Coaching and Care of Athletes

HURDLING the finals of both races, decided to drop out of the I 20 yds. hurdles, with a view to reserving himself for the 440 yds. hurdles. This decision made by his most dangerous opponent did not in the least shake Burghley's determination to go for both titles . He won the high hurdles from D. 0 . Finlay in a common canter. The 440 yds. hurdles final was a very different affair. Facelli drew the pole position, with Burghley away up on the banking in the outside berth. For three flights both men fenced faultlessly, with D. M. L. Neame, of the Royal Navy, already falling behind . Then Facelli forged ahead, and was still leading over the ninth fence . The pace was terrific. The vast crowd, which had been roar– ing encouragement to Burghley, fell suddenly silent. A national hero was facing defeat, and that strange hush was one of sympathy not yet divorced from hope. As he strode on towards the last fence the stout-hearted Italian seemed to falter. Inch by inch. the Englishman crept up. Facelli was rocking in his stride; Burghley, white as death, was at Facelli's shoulder when, the last flight cleared, the goal lay 40 yds . ahead . Like flogged horses the men came up the straight. Both were out to the last ounce, but Burghley found an infinitesimal fragment of reserve energy from somewhere, and hurled himself at the tape, to win by inches in English record time. He astounded us again at Los Angeles in I932, when, represent– ing Great Britain for the third time in the Olympic Games, he returned 55 · I and 53 secs. in the eliminating trials of the 400 metres hurdles and 52· I secs. for fourth place in the final, the fastest time he ever made. These three tremendous struggles undoubtedly took the edge off the speed of an athlete who had been in almost constant training and competition for more than twelve years. Notwith– standing such a great handicap, he returned I4·6 secs. in losing his semi-final heat of the I IO metres hurdles by a yard to J. Keller, U.S .A. Burghley's time equalled the previous Olympic record, and was only t sec. outside the world's record. In the final Burghley, already under strain and probably suffering a normal relapse after his peak performance in the semi– final, got badly into his stride, and never settled down into his usual smooth rhythm. He was still further disorganized by hitting the fifth flight hard, and yet finished fifth in time which was taken accurately as I4·86 secs. In the final of the 400 metres hurdles on August I, and in the 283