New Britain herald., 1928-05-18
High Jumping Champions

High Jumping Champions
 Olympic high jumping champions and their distances:
 1Ss6-Clark, |. s. 5:ll i4 9oo-Baxter, L. $. G:o 4-5 1904-Jones, |. s. 5:1i
 1ao6-Leahy, Ireland 5;o 1s 190s-Porter, L. s. 6:3
 1s1o-Richards L. S. GA
 leo0-Landon, |. s. 6:4 IS 19o4-Osborn. L. s. 6:G (x)
 (x)Olympic record, Worlds record 6 feet 1-4 inches, by Osborn.
 BY ALAN J. GOULD
 New York, May IS tP,-In a year that seems to be shattering all precedent for high flying the famous schoolmastter, Hal Osborn, may have to yield the high jumping Olympic crown to one or another Of the astonishing crop of new altitude makers.
 When America can mention off hand the names of ten jumpers who have done feet 1 inches or better there isn't much prospect that the nations supremacy in this branch of field sports will be menaced at Amsterdam.
 The veteran Osborn has been troubled off and on during the past few years by weak ankle or strained thigh tendons. Half his leg has been taped up in recent competition but even with such handicaps the bespectaclad star of 1 the Illinois 4. C. is as good or bet l ter than half his rivals. Whether or not osborn is able to stage a comeback he can rest or :, a pretty fair share of laurels al ready won. He captured the Olym. pic title four years ago at Paris beating out the slim Dartmouth star. Leroy Brown. with a record leap of feeet 6 inches. That was Osborns greatest year. 1924. for he also won the Olympic decathlon title and set a new worlds high jumping mark of 6 feet, 8 1-c inches. That record still stands. The closest il has come 10 being touched was two years ago when Haggard, Texas star, leaped 6 feet IA inches. Haggard is among the foremost l Olympic contendcrs this year. Sc are Burg Of Chicago. Coggcshall o' the Olympic club. San Francisco; Major Of St. Bonaventure, Maynard of Dartlnou Bob King Of Stan, ford and Shepherd of Texas, all o' | whom have scaled around 6 feet inches or more.
 King. the national champion. is among the most consistent. He ha. the additional benefit of being coached by "Dink" Templaton. him self Q famous jumper. and member of the 1920 Olympic team and thi year 8 member Of the Olympic coaching staff. Templeton wen over to the games eight years ag' as a high jumper He was rnlef out because of his "wcstcrn roll' style Of leaping but went into tn broad jump and finished fourth o, 1 short notice.
 Perhaps the most dramatic higl jumping victory for tine nite' States occurred at stock holm il 1912 when Alma Richards. gian tah athlete. defeated thc Crea Californian and favorite. Georg Horinc. who had set tho world record al 6 feet inches. Richardc Horire and Leischc. the German were the three finalists. With th bar at 3, I.oische cleared easily O his first try. The Americans misse their first two tries and then Horin failed on his third and final attemp With ono try left and victory a stake, Richards cleared the bar wit a tremendous effort and went in [ win at 6:3 3-4.
 Tn view of American supremac otherwise it is still somethi of
 mystery 10 note the lapse in 19o' when the best any representative ( l the United States could do was
 tie for third place at 5:1 11S. Tn winning mark that year. only tw inches higher. is the lowest O Olympic record.
 By contrast, in 1912 six of th first seven in the final standing wer
 Americans. Four out Of the tir' five places ver. captured in 1a2 and three out Of fc1r al Paris i