Coaching and Care of Athletes

RELAY RACING - quarter-milers, Rampling, Roberts, and Brown, in the 400 metres relay after they had run in the 400 metres individual race, and it was only the lack of a better man than Wolff to complete the team that prevented the British quartette from smashing the world's record made by the American Olympic team in I932. Wolff, be it understood, ran a gallant race and gave of his best. America used neither of the negroes A. Williams and J. Luvalle, who had shown 46·5 and 46·8 secs. in the individual 400 metres, but relied upon H. Cagle, R. C. Young, E. T. O'Brien, and A. L. Fitch, all of whom had personal records of better than 48 secs. Here I want to make a very particular point, and to emphasize again the importance of the coach's knowing the temperament as well as the ability of the men he puts in the relay team. Brown and Roberts had undoubtedly given Williams and Luvalle the scare of their lives when they ran them nearly to a standstill in the Olympic 400 metres individual final on August 7. The 4 X 400 relay heats were run on the 8th, and the final on the 9th. Possibly the American authorities were doubtful of the ability of the negroes to stand further mental and physical strain after running in two heats and such an individual 400 metres final as they had already contested. Anyway, America's 4 X 400 metres relay team was made up of four fresh men, trained to the minute and perfect in baton-passing. The British- team manager was faced with this problem. He can have had no great confidence in the baton-passing ability of his men, for they had had but little practice together. He realized that Wolff, with a personal record of 49 secs. for 440 yds., was at least I sec. slower than the four Americans and the other three British runners . It was a fact also that in the two days preceding the relay heats Rampling had run two hard races, and Brown and Roberts had each faced four equally gruelling contests. That was the black side of the picture, but what Arthur Turk knew also was that his four British athletes would show true to form and run themselves to a standstill if need be, and that Rampling, if called upon to do so, would run right above form. This knowledge was invaluable, for, although Great Britain drew the unfavourable outside lane, and Wolff, gallant, but so utterly exhausted that it seemed doubtful whether he could complete his stage, handed the baton over to Rampling I ·3 secs. behind Canada and ·I sec. behind America, Rampling sent Roberts away ·6 sec. in front of America and ·7 sec. in front of Canada, while Roberts 275