Olympian Field Events

THE RUN1\ING LON ]UP.1P. 63 sport, the Americans ow their success very largely to pecialisation and an intin ate knowledge of the pa time deriv d from much careful study and continual practice. In England competition are comparativ ly f w; if a jump r has the chance of competing t n times in the year he may onsid r himself an exceedingly lucky man, but in Am rica th re is hardly a m eting h Id at which the running long jump is not included. Th y al o have the further advantage that every athl tic ground has its long jump pit, with cinder path and wo d n take off board; but her in England I hould think that on could c unt th grounds, b th private and public, which are so equipped, n th finger of both hands. At many untry me ti ngs, and at almo t all hool sports, the take off is fr m a line of arying dimen ion , according t th Gam mmitte s' noti n, whitewashed upon the turf, but th Ameri an Athl ti Union expr s ly guard again t thi , tate f affairs by stipulating in their rul s that a joi t, ight in h s wid , hall be sunk flu h with the ground, th ut r edg of such j i t f rming the ratch line, fr m whi h all m asurements are taken . In the la t chapt r the vital importan of the sand-pit to th high jump r was point d out, so in this chapter t o great empha i annot b laid on th nee s ity of the w den take off board, f r ther i an amount f spring to he g t fr m it which cann t b btain d fr m the turf; al o it giv s a go d grip to the spikes. Long jump r may b f all build and ' ights; all must hav a go d turn f p d t 1 nd the n ce ary imp tu to th pring. On th whol , I think tall, lightly built m n, ' ith w 11 dev 1 p d thigh and alf muscl s, mak the b t long jump rs. This parti ular sport should h of the gr at t int r st to all Briti h portsm n, for it i tb on sol r maining fi ld v nt in \ hich Gr at Britain h Id w rld' r cord of 24ft. I I~in., and if it i nly by the v ry narr w margin f 1 s than an inch that we cling t our r rd, y t w d still retain it, although, I think, the 1916 Games are