ADVICE TO HURDLERS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 6 January 1923, Page 3

ADVICE TO HURDLERS.

MODERN METHODS EXPLAINED. FASTER SPRINTERS COMPETE, j Unless an athlete and a would-be hurdler can try over at least three or four hurdles', he- cannot hope to get the best out of himself. High and long jumping, sprinting, and light physical exercises will all help, but the athlete must get to some ground where he can train over a few orthodox hurdles, says A. B. George, winner of 12 championships in England, Canada, : and • the United States. I Hurdling is a branch of athletics in which there has been more hnprovement than at any other during the last 22 years. "From 16sec, which was once good, to 15 2-ssec. is & wonderml advance, due to new style, gencisHy termed the straight-leg method. In the days of Charlie Daft t_e nurdler cleared about 15 feet when striding the hurdle. He took off, put the i<nee over first, and allowed the impetus to carry him forward and Jown. Thf.t meant some time in the air and con '.rig to the ground slowly. Further the bi_: distance covered in clcuvn;z the hurdle left only about six yards to be run in the regulation three strides between the flights. If the athlete ran too fast he overstrode, and got too near the next hurdle and hit it. Thus it was usual to find crack hurdlers among runners who were between 10 2-5 sec. and Usee, men for the "100.'' The great exception was A. F. Copland, of the Manhattan Athletic Club, who was actually the first hurdler to run ill straight-leg style. He was a sound IUI-5 sprinter, _ while he made a new world's long -jump record of 23ft. 31-sin. when winning the United States Championship at Washington in 1890. , j When A. C. Kraenzlein, o^ the Uni-1 versity of Pennsylvania, won the' English hurdles championship in 1900, ! with the watch registering 15 2-ssec.,' English athletes realised that a new era had set in. ! Forest Smithson did better still (15 sec.) when winning the Olympic Games hurdles in 1908; and now Earl Thompson, a Canadian residing in the United States, has reduced the record to 14 2-ssec. The great improvement is mainly due to the following: Modern hurdlers get closer to the hurdle before rising, and come down closer to it when landing than in the old style. They do not rise in the air so much, I consequently the time, between take-! off and landing is less than formerly. ! The distance to be covered in the three strides is therefore greater, co that the athlete can run faster without gettin cr too near the next obstacle. The result is seen in faster sprinters figuring as hurdlers. Kraenzlein and Smithson, for example, both being "even timers.'' Modern hurdling is very scientific, and the athlete must devote a lot of attention to rwiquirimg looseness: of limb. HiVh-kieking from a stand, doing the splits, and other movements to loosen up the le^s are helpful. The body must aiso be exercised so that

acute bending from the waist comes easy. The athlete, shoots out the forward leg, so that it is practically straight when the foot is above the hurdle. At the same time the body is bent forward from the hips, assisted by throwing both arms forward. When Thompson is just over the hurdle his head and body are much bent forward from the hips, assisted by throwing both arms forward. When Thompson is just over the hurdle his head and body are much bent forward. This movement plays a great part in bringing the rear leg to the fore and over, but drawn up and shot forward for the next stride. Likewise, as soon as the front leg is over, it is snapped down to the ground as quickly as possible. . It will be gathered that the bending forward of the body,, and the throwing forward of both arms, plays a big_ part in enabling the athlete to get Ins feet quickly to the ground. A study of Thompson when hurdling shows that his head does not rise much m the air, and although he is 6ft. Im. high, I should estimate that his head is never as much as 6ft. from the ground when he is (clearing a hurdle. From this it will be realised that the crack hurdler needs to have great control of his legs and body. while loosehmbed athletes of 6ft. * tall are the most likely to do well.