Evening star., 1925-01-18

trils sucking in and eNpelllng air III
long. steady draughts.
His wind and his heart were his
concern. Largely he let his legs
worked like mechanisms of steel in
stead of limbs of human flesh. They
took a high-kneed gait that half
suggested a prance and never devil
ated from that form. Those great
legs never weakened, never wobbled.
From the getaway he went right out
in front and stayed there. There was
no allowing of Ritola to take the
pace, as that Finn had done in their
other Garden race, when Nurmi came
up at will and dashed past his rival
at the tape.
- This time the royal runner took
his kingly place at the head of the
procession. and none was able to
challenge him for 1t. Only the truly
splendid Ritola was able to make
race OF It with Nurmi, In so far as
he was able to stay in the same lap
with him.
Thereby II must not be forgotten
that this Finn also gave a marvellous
performance. He never ran a finer
race in his life. But for all his
youth. his natural advantage of
physique, he was weary eyed, slack
jawed and starting openly to wob-
BILE as he trailed across the 65 yards
behind the cool-eyed, unwearied
champion.
In every lap of the race saw that
Nurmi was in exact touch with just
what results he was obtaining. HIS
handler passed him the time he was
making each time he circled the oval.
He threw on speed as needed with
such ease that its increase was hardly
realized by onlookers- He played the
turns hardest. He would gobble up
from 10 to 20 more feet OF lead on
the other contenders, excepting Ritola,
every time he whizzed around the
turns. He took the straightaways at
a more moderate clip-moderate Nfor
him, but stiI1 heart-breaking to the
other men, fine runners as all were.
behind him.
He is a sheer wonder.
need hardly tell you that
But what l would like to emphasize
is that he is no marvel of accident
or natural gift.
This Finn has done the splendid
thing of taking.a poor body and by
hard training making it peerless.
Copyright. 1928, by World News Service.l
Style Changed, Says Stagg.
CHICAGO, January 17.-The flying
feet of the phantom Finn, Paavo
Nurmi, which have been kicking over
world. records since his arrival in
America, are no longer functIoning as
they did in the Olympic games. His
stride has been slightly modified.
probably to meet indoor track condi-
tions. This is the observation of
Amos Alonzo Stage, director of ath-
letics at the University of Chicago,
who studied the Finn's running form
In Paris last Summer. Stagg was
coach of the American middle distance
runners.
Nurmi now runs more on the balls
of his feet than he did in outdoor
competition, the 62-year-old Stagg
observed when the Finnish fash last
night broke the worlds indoor record
for the mile and three-quarters, de-
feating Joie Ray, American champion
miller.
Stagg also noted that Nurmi's knee
action was the most noticeable thing
about his stride, which he said re-
sembled that Of a man running down
hill. He does not pull for ground and
his arms are bent and carried high.
There is a sharp rebound when his
feet strike the boards and his strong
knee spring delivers a snap and fol-
low through that throws the foot
higher behind him than is true of
other runners.