Why? The Science of Athletics

THE BUILD OF THE ATHLETE although C. Nambu, Japan, improved upon Cator's record only to have his figures upset by Owens jumping the amazing distance of 26 ft. 8 I/4 ins., while Peacock, also, has now beaten 26 ft. Now let us look at this boy Owens for a minute. He came into prominence as a member of his High School team in I 933· At the American State School Champion– ships that year he made a new IOO yards record of 9.6 secs., equalled the furlong record of 2 I. I secs., made a school-boy record of 24ft. 3 3/4ins. in the longjump, and ran as anchor man in the half-mile relay in which a new State record was established by his team. A few weeks later Owens broke three world's schoolboy records in one afternoon, running the IOO yards in 9·4 seconds, the 220 yards in 20·7 seconds, and long jumping 24 ft. 9 s/8 ins. Despite his phenomenal success in what are known as the "momentum" events, Owens at that time had distinct high j.umping ambitions, and in fact at the Cleveland Indoor Inter-Scholastic Meeting tied with Vincent Murphy for the high jump record at 5 ft. I I 3/4 ins., and later achieved a Cleveland State high jump record of 6 ft. I r/2 ins. In I935 Owens reached what is so far his peak of fame when in one afternoon he tied the world's IOO yards record of 9·4 secs . and made new world's records of 20.3 secs. for 220 yards on the flat, 22·6 secs. for 220 yards over ten flights of 2 ft. 6 ins. hurdles and 26 ft. 8 I/4 ins. in the long jump. There are reasons for us to ask if the .Negro.es Strong supremacy of . the white man is definitely in Momentum doomed in the momentum and possibly some Events other .events. In this connection it must be remembered that negro athletes in America, and indeed in all white men's countries, are far less numerous than their white competitors. It would seem as though the negro has an amazing aptitude for the momen– tum events and a more or less marked inaptitude for the majority of other athletic feats. ·