ATHLETICS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 710, 8 January 1910, Page 11

ATHLETICS.

;" .-.•■. v (.: ■■ ■..;• tßi Slzbcdbt.) ;; , r '

■January-. • : 29.—Wellington. ;;Provincial .-'■'; Championships.:(Basin .Beserve). '.-.V February- 26.—New: Zealand; Champion-- •'■■■.' ships' (Auckland). '■ '•, v • ■'V , • i'J. ■.'■'. February.-rPorti Nicholson .'ATAiC: -'Meet■Xi.ingi.'■};■■■.■:.'...;.. .' \' ;:.':;;■',' >: : ::;.;' : ;":. March's.—Petone A.A.C.'Meeting. •: ■ > ' "'■' March : Y.MjUAX.\ Meeting. ; : y^ ■'.'.Things', athletio. in tie. Dominion; have been/very quiet' of. late,- and. the. New; "Year .was ushered' an. without, any' carnival or: meeting of j moment: to'.mark its advent'.'. This being so, ttie ; time: seems 'fitting-for' the reproduction: of. some",re-, marks given -. by : "Heg." -. Walker : - to' an ■English; paper on the' art-of 'sprinting. The-article is simply'crammed>witlrhintsthat; will repay'. study; by 'oven the ;best of'our.runners, arid, in' the 'hope; 'thiil, -it jwilL'be'' instructive as well as:;interestirigj 'it.is appended in full:— '' :■' •• "; ' "During: my' visit Vto - England: this .sea-son-my. style has -been; a' niatter' of'hot controversy, between -the ... critics, .many; prophesying' .all, manner' ;of: defeats , for. mei , : said. "Perhaps now .T'have. won/the: championship, however, they.'are inclined ■; to '•'■ think:- there ' is '■: somethinjg more.; : than 'eccentricity'■ in what, chey termed my exaggerated' balance.'; -, Now, balance :-,is."'- altogether, a , "matter•; of .individual: style.-.. l> have.> heard Sam. Wisdom: say many. a-'time/'Tou'should-never alter l a;mahe'.style,-,but , ' aways'.try -ta improve'; upon': it, 'and •■: that is : what-'I blaun ''''to:--have' , , done; .That, I-am : fast<ir ■than, ; l'was 'last jyearf my,.; South' African tiiies-.proyei;;-;\ :: :A''i; ■■■'."-.' ■< J '.' ':",•"'—''•■■■■' . ."Now.'-piclcmg rip ; : ; the.'legs:; quiokly,';ie usually recognised*. asV-oneiof;..;tnie secrets 'ofy fct '6printiig..";.; ! to-, me;, it is-apparent', a' , forward' balance; narttr- . ally:i necessitates -thai quick striding-of tho''lcgs'to preserve'the equilibrium. The Australian 'sprinter':Postlo- is; also fan-. exponent of'this, forward style.of ruuning, soi: there, is: much-to-:' commend 'it,''and everyi-.sprinter:should .'deliberate.:on';:it; ipr. himself;, '■■•■:.- : '■■;■ - ; :- : ' '':,:-',/-■'■•-;■:/'/" : "When. this particular : style is: at first ■ tried, , 'it .will..be.found that':.the :first7so this -itC.is /cbnimon-,' all form, and .'get': tbo'ifar'."over;*with- ..the result-that 'the is .very. slow, indeed. '..This- .state'''-'of. affairs I.: have, experienced; myself,:: but I'imagine it is duo to the stomach" arid back ;: -muscles. not'being.-strong.' enough to: support ;the ,body at. this 'angle.'; ■;■• ! "It-is 'strange.how few, sprinters seem to ; iealiso ■ the valuer of correct"'arm; ac l, tipn; iriany, in fact, seem :to think it -Vis' •'nglit',' to' fight : >the'.aiii' : violently.- with ■'theirvarms, '• This'lis'.- absurd,;,and';.cer-: tainly'■-' the -most sure; waiy.: to" lose form and' style/ ■ There are -some ruanera r.know .who seem:- to no fc stylp at ;'all,' but', simply- to • fight- their; my 'along 'by sheer';physical:force, : and "yet, '.althottgh by no ! .means;'in: the.Jfirst;classi'.meet "ivitli a- certain.anibunt;ofsu'ccess ; in handicaps. . It has ..always, occurred to .me .'these; men .are. running; out of: their ,distance,';and should-,not:'be running:;in'spriiits..-. , at;all, but "by so doing -are.-_ only i tearing- "to pieces'a ■ good constitution.' '~' Tv' ■ :_:]■'■, :'■ "There:, are , two. styles. of arm ' action; both- correct. '■' Those ■■sprinters who run with :a.forward' balance,- of.-which 'I':am such a'.-.keen 'advocate, should adopt"-a ■ forward ' arid backward arm action. , ,:,:-.'