Athletics of To-Day 1929

344 Athletics of To-day France and Germany two each. The only short distance record not exclusively American is that for roo yards, which has been equalled by a Canadian. In the past not only has America swept the record breaking board, but her athletes have also emphasized their superiority at every celebration of the Olympic Games. The cycle of national success is extraordinarily interesting. First, Great Britain, in which I include the Irish throwing-men, was unbeatable; but when America settled down seriously to produce athletes and imported Iri h coaches and athletes she rapidly overhauled and soon surpassed the older land, until the complete conquest of the London Athletic Club by the New York A.. in America in r8g5 proved conclusively that the power had passed across the Atlantic. In the following year the first celebration of the revived Olympic Games was held, and since then America has never been conquered upon the athletic field. The United States has enjoyed a wonderful run, but there are signs that a period is about to be put to h r supremacy. The ontinental and candinavian peoples have made wonder– ful progress; the Far Ea t rn countrie and the Latin races, both in Europe and outh America, show promise, which is proved statistically by the p rcentage improvement which is to be found in the average of performance of the first ten men in each event per year per nation. In th first plac progr s is undoubtedly due to the fact that all nations, except r at ritain, mploy as well-paid pro– fessional coaches men of good social and mental status. There is also the question of grounds. Gr at ritain is very badly served in this respect. Now that Queen' lub is to be devoted xclusiv ly to the practice of lawn tennis, there are only two grounds in England which are r ally worthy to be called athletic stadia-th We twood Ground, which ha recently been laid out by Le ds University, and the Army Athletic Ground at Aldershot. At t mford Bridge, th home of th Engli h hampionships, the track has been ruined by dirt track racing, and the hurdles course on grass