Why? The Science of Athletics

368 WHY?-THE SCIENCE OF ATHLETICS portrayed in such statues as tb,e Agias, the Discobolos, and the Apoxyomenos. Let us next consider the physical pro– The Modern portions of the modern athlete. It must be Athlete remembered that although, like the Greeks of old, physical culturists of the Modern Age aim at the production of a symmetrical type, evolu– tion tends to the production of types best suited to indi– vidual events. Even so, opinions are constantly changing, and, whereas a few years ago, speedy men, possessed of great strength and agility, were believed to make the best pole-vaulters, the pendulum has now swung to the other extreme, and it is held that tall, thin men possessing gymnastic ability and who can run fast are the better type, because it can be proved by pure mechanics that a high hand-hold upon the vaulting pole provides an inestimable advantage. Dr. Tait McKenzie's first important contribution to the physiological study of the modern athlete was marked by his sculpture of "The Sprinter" (Fig. r rg). This statue was based upon the average dimensions of seventy-four of America's most speedy sprinters, all of whom had run roo yards in ro 2/5 secs., or faster times . The statistics were collected by Dr. P. C. Phillips, of Amherst College, U.S.A., the sprinters themselves ranging from 5 ft. 3 ins. to 6 ft. I in. in height. The statue portrays a figure at least as beautiful as any created by the sculptors of the ancient world. According to incontrovertible calculations, the ideal sprinter of our modern era belongs to the Brachycephalic, thick-necked type, but shows small abnormalities of development in the musculature of his tall, light skeleton ; he has narrow hips, short feet and high insteps. In the 74 athletes who were studied for the production of this statue, it was found that the length of leg was normal, the average of age was 2 I years, of height 5ft. 8 3/4 ins.; and of weight 145 lbs. That is to say, the ideal sprinter should be approximately one inch in height and