Success in Athletics and how to obtain it

192 SUCCESS IN ATHLETICS face has kept to the front in the direction of the throw throughout. In nos. 15 and 16 the actual throw is taking place, from the left foot, please observe! aided by the last impulse from the toes of the right foot. In no. 16 the javelin has left the hand, and the feet are just being reversed. The force the thrower has put into the work with the left leg is well worthy of note ! The last two pictures show the right foot just about to touch the ground. It would appear that the athlete's body is so far forward that he will inevitably over– balance, but as the foot comes to ground he will hollow the back, fling out the right arm, straighten out the right leg, and remain with the right foot set hard against the throw– ing-board (sketch 5 and fig. 82). As a matter of fact it must be pointed out that the athlete in this particular case ran a serious risk of fouling-by going over the board-in let– ting the body come so far forward, but saved himself in the manner indicated. He has, however, compensated for this fault by getting the javelin away from the hand perfectly smoothly and with hardly any vibration. He has also contrived to throw " with the run "-an exceedingly difficult thing to do, but an art which must be mastered in order that there may be no break in the rhythm of movement. It is absolutely essen– tial that all movements should run one into another in order that all the actions may be smooth and rhythmic from the moment that the run is commenced until the thrower stands poised at the board after the javelin has left the hand and sped upon its flight (fig. 82).