The Cordova daily times., 1918-02-05
RECORDS OF ATHLETES
SHOW RAPID ADVANCE
LBy Associated Pressl

athletics by American performers in
| recent years is strikingly demonstrate
ed by the latest charts of the ANA
teur Athletic union. With the excep-
ton of two or three events. the rec
ords show that almost every standard
contest has repeatedly been bettered
during the period since the early
eighties when the A. A. U. was or
gained
The 100 yard dash record was cut
| down 2-5 of a second in a trifle less
than thirty years. Between 1888 and
1918 it was broken twice and no less
than eleven sprinters participated in
breaking or tying the time. In the
22O dash As of a second was Topped
off the time in a similar period, the
record being broken twice and eight
runners receiving credit for exceeding
or equalling the previous clocking
The quarter mile event is one of the
exceptions to the general rule. Wen
dell Baker ran the 44O yards in Al "a
seconds in 1886 and in 1900 Maxey
Long reduced the time to At seconds
flat. Since that date no Splinter has
ever equalled this performance.
Coming to the longer distances, the
half mile run has been bettered twice.
3 IL seconds having been cut off the
time made by Lon Myers in 1885,
This time was lowered twice and four
athletes are credited with tying orI
breaking the record. In the mile rum
8 40 seconds marks the improvement
W. G. George ran the distance in 1882
in 4.21 rs and in turn Tommy Connect. |
John Paul Jones and Norman TaberI
each clipped the time until, at pres
ent it stands at Alp 3-5 The five mileI
record has been broken three times
and equalled once since 1887 and the
total gain amounts to 50 2-5 seconds !
The ten mile run shows a gain of,
155 is seconds since 1886, the record
of that date having been bettered
three times.
In the hurdle races / Is seconds
marks the gain over the 12O yard
flight. In 1891 H. L. Williams dial
Is 4-5s and in 1916 r. Simpson es-
tablished the present figures of IA 80.
During these twenty-six years the
record was broken four times and tied
four times, At 220 yards the gain
amounts to full second inns second
was cut off by A, G, Kraenzlein in
1898 and has been tied twice but
never beaten. The one mile walk has
been improved to the extent of So
seconds since "Cinders" Murray step,
ped the distance in 6m 20 2-5 in 1888.
1t was not until 1911, however, that
George Goulding, the Canadian walk,
er, hell-and-toed the distance in 6.28.
and no other performer has equalled
those figures since.
The field events also afford some
remarkable examples of the improve
ment in athletic competition. The
running high jump mark has been
moved up l SIG inches since 1887
when w. B. Page cleared it. 4 in,
Eddie Beeson holds the record at
present with 6ft sic in but in the
interim Mike Sweeney and George
HORNE held the figures of their day
thus proving factors in the climb of,
the jumpers The broad jump shows
an improvement of l TT 4 IA in. In
1886 the figures stood at % it in
made by Malcolm Ford and between
that date and Meyer Primstein's rec.
ord leap of "a it IA in, the records
were broken five times by four diff.
ferent broad jumpers. The hop, step
and jump shows a gain of it. 9 Lin
between 1884 and 1911 when the exist
ing figures were established by Dan
Ahearn.
The pole vaulters also kept raising
the bar steadily from the day when
Hugh Baxter did II it. in, in 1887.
Mark Wright now holds the records
with IS TT. 2 IA in, but the original
height has been improved upon no less
than seven times and tied once In
the weight events, IA it. Is in, mark
the gain between Queckberner's
heave of % TT, 8 IA in with the IS
lb. ball and Matt McGraths 40 it. 6 3-S
in made in 1911. The shot put gain
amounts to it. 1 in, having been
broken six times in a period of thirty
years. The discuss throw was not
established until 1897 and the first
figures were held by c. H. Henneman
with 118 TT. in. In 1912 the present
record of 145 it. 9 1-2 in, was made
by Duncan but during these fifteen
years the figures were improved no
less than seven times and in each
case Martin Sheridan was the athlete
to better his previous throw.
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