Athletics

ATHLETICS. considerable distance in order to get his nerve fixed and muscles set for the jump. Another thing whicha beginner finds a difficult matter is the place to take off from. And one generally sees them taking off so far from the bar, that it lessens the height of their jump from two to four inches. About half the height of the jump is the best distance to take off from, or perhaps an inch or two more. As to the position oneshould hold one's self in while in the act ofcrossing thebar, little can be said, and certainly no rule laid down, for rarely do two jumpers assume the same position. The best shoes for high jumping have either two or three spikes on a heel, from an eighth to a quarter of an inch long, according to the strength of ankle the athlete possesses. Another important item the would-be high jumper must remember is,that in order to reach a high standard, a con­ siderable amountof muscle is required, whichis difficult to acquire by high jumping alone; so exercises analogous to jumping must be rigorously practised. POLE JUMPING. By Tom Ray, UlverstoneAthletic Club ; British Amateur Champion, 1881, 1882, 1884, 1885, 1886,1887,1888; American AmateurChampion, 1887 (11 ft. 4 in.); Canadian AmateurChampion, 1887. How to Begin —Before commencing preliminary practice procure two uprights 12 ft. above ground, and the same distance apart, or even 13 ft., as itis better for the novice to have a long cross-bar, as then the height doesnot seemso great as when the space between the posts is narrower. Bore holes in the uprights, from3 ft. 6 in. (enabling them to be