■' ; "Great' bare should:! ibW-'takenV: when: practising this arm action .that'ithe arm's aro; not .thrown .too i ar: out,' for ,'in'such: .a' case: the swing.is: not-of any. assistance whatever, for . the ■ balance is ; altogethor ..alterod.vdn this :style>tho- muscles-of -the shoulders, and back are brought into ac-* f.tion'as,much: as possible. .The cross arm. f action'should'he'adopted.by.runners who ; ; ar"e'onlx';slightly inclined for;ward;': When ,;-jyinriing : .in this- style': the;arms should 'b6''',.throw» ; ;fvcrbss'.'• the ; ' stomach,; 'jand "■worked- simultaneously'. , with , the'legs;."-' S"Always,\vhen sprinting'.the-head should 'be':>nrmly'v.held'. by> the .-'muscles- "of..the i;.nehk; ! ;and inclined ■ forward; -the - muscles r'6f,'.; the-vshoulders should t also 1 : be V-knit, thus'.'holding.:.'the. : headi'and shoulders ■ firmly .together 1 thfoughont. the ! race.\: On no ■ account' allow- the '.-the '•.bead ~'to ■ change;'by' lookipg :,round;: or I'sulewaysjfor-as soon as ,th 6 pose.'of the i.heiadOis , .'altered , : the .entire •balance' of >the 'bodyti^ilosi , ;.■■•" }■ ■■■■ '• ■■}^'^ : .') ;-', ,J ! <-y.y. |i l..:''j,t .'is; jvyheri ', nearing - the' tape that. ,, run-■ners.''are':mqst..tempted-to-lose their.'form 'in'vv.their.f.endeavour 'to."reach i.it'>sooner stita'v.:fe', : f.p'pssiWeV;.>vHoiv.tcoinmbn'.'iit:vis' itljs;seev.sprinters^absolutely *>. lose ■'■ their, ib'alance-;in ■ the vlast;..2j) 1 , ydrds'; of'' a.sprint. ■ 'rhis^is > <ch4eSy i tioned, v- to'';losing i'controlv. of'; Oieir '.heads' fesulti that:the"- arms; get: .upii-faiid'- the irUnMri starts iiighting';and.;at:?orice- gets-' ononis I, heels; ,- In i the >. a srace ..-the : 'sprinter,;m'ust. .■keep4-his;. : self-K»n'troli.'and- .in'.ftheV.»last' '2Syjls;'.. drawsa if reSh-i breath-.-., and , -.', about' ;:lsyils.' : from-! the to; hurl; iithei.body.!;-fpiward( i atsth6C:tapeV-.and''at; time'stry.to. q'uickensth'e ■ stride. 1 ; lit iisithei runner, - with'., the': mostvnervous ;CiiergyXwKo ■-, makes ■ the -best "finishes; /in ;t'act,>somii: of 'the ;best,'sprinters ""arefeyeia ;hysterical ; :,subjects'. - -Some-.sprinters ihav'e' ;told..m'e'': whens ; nearingithe-.'finish 6i -;a ,jrace ; - they.'vßeem'- to:' v be.'.possessed -■ of: 'an. ;uhhply : ;it^ror. l ,'of;;hearinß'-the:..crunch /Of. '•jthe'.icindMs':. beHind'^thJemv , -'. and ..they ifeel :.as ;if.''their i Very?Eo'ul''depende'd''on'getting tb:.the''tape/nrst:::<':< : -;;^v^ ; ':i■ •.•'■ .:'•■:' '''•' .' "Oh'/passirig.ltKe'ri'tapei-t' should-never : at.,aU ; '. pressure, "for: 'about ~'an.btheff '.'five yards,vthen■ gradually taper.;to.;a!'txpt,.-as ..the. action of .sprinting-is.>a'.ivery.; severe strain on-the ,heart,.,and a-sudde'n'stop' is .calculated;,to , do.,considerable.;;harm. ; to :t!lisi-,m'ost .'.important ■' organ. -: Another , running past ,tEe , : tape,*,in : .-a .race nil! strengthen 7 Vman , and"giye 'him- con"ndence' in his ability "to run; the' journey .out"'". '■',■ ■:•'•-.■• .?;■'/■'. -;:':• '•;•-.'; ';■; : ' Among other- records , passed by. the .Record-Committee -of ;, the -American -Amateur ; Athletic Union,; for.-' the" year ended November,: 190 D, appear the following rrOne ■ mile. run (indoors); ,4min- 19' 4-sssc, by ,H. L.Trube,, February•. 13,. ,1909; 12flyds. hurdles, 15'l-ss"ecV, by..W..A. Ed-. Awards, -on" October 22,';1909;' Half-mile run, 'lmin. 52' tSsec, by•: Emilib': LririgHi, on September.;.ls, ; 1909. , ■'. Tho.: other (.figures are for:discus throwing, and what to ; .us are;"faneyf' events, for.:.which.'.we keep: no. , standard;.records, with thei'excoption •of a'-throw -of i '-'tfie .161b. 'hammer from- a-17ft.: circle,' :by; Ealph Bosc, ■ of ,lS#t. ;^iiu,; - , on.:July-,2i. : '-■■•>-:•' • . V-i'w: The Auckland Committee'has ;definitely decided upon: February 26;as.the '. date of :the:jnext '.Now: Zealand , ..Championship meeting; ,;" '■.'-. V-y'- .:•;', ■■';':'■■'- : -' '...,