 ft. Sabin W. arr, the youngster of whom he wrote, had in I924 made a vault of I2 ft. 7 ins. as a schoolboy, was an amazingly good gymnast, and had hit a style of his own, mid-way betw en the jack-knif , favour d by Foss, and Hoff's vertical lift. H was a Yale sophomore wh n Hoff first saw him, but by F bruary, I927, he had beaten Hoff's indoor record by one inch. At Philadelphia on May 27th, I927,