Why? The Science of Athletics

ATHLETIC TESTS AND MEASUREMENTS OF ABILITY 165 performance in any other event. To meet this condition absolutely is, of course, impossible--due not only to the fact thatimprovement of the performance averages in the various events has not been equal, but also to individual judgment. During the last twenty years the standard in, for instance, the javelin throw is raised far more than in the running high jump or the sprints. "Accordingly the suggested scoring table is not based on the best-on-records of the various records. Instead of these, results corresponding to 49-47-35-29-t23 metres in throwing the discus have been fixed by mere judgment for various events to serve as points of comparison. Whereas in the roo metres flat the corres– ponding figures have been set at ro.s-ro.7-r r.4-I2.I-I3.o-and 14 secs., it is evident that the same scoring curve cannot be applied both for running and throwing, provided that in running events the time will count. The problem is turned, however, into entirely new channels if the rate of speed is employed as criterion of running races. If all the times of the races are converted into the corre– sponding rates of speed, it will be realized that the same scoring curve will suit very well for all events. Just a few examples may illustrate the case : I Discus Long Standing IOO Metres I,500 Metres Jump High jump Flat Flat m( sec. secs. A. I6o'g·I" 25' 3"2" s' 4·2" 9"5238I I0"5 3 min. 54·o sec. (4gm) (77ocm) (I63cm) 6·4I026 mfsec. B. I54' 2"4" 24' yg" s' 2·7" 9"34066 I0"7I 3 min. 59"3 sec. (47m) (746·5cm) (I59"ICm) 6·26923 mfsec. c. I34' 6·2" 22 1 2"1 1 ' 4' I0·2" 8·7gi2I I I "37 4 min. I6·6 sec. (4Im) (676cm) (I48•4cm) 5·846I6 mjsec. D. I I4'g·g" Ig' I0·4" 4' 5"4" 8·24I67 I2"I3 4 min. 36·6 sec. (35m) (6o5·5cm) (I35"8cm) 5·42308 mfsec. ---- E. 95' I·7" I7' 6·6" 4' o·8" 7"6923I I3"00 5 min. oo·o sec. (2gm) (535cm) (I24cm) yooooo m(sec. - F. 75' 5·s" I5' 2·g" 3' 7·4" 7"14296 I4"00 5 min. 27·7 sec. (23m) (464"5cm) (!!2"3cm) 4·57692 m/sec. - G. 29' 6·3" I g' IO·I" 2' g·5" 5·86o8I I7•06 6 min. 57"9 sec. (gm) (3oocm) (85cm) I 3"58974 m/sec. "As will be realized, the difference between A and E is absolutely taken as great as the difference between E and G, and in the same way the difference between B and C, C and D, D and E and E and F of equal sizes. The performance A is credited with rooo points, and the performance G with o. The table is, however, reckoned up to