Impressions of Northern Athletes and Athletics

with an iron ball. After over ten years’ sedulous practice with all kinds of missiles, I should be in a position to talk authoritatively on these matters. Your correspondent’s argument is evidently untenable. – I am, &c., J. W. SUTHERLAND Craigton House, Rogart. 6 THE WORLD’S HAMMER THROWING RECORD By J. W. Sutherland John O’Groat Journal, Friday 18 April 1913. I was considerably surprised the other day to note in a widely-read magazine the fact that A. A. Cameron’s 16 lb. [7.26 kg] hammer-throwing present world’s record of about 122 feet [37.19m] was accomplished with a small lead ball, to which was attached a flexible cane handle. This fact was cited by an authority who was speaking about the abilities of Donald Dinnie. He maintained that since Dinnie’s day, no athlete had been superior to G. H. Johnstone, of Aberdeen, whose former record throw of 119 feet [36.27m] with an ordinary iron hammer and an inflexible shaft was equal to 127 feet [38.71m] under the conditions which governed Cameron’s throw. This is certainly true, and hence my throw of over 117 feet [35.66m] in Caithness last year is superior to Cameron’s record by nearly 3 feet [91.44cms]. J. W. SUTHERLAND