Coaching and Care of Athletes

SPRINTING the A.A.U. 220 yds. in the same years, returning 21·2 secs. in 1897. The 100 yds. time was not equalled in the English AAA. Cham– pionships until 1912, when the title was won by G. H. Patching, of the South African Olympic team. The record of 9·6 secs. was held jointly for some years by A. F. Duffy, D.]. Kelley, H. P. Drew, and C. W. Paddock, all of the Un~ted States. In 1930 F. C. Wykoff, U.S.A., reduced the record to 9·4 secs., which performance was equalled in 1935 by the Ameri– can negro sprinter ]esse Owens. The four American sprinters previously mentioned also held the 220 yds. record of 21·2 secs., jointly with W. R. Applegarth, of Great Britain, until 1921, in which year C. W. Paddock returned 20·8 secs., again equalling that figure in 1924. A year later R. A. Locke, U.S.A., ran the furlong in 20·6 secs. The present record of 20·3 secs. was established in 1935 by Jesse Owens. Comparative performances must of necessity be of a somewhat arbitrary nature, as one cannot secure the time returned by each of the six sprint finalists in each category under consideration. The figures I shall suggest represent, therefore, the standard of performance which, in my opinion, an athlete will need to reach in future to make reasonably certain of obtaining a place in the final of his event at any of the various classes ofchampionships held in England, in international matches, and at the Olympic Games. The required performances, according to my calculations and appreciation of present-day sprinting form, are as follows: - roo YDs. 220 YDs. Public Schools ~ 10·8 secs. - All universities 1 !0'2 " 22 ·6 secs. Individual counties 10'5 " 23'2 " Northern District ro·3 " 22'9 " Midland District 10'2 " 22'4 " Southern District !0'2 " 22'3 " English A.A.A. ro·o5 , 22'3 " - IOO YDS. lOO METRES 220 YDs. 200METRES ~ International matches ro·r secs. 10·7 secs. 22 '5 secs. 21 ·8 secs. Olympic Games - !0'5 2 - 21 '3 2 " " 1 Based on results at both the Oxford and Cambridge Sports and the U.A.U. Cham- pio~ships. . 2 Calculated on averages, but it represents also the time returned by the third man at Berlin in 1936. 175