Los Angeles herald., 1910-08-16
BETTER ATHLETES
AS TIME. PASSES
Present Day Track Men Show a
Marked Improvement on
0Id-Tim Stars
SPECIALIZATION PROVES AID
Facilities in Present Training and
the Greater Amount of In
tereSt Stimulate
SPECIALIZATION PROVES AID

NEW YORK, Aug. 15.-There will
always be a difference of opinion as
to whether the athlete of 20 years ago
was superior to the athlete of the
present The old timer will argue that
the performers in his day were SUI
perior. He will tell how the old time
Splinter ran 100 yards in 0:9 AS, with
a standing start. If he had mastered
the crouch position, how much faster
he could have gone. He will also tell
you that in the past ten years only
two men have Travelled the century
in 90 AS in winning the American
championships, when in the olden days
some one did better than even time
every week.
Also how men could make records in
the sprints, then turn around and es
tabllsh a middle distance mark. He
will finish up by telling you that the
contestants of today have better facili-
ties for training; that in the eighties
the clubs had no coaches, training
tables, or rubbers; that the athletes
trained and massaged themselves;
how the chap of today has all the up
to-date advantages and should be
superior
The athletes Of 20 years ago-J.
owen, Lon Myers, Wendell Baker, E.
c. Carter, Willie Day and w. G.
George-were phenomena, but time will
always show an advancement. For in
stance, ten years later, Bernie Wefers
in the sprints had better form and
a man as good as Maxey Long in the
quarter mile. Tom Burke was another
world beaten, as was Charlie Kilpat-
rick, Tommy Conneff, and score of
Others AS time passes records are
bound to be broken. The Public
Schools Athletic league and other or
CARNATIONS are fast developing fu-
ture champions and record breakers.
1t seems an impossibility for some of
the records to fall, but they all will
in time, and as new records are made
others will replace them.
Much credit must be given the ath-
lete of the present day. Does not Mel
Sheppard, the middle-distance wonder,
report at the customs house every day
at a. m. and work sometimes until
late in the evening, then in his spare
hours go out and break records? Do
not John Flanagan, Matt McGraw,
Martin Sheridan, Pat Mcdonald and
Jack Eller spend most of their time at
their duties in the police department?
The majority of athletes who have
made regulations on the athletic field
are Woodworking fellows. True, the
facilities for training are better, but
business cares do not decrease; in fact,
they increase. The athlete in the large
cities has as much to contend with as
those of score of years ago. and as
his performances are on an average far
better 1t must be admitted that the
present-day performer is a more inn
proved athlete.
Generally a man to be a good athlete
l.. LII -
not only spend great deal of his time
Training, but must also study his spe-
cialty. Specializing is an important
factor nowadays. To succeed an ath-
lete must only go in for his special
event. Twenty years ago a competitor
could compete in three or four events
and win. This is an unusual feat in
the present decade. In 1880 Lon Myers
captured four American championships
In one day, winning the 100 yards. in
10 rs, 22O yards in 20 3-5, 440 yards in
90 and the $50 yards in 1904 S-5, a Won
derful performance.
This feat could hardly be repeated
in these days. Take the championships
held at Seattle last summer. The times
were: 100 yards 10 1-5; 220 yards, % rs;
440 yards, 50 2-5; $50 yards, 1:55 1-5,
and these figures, with the exception
of the half-mile, are nothing to brag
of the meet driZzling rain fell, and it
was very cold. Look at the following
table of championship events in 1880,
1881 and 1882 and compare the perform
ances with those of 1907 1908 and 1909.
At glance the improvements can be
observed, always remembering that an
athlete winning championship does
not necessarily mean that he is the
best man in the country, as a great
many college and athletic club ath-
letes find it impossible to compete.
1t will be noticed that in the 100, 220
and 440-yard runs'the average improve
ment In time Is not much faster, al
though during 1907, 1908 and 1909 there
were faster men who did not compete
in the championships. The times in
the above table do not show the best
performances for the short-distance
men. The $50 shows remarkable i'm
provement The one mile does not in
dictate anything wonderful, but in 1909
Paul, the University of Pennsylvania
athlete, ran the distance in 4:l7 So.
Now comes this cry from the en-
thusiast: "How- about Tommy Con-
neff's one mile record performance tif-
teen years ago, when he ran the dis
lance in AIS 1852" This is an excep-
ton. Although our later-day athlete
has materially decreased the average
time for the mile, he has yet to break
Conneff's record. This year should de-
eide the question, as PAUL, Sheppard,
Kiviat and Bonhag will make attempts
to lower the figures, and the prospects
look very good.
The average in the five miles is about
one minute and half less. The time
in the hurdles shows a decided de-
crease. High jumpers do six inches
higher; broad jumpers and pole vault
ers are doing far better. The shot has
gone up about ten feet and the fifty
six-round weight shows to better adj
vantage. The hammer cannot very
we'll be compared as in the olden days
they had a different style of hammer.
The wooden handle was used during
the SOS, while today a flexible wire
handle is used, although Flanagan or
McGrath could get the old-style ham,
mer out much further than the old
timer.
A comparison of times in various
events beginning with 1880 follows:
Events 1880. 1907 1908. 1909.
100 yds. .O:1O 2-5lO:10 1-5l0:10 1-5l0;10 lis
22O yds. 80. O:2S S-5l0:22 5O:22 2-5lO:22 20
440 yds.. ...O:52 1851 0:49 3-50:50 20
$50 yds. .2:04 SSH :55 1-5I1 $50 3-5l1; 55 1-5
One mile. 1880 S-5l4:2o l4;25 1880
M a.nn