Athletics of To-Day 1929

Putting the Shot returning 44 ft. 9 ins. In I892 he raised the U.S.A. record to 47ft. at Chicago. He was certainly the best shot putter of his inches that the world has ever seen, or is ever likely to see, and a shining example of just what may be accomplished by the man who will ''take thought to add a cubit to his (lack of) stature." His timing and muscular co-ordination were simply marvellous. By this time the standard had risen nearly a dozen feet and the Continental and Scandinavian nations were beginning to practise athletics seriously, although their day was not yet come. In I88g Dennis Horgan (No. 2, Plate 58), a most genial Irish giant and hero of many a great conflict, had raised the world's record to 47 ft. I in. in Scotland, and in I894 W. 0. Hickok, Yale, set the American Inter- ollegiate record at 42ft., and a year later]. D. Macintosh raised the Scottish Champion– ship record to 43ft. I in. Meanwhile, the nearest approach to 40 ft. at the Oxford and Cambridge Sports had been the 39ft. I in. of]. H. Ware, O.U.A.C., in I886. Dennis Horgan, I think, deserves a special paragraph to himself; were all his feats to be recorded, he would need a whole volume. Born at Banteer, Co. Cork, in I879, he was twenty– four years of age when he won his first championship honours in I893, taking the Irish Shot at 45ft. 3 ins. and the English title at 42 ft. 9 ins. Between that year and I9I2, when he was forty-three years old, he won eleven Irish A.A.A., and thirteen English titles, besides Canadian and American shot putting championships. He never gained an Olympic title, but in Igo8, in a downpour of rain, was beaten a couple of feet by the late Ralph Rose, U.S.A. (No. 2, Plate 59), who registered 46 ft. 7t ins. At that time Horgan stood 5 ft. ro ins. andweighed I7 st. There is a tale told of him which illustrates the dangers of imitating the mighty too closely. Horgan, getting on in years, is said to have stimulated his energies with a "drop o' the crather" upon occasion. Another athlete, observing this, provided himself with a flask of whisky, and found that the stimulant added to his shot putting powers. Unfortunately he had recourse to similar measures before going out to throw the •