Success in Athletics and how to obtain it

124 SUCCESS IN ATHLETICS of hurdles in this race, the first flight being set up fifteen yards from the scratch line with ten yards between each flight, the last "flight" being fifteen yards from the winning-post. A " flight " is composed · of four hurdles set up in line. As to the build of the hurdler, he should be tall, fairly slim, and well "split up," by which is meant that the hei_9ht of his skeleton should be made up mostly of lehgth from foot to hip rather than from hip to head. Many great hurdlers there have been who could comfortably stand across a hurdle with a foot flat on either side and the top bar of the hurdle only just touching the fork between the legs. The hurdler must have strong and well-formed lower limbs, and above all well-formed feet ; he must also be well "topped up "-in other words, the upper part of his body must be strong enough to allow him to control the movements of his legs with ease (see fig. 39). The ideal build and musculature of the hurdler will be dealt with later. As already stated, it is of the greatest importance that the hurdler's feet be properly formed and cared for, for if the arches of the feet have been allowed to drop (in other words, if the hurdler is flat-footed), his powers of sprinting will be greatly impaired, and the effort of springing from the ground to "fly" the hurdle will be so great that his staying powers will rapidly give out; also on landing he will be almost certain to let his heel .touch the ground, and this will delay him in making his next stride forward. The late H. S. 0. Ashington, of Cambridge Uni– versity, was a hurdler with splendidly formed feet ; one of the writers, who was present at the 1914 athletic match between Cambridge University and Mr. P. J.