Success in Athletics and how to obtain it

86 SUCCESS IN ATHLETICS 2. Just as the heels cut the sand with legs still straight out, the knees go very slightly forward to absorb the shock, the arms are flung out in front and the trunk pressed down over the thighs, and then the arms swing back from the shoulder ; this, together with the momentum of the whole effort, will prevent the jumper from falling backwards or, as is more likely, sitting down in the pit. - No matter whether it is a running long-jump, ... high-jump, or standing long-jump, the path which the body . describes through the air will always be a parabola, with its highest point exactly midway. Diagram r6. The angle of projection or jumping (a, diagram r6) should always be one of 45° to attain the maximum range. The distance cleared will then depend on the velocity of projection, which of course is governed by the amount of impulse generated. There must not be any misunderstanding as to what is meant by jumping at an angle of 45°. To the uninitiated this would suggest jumping far too high in the air. But this is only the angle at the instant when the body immediately enters upon the parabolic curve, and is steadily acted on by the force of gravity, which rapidly destroys the energy which. exists at the start, and becomes " nil " at the highest point in the centre. If the earth did not attract a body to itself, it would