Success in Athletics and how to obtain it

CHAPTER XI THE HIGH-JUMP To the athlete who wishes to become a first-class exponent of the art of high-jumping, the why and wherefore of things is of the utmost importance. He should understand at least a little of the mathematical principles involved, but he must know a lot about the anatomical side of the business. In this event, the man who treats it as an exact science, and finds out by study why a certain set of muscles do their work better when he is in a certain position, but are not capable of performing their functions when he is not in that position, has an enormous advantage over his more ignorant fellow– athletes, for by reason of his knowledge he will, after a little practice, be able to apply that knowledge by means of body-control in such a way that he will come out of the ruck, and from a mediocre handicap performer blossom out into a real champion. How is it that in the United States of America to-day they are able to produce men who clear such a stupendous height as 6ft. 7 in., and look upon 6 feet as an ordinary jump? How is it that Mr. Hjertberg taught a number of Swedes to jump round about 6 feet 89