Athletics of To-Day 1929

Throwing the Hammer 301 Limerick in r873, was a u broth of a boy," and a big fellow, without being among the giants in stature. He won three Olympic, seven U.S.A., and two English titles, besides numerous Irish and Canadian Championships. Before he emigrated to America, Flanagan had always thrown with three turns, but in the States he found the 7 ft. circle in vogue-it was reverted to in England in rgo8-and so cut down his style to two turns. Even this was quite new to the Americans, who had only abandoned the standing throw without follow in r886, and in rgoo he won the first Olympic Championship at r67 ft. 4 ins. Then A. D. Plaw journeyed east from California and proved that three turns in a 7 ft. circle were practicable. He improved on Flanagan's record, but the great John, working hard, regained it at IJI ft. and won the rgo4 Olympic title at r68 ft. r in. He saw clearly, however, that he had reached his limit with only two turns, and so he began to practise with three. For three solid years he trained steadily before he could fully control the throw with three turns, but at last he got the trick of it and raised the world's record to r8r ft. The rgo8 Olympic Games in London brought together an amazing number of brilliant hammer throwers. Two years earlier Matt. McGrath (No. 7, Plate 55) had won the American Junior Championship at r6r ft. z ins., only 6 ins. short of S. P. Gillis's record of the year before. In rgo8 he beat both Flanagan and Gillis for the A.A.U. senior title at I73 ft., but broke a knee ligament when practising the high jump two months before the Games. He was born in Tipperary, Ireland, in r878, stood a quarter of an inch under 6 ft. and weighed just under r8 stone when he arrived in London to represent the United States. Con Walsh, representing Canada, was born at Cork in r88z and had won the Irish Championship at r52 ft. in rgo6 and actually represented Ireland against cotland in the month that the Games were held and so might fairly have been claimed to represent Great Britain. Despite his broken ligament McGrath was expected to win and did in fact lead throughout the contest, until Flanagan got in a lovely heave