OLD-TIME SPRINTERS

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 187, 28 October 1927, Page 10

OLD-TIME SPRINTERS

FLYING ABORIGINALS

ORIGIN OF HANDSPRING START

AUCKLANDER'S REMINISCENCES

T-V the late eighties and early nineties of the last century, the public interest in running and athletic events reached about its zenith. Cash prizes were substantial, and the presence of the layers of odds gave competitors a chance to make a bit "on the side” when they won—and, occasionally, it is said, when they lost. One of the most prominent sprinters then teas Bill Arnott, of Auckland . whose visits to Australia taught him methods which gave a shock to his opponents on his return to New Zealand.

THE “CASH” RUNNERS Forty years ago in New Zealand most of the public interest in field athletics was centred in the “cash” runners, and purely amateur contests were mostly confined to minor meetings, where a “cash” event or two would be the star items on the programme. . One magnetic attraction of the popular sports, where the professionals met, was the presence of the “ring,” where the bookmakers were always ready to lay “G to 4 bar one.” The amateurs were not so popular with the layers. There was no “form” to fix the market quotations, and the unexpected results which were disclosed at times was very disturbing to the man the bag, who always endeavoured to “get round” by betting to his book. LESSONS FROM THE ABORIGINALS It was in Australia, in the boom days, that running reached its highest pitch of speed, and some of the 'native aboriginal • sprinters introduced new ideas which soon spread from the coloured to the white sprinters, and were adopted by visiting cracks until they have now become world-wide standard practice. The outstanding innovation at that time was the handspring start from foot-holes introduced by the Aussie aboriginals. This method of setting out on a journey, where time was the essence of the-contract, arose from the natural habit of the black tracker always following the spoor or traces of his quarry in a low crouching posture, with his fingers frequently touching the ground, as he ambled speedily ahead with eyes close to the trail to pick up a foot, hoof, or. claw-print here

running the 250 yards in 24 3-5; a wonderful performance for an amateur which stands as one of the world’s best for the distance. But when white met black at Botany in the old days, the odds were on the black. ’Abo” John Marsh, the lightning bowler, was a flier over 75 yards, while “Abo” Charlie Samuels has two terrific sprints of 134 yards in 12£ sec and 12 3-ssec on record. “HANDS ACROSS THE LINE” One great advantage the aboriginals held in .-meeting their Nordic opponents from North of the Line was in being able to crouch for the start with feet behind the lines, but finger tips a yard out from the mark, which gave them a useful bit “in hand,” so to speak. That was afterwards changed, and the whole of the competitor's body had to be behind his mark. To assist his starting impulse, the “abo ” also initiated the practice of “digging in,” by making holes for his feet which formed the fulcrum for his starting spring, as his suddenlystraightened legs shot him down the track. His method of “digging in” had nothing casual about it, as Mr. Arnot illustrated. The forward foot was set just where the knee of the back foot touched the track, and there the two starting holes were made. “Now,” said Bill, “they dig in anywhere.” THE THREE-STRIDE HURDLER Another useful hint which Bill picked up in Australia from the visiting cracks, and introduced into New Zealand, was the three-stride hurdle touch, which chopped many seconds off existing records here, and is now standard practice. On Arnott*s first appearance at Feilding, on his return.