Why? The Science of Athletics

374 WHY?-THE SCIENCE OF ATHLETICS of phenomenally long legs attached to a disproportionately short body. In designing the training of quarter-milers, a coach must be careful to determine whether his man is of the sprinter type like Liddell, Butler and Carr, or the Middle Distance type as represented by Ted Meredith, B. G. D. Rudd (South Africa), and Ben Eastman. Even so, he will occasionally find himself faced with the phenomenon of men like Lon Myers and A. G. K. Brown, Great Britain. The latter has beaten 'evens' for roo yards, done 47 r f ro for 440 yards, and could probably show equally good form at the half-mile distance. Halj– Milers Again, with half-milers, the coach has to consider whether he is handling a miler type, who has endurance but needs more speed to carry him fast over BBo yards ; or a quarter-miler type who already has the speed but must acquire stamina to enable him to maintain the pace for twice his hitherto normal distance. Ideally, the half-miler should not stand much under 6 ft., and should be strong but not too powerfully built. Men who "fulfilled these conditions were D. G. A. Lowe, Great Britain, Olympic Boo metres victor, 1924 and 192B, and former holder of the world's 6oo yards record..of I min. IO 2/5 secs.; B. G. D. Rudd, South Africa, Olympic 400 metres Champion and runner-up to A. G. Hill at Boo metres in 1920; andJ. C. Stothard, Great Britain, English, Scottish and World's Student Champion, 1935. Albert Hill, who won the Olympic Boo and 1500 metres titles in I920, was of a heavier build, while Melvin Sheppar.d, U.S.A., who won the dual Olympic crown in I90B, was ofmuchslighterphysique. He stood 5ft. B I/2 ins., and throughout his years of competition increased in weight from 141 lbs. to I65 lbs. Milers Versatility is the hall-mark of the good middle distance runner, whether that dis– tance be BBo yards or I mile. As noted, such versatility has been shown by Meredith, Rudd, and