Coaching and Care of Athletes

HURDLING Forrest Smithson, U.S.A., who took the Olympic title in I9o8 in I5 secs. He was then twenty-three years of age, stood about 6ft., and turned the scale at I2 stone IO lb. His runners-up, whose names have been mentioned already, were J. C. Garrels, twenty– two years, 6 ft. I in., and I4 stone, and A. B. Shaw, twenty-two years, 6ft., and I I stone I lb. An earlier accident had given Smith– son a peculiar hip mobility which every other hurdler promptly tried to cultivate. A further advance came through the development of the 'three right angles' theory. These angles are that of the body with the thigh of the rear leg extending straight from the hip, that of the rear-leg thigh with its own lower leg, and that of the lower leg with the foot. I believe that I was the first to demonstrate this new style at Cambridge in I9I2. Meanwhile 'King' Kelly and R. Simpson, in America, had perfected the body-dip and improved the arm action. They made new world's records of I4·8 and I4·6 secs. respectively. Then came Earl Thomson, Canada (Plate IX, Fig. 31), a husky, loosely built youth who used a new double-arm shift with the body-dip, and added to the technique of the game a high pick-up of the knee of his rear leg in landing from hurdle clearance. He reduced the world's record to I4·4 secs. in I92o, and, incidentally, was a sound 6ft. high jumper. In support of what has already been said regarding the ideal build for a hurdler, I would add that both Simpson and Thomson were tall, powerful athletes standing 6 ft. I in. and weighing a pound or two over r 3 stone. Percy Beard, U.S.A., returned I4·2 secs. in 1931. He was tall and rather thin, with legs that were exceptionally long, even for a world's champion hurdler. I will mention but two of his successors:____Forrest Towns, U.S.A., holder of the present official world's record of I3·7 secs., and his runner-up at the I936 Olympic Games, Flying-Officer D. 0. Finlay, of Great Britain (Plate V, Fig. II), who in 1937 equalled Towns' previous world's record of I4·I secs. Towns is a well-built, powerful athlete, capable of beating IO secs. for Ioo yds. on the flat regularly. His 'toughness' is attested by the fact that he is an outstanding player of American football. Finlay might well stand for the perfect modem all-round athlete. In 1937 he was twenty-eight years of age, stood 5 ft. I I! ins., and weighed I 2 stone. He obtained prominence for the first time in the 285 ,.