Coaching and Care of Athletes

COACHING AND CARE OF ATHLETES slower than his first. Cunningham's second half-mile indoors, as noted, was ·6 sec. faster than his first. None the less the best mile-runriing form so far as balance in lap-running and progression in speed combined are concerned has been shown by the Americans Conneff and Cunningham. Comparative performances for various classes ofchampionships in England, at international matches, and at the Olympic Games for the mile and r500 metres work out as follows: - I MILE 1500 METRES "" Public Schools 4 mins. 44·8 secs. - ' All universities 4 , 29'2 , - Individual counties 4 , 3o·o ') - Northern District 4 , 26·6 , - Midland District 4 , 25'I , - Southern District 4 , I6· I , - English A.A.A. 4 , I9' I , - International matches 4 , I5'5 , 3 mins. 56·o secs. Olympic Games - 3 49'5 1 , , ·-- Lovelock, I think, more than any runner the world has yet seen, comes nearest to Sam Mussabini's ideal of the iron-willed athlete who is able to stick to his time-table and run his races ~s best suits him, no matter the class of competition or the tactics of his oppo– nents. When Lovelock (Plate XXIV, Figs. 70 and 71) made his world's 1500 metres record at the Olympic Games in 1936 he ran the first 300 metres in 45 secs. and the.last 300 metres in 40·9 secs. His actual times at the crucial stages of the races were: 400 metres 6r·7 secs., 8oo metres 2 mins. 5·6 secs. (63·9 secs. for second 400 metres), 1200 metres 3 mins. 6·9 secs. (6r·3 secs. for third 400 metres), and 1500 metres 3 mins. 47·8 secs. Since he ran the last 300 metres in 40·9 secs., this would be equivalent to 54'5 secs. for the final 400 metres had he continued on for a further roo metres. Apart from liis iron will, Lovelock has an iron, or, rather, a sprung-steel body, for he is also a boxer of no small distinction. His style appears to me to be very similar to that ofPaavo Nurmi, except that Lovelock has introduced innovations which certainly represent improvements. In my opinion, however, it is his mental attitude towards racing which is his greatest asset. During the 1 J. E. Lovelock, New Zealand, won the Olympic title at Berlin in 1936 in the new world's record time for I500 metres of 3 mins. 47 ·8 secs. J. F. Cornes, of Great Britain, who was sixth, returned 3 mins. 51·4 secs. 242 i