Athletics of To-Day 1929

Throwing the Hammer 307 and I thought him certain to win, despite the fact that F. D. Tootell had beaten 173 ft. at the U.S.A. Championships and McGrath was back to at least 170 ft. form. Well, with his first throw Nokes touched r8o ft. all right, but came out of the circle before the hammer hit the ground, and I think I am right in saying that he only got one throw out of six measured, that one-r6o ft. 4 ins.- giving him third place to the two Americans, F. D. Tootell, 174 ft. ro ins., and M. ]. McGrath, r66 ft. 9i ins. Finland and Sweden filled the next two places. The former country has not yet quite caught on to the game, but Sweden may produce a world beater at any time now. The year 1927 was notable for several reasons. Sweden had developed a fine thrower in 0. Skoeld, who was placed fifth at Paris (148 ft. 6i 5 ins.), while A. Poggioli raised the Italian record to over r6o ft. The Swede came over to England and took the A.A.A. title at r65 ft., beating Nokes by just over 3 ft., a very fine German, J. Mang, finishing third. A couple of weeks later the International Match between England, Ireland, and Scotland took place at Fallowfield, Manchester. Nokes won the hammer at r62 ft. 9 2 ins., but Dr. P. O'Callaghan, who competed in football boots and had been at the game less than a year, threw rsr ft. 5! ins. for second place, and W. Brit– ton, his fellow Irishman, was third at 150ft. 3 ins. The Olympic year, 1928, caught Nokes clean off form. He took the Midland Counties title at 146ft. 62 ins., throwing in a pair of borrowed shoes, which circumstance, I hoped, might account for the obvious falling off in his form, but in th A.A.A. Championships he was beaten half a foot by the Irishman, W. Britton, who reached 152 ft. rr ins. We still hoped against hope that Nokes would stage a great come-back, at la t br al his bad luck, and achieve Olympic laurels at Amsterdam, for Jack 1\1erchant was America's best man, and he had reached but IJOi ft. in the U.S.A. Champion– ship, while okes had proved himself in the past a better thrower than any of the Continentals. I don't think any of us exp cted that Dr. 0' allaghan, with his short experience, was going to "spill the beans" and spoil America's run of success, which had