Coaching and Care of Athletes

COACHING AND CARE OF ATHLETES semi-final of the I IO metres hurdles on August 2, therefore, he returned the two fastest times of his great career. Four days later he ran for Great Britain in the 4 X 400 metres flat relay. America won that race in the world's record time of 3 rnins. 8·2 secs., but the British team were placed second in 3 mins. I I ·2 secs., a better time than the Olympic record made by the Americans in the eliminating trials. Burghley's time for his 400 metres leg of that relay race was 46·8 secs. There you have the type of gifted and great-hearted athlete which coaches dream about, but have the privilege of handling hardly once in a lifetime. Such men need not conform to type in build, nor even in technique. Let us glance for a moment at some other great hurdlers who have specialized in the high hurdles event. In the United States, prior to the Great War, Simpson, of Missouri, 'King' Kelly and Ward, of California, Murray, of Stanford, Smithson, the Igo8 Olympic champion, Shaw, of Dart– mouth, Garrels, of Michigan, and Moloney, of Chicago, were all running close to record time for a number of seasons. In England Kenneth Powell, ofCambridge, and G. R. L. Anderson, of Oxford, were doing the same. Both fell in action during the Great War. It has been said that all these great huralers, together with their modern successors, inherited the all-important straight-leg technique, now used universally, from Alva Kraenzlein, U.S.A. This statement is not true. It was A. C. M. Croome, winner of the Inter-Varsity hurdles for Oxford against Cambridge in I886, who exploded the theory that the old-time graceful, bent-leg method made for good hurdling. His dictum was, "The men who look nice when running over sticks take their fences in the wrong way." He ·gave to posterity the ruthles13 onrush of the straight-leg style. Nevertheless Alva Kraenzlein, of Pennsylvania, was the greatest hurdler in the world at the end of the ninet~enth and the com– mencement of the twentieth century. Also he was, perhaps, in his day, America's greatest all-round athlete. Tall and long– legged, he had a way of taking most things in his stride. Not only did he bring even time in sight, with his world's record of I5·2 secs. for the I20 yds. hurdles, he also, in Igoo, won Olympic titles for the 6o met~es dash in 7 secs., the I IO metres hurdles in I5"4 secs., the 200 metres hurdles in 25·4 secs., and the broad jump at 23 ft. 6% ins. The first man to bring the world's record down to even time was 284