Why? The Science of Athletics

180 WHY?-THE SCIENCE OF ATHLETICS same margin, for style, over Kotkas that Byrd-Page and Sweeny showed over Brooks. The argument may be developed a step further by the consideration of shot-putting. The I 6-lb. shot of to-day is precisely the same as the missile propelled by the men of the eighties of the last century who found difficulty in beating 40 ft. and the same as was used by Ralph Rose, U.S.A., when in 1909 he set the world's record at 51 ft. Now it is the fact that Rose stood 6ft. 5 5/8 ins. in height and weighed from 16 stone 6 lbs. when he was 22 years of age to 20 stone in his later years of competition. There– fore, it was held that his record would not be surpassed until another physical giant came along and could be taught the proper technique. None the less, John Kuck, U.S.A., who broke that record by just beating 52 ft. in 1928, was not of the same gigantic proportions as Rose ; nor is John C. Lyman, U.S.A. who in 1934 carried the record up to 54 ft. I in. But, and here is an important point, Jack Torrance, U.S.A., who eclipsed even Lyman's record later in I 934, by putting 55ft. I in., 55 ft. 5 ins. and finally 57 ft. I in., is of much the same height as was Rose and increased his weight to 24 stone 4 lbs._when he arrived in Europe and made his greatest record. From the foregoing comparisons I think it may be argued fairly that man, as man the record breaker, is improving organically. But there are yet o~her con– siderations to be taken into account. It is probably true to say that up to the end of the pre-war period the main factors in record breaking were those suggested by Mr. Meade ; but the post-war period has witnessed the first real application of science to athletics, and enough has been and will be said in this book to convince the reader that what we know now of the effects of training, dieting, limbering-up and such matters alone must influence the athlete's record breaking potentiality, while discQveries such as that made by Paavo Nurmi and confirmed by Professors Hill and Kennelly, that running at constant speed