Why? The Science of Athletics

SOME MATHEMATICS IN ATHLETICS Even so, the whole case is open to considerable argu– ment, but one point the figures do bring out is the enor– mous importance of speed in the run-up, since the height attained in the swing-up is proportional to the square of the velocity when running, so that an increase of speed equivalent to even one-fifth of a secon~ less in IOO yards HANO GRIP FIG. 83 HICHEST POINT REACHED BY HAN DS SAI<O PIT provides an addition of over 4 ins . to the height reached in the upward swing. This theory was confirmed by Wm. Miller, U.S.A., who won the Olympic Championship, I932, at I4 ft. I 7/8 ins., and made sprinting a very important part of both his training and his limbering-up procedure. We will assume for our calculation that the athlete shown in Fig. 83 weighs ISO lbs. He has finished his run, planted his pole, the point of which is just about to strike the end of the slide-way at C, and, as the pole-point strikes, his right hand will complete its shift on the pole, I