Success in Athletics and how to obtain it

HAMMER-THROWING 133 direct pull put upon the athlete's arms when the hammer is hurled a given number of feet, and from this it will be seen that the thrower needs to be both strong and heavy to resist the strain (see p. 145). We have seen it stated that there are no natural qualities which make a hammer-thrower, other than strength and weight; but the gentleman who propounded this theory forgot several important ingredients in the composition of a hammer-thrower, for without speed and agility, and the necessary brain power and understanding to direct and control the efforts, even the strongest and heaviest of men will have but scant chance of success. With the early days of hammer-throwing, when the stiff wooden shaft was used, this work has no concern, but the growth of the art since the days when John S. Mitchell (U .S.A.) used to throw the implement 140 feet odd with only one turn has been very rapid; after him came ]. J. Flanagan (Ireland and U.S.A.), who with two turns reached nearly 160 feet; next came A. D. Plaw (U .S.A.), who set the style of throw– ing with three turns, by which method he got within a little of I 70 feet. For a long time it was thought that the three turns gave no particular advantage, but this was disproved when Flanagan had mastered the new method and thereby put his own World's Record up to over 180 feet. It has been a generally accepted fact that with three turns the limit of human ingenuity and skill had been reached, but in 1912 it seemed that something new was to come from England-and this in the field events too ! Would wonders ever cease ?-and that A. E. Flaxman was to have the last word in the matter,