Olympic Cavalcade

THE ATHENIAN CELEBRATION, I906 53 Bonhag had never before competed in a walking race. He did not, in fact, know much about the game, but he enquired about and studied heel and toe technique and was given some tips by a friendly Canadian rival-D. J. Linden, I think. The event, as is so often the case in race walking, was the cause of many disputes; for example, Bonhag's style was queried by two of the judges and considered fair by two others. Th~ point was settled by the chief judge, Prince George of Greece, giving the decision in favour of Bonhag. That Mrs. Ray Ewry had done a grand job in looking after and inspiring her husband was.proved by his performances. At that time it could honestly be said that when Ray was present, all the rest were merely competing for the 2nd place in the Standing Jump events. In the Running Jump events, however, the native Irish were to be a real thorn in the side of the frequently successful Americans. It is hardly too much to say, in fact, that U.S.A. owes its long run of world's records in the high jump to the native genius of the Irish, for it was Michael Sweeney, the Irish-American, who established the first style which really agreed with the fundamental principles of modern high jumping, which is an acquired art. Using what was for a long time identified as the 'Sweeney Jump', he, on 2I September, 1895, in an international match between England and America, held at Manhattan Field, New York, created a world's high jump record of 6 ft. 5 i in., which was not broken until I 9I I. From his day the Americans went ahead and evolved new methods which produced even greater world records. The marvel of Sweeney's jumping was that he himself stood no more than 5ft. 8i in. in height. He was born in Co. Kerry, Ireland, in I872, and taken to U.S.A. when he was only eight years of age. Contemporary with Michael Sweeney in the middle 'nineties of last century was J. M. Ryan, of Tipperary, Ireland. He came into prominence as a youth, by clearing 6ft. Ii in. At Tipperary town on I9 August, 1895, Ryan cleared 6ft. 4i in., was carried round the enclosure by the wildly excited spectators and after ten minutes resumed jumping and had actually cleared 6 ft. 5 i in. and alighted on the ground when the cross bar wobbled and one end of it fell off the peg. Several famous Irish jumping experts arrived at Athens for the I906 Festival. There was Peter J. O'Connor, who was always safe to do a high jump of 6 ft., and better than 46ft. in the Hop, Step and Jump. On 5 August, I90I, at Balls Bridge, Dublin, he had established a world record for the Long Jump of 24 ft-. I I! in. He took part in all three events at Athens. His .companion and compatriot at Athens was Con, the eldest of the Leahy fa~tly, who are almost as famous in athletic history as the Jaervinens of Fmland. In I9o2 Con tied at 6ft. 2i in. with Sam Jones, the famous A~erican jumper, and on May Day, I9o6, he won the High Jump at Athens Wtth a lay-out, which foreshadowed the Western Roll, of 5 ft. 9i in. after having been credited with 6 ft. 4 in. at Westport. He had also finished 2nd