Evening star., 1937-05-28
KRAENzLE|NF|XE
GAMES TECHNIQUE
Robertson Figures Timber.
.Toppers of Today Have
Edge on 0Id.Timers.
BY LAWSON ROBERTSON.

D1 Liza w SO1N oOINs
T TURDLING is one event where
- current athletes outstep the
great old-timers. Whether
a 4 you argue for the ancients or
moderns, there is much to be said for
both eras in most events But not in
hurdles. Your current star can knock
a penny off hurdle with his back
foot and not even disturb the wood!
In short, it's an exact science as
precise and as pretty as a ballet.
To me, Forrest Towns, University
Of Georgia's 1885 olympic champion,
Is the greatest high hurdler Of all
time.
Immediately I can hear a loud and
legitimate outcry for the unforgettable
DR.. Alvin Kraenzlein, who starred at
Penn, where certainly could use him
today
Kraenzlein came at the turn of the
century and turned the hurdle clock
ahead a whole century. In fact, he
turned the whole event upside down,
or. more accurately, right side up.
Hurdlers Of his day bent their legs.
He evolved the straight-legged style
that made" modern hurdling.
His time of 1872 doesn't compare
with Towns 1877 for 1lO meters at
Oslo last August and soon to be sub
nitted for recognition.
Kraenzlein Scored Slam.
RUT that, Of course, doesn't mean
Towns could defeat the Kraenz-
lein of 1900 the equivalent of one and
a half seconds. Alvin competed to
win, not to set records.
Besides being Olympic champion he
was the only man in history to win
four IC4A titles-grand-slam in
the two hurdles, 100 and broad lump.
That shows his range, but empha-
sizes the fact he didn't specialize in
hurdles. Specialize" is the key word
that reveals the gap between 1900 and
1887.
With few exceptions early hurdlers
didn't start out as hurdlers. They
first tried sprinting and turned to the
sticks as a consolation event. Or,
good sprlnters, with casual practice,
would step in and win hurdles on sheer
speed
Today hurdlers do nothing else.
They have the advantage of Kraenz-
lein's historic contribution. all later
technique and, most of all, complete
conc centration.
But, beyond that, believe. funda-
mentally faster men now hurdle.
You hear much talk of 1l0-meter
or 120-yard hurdles, but 11O meters is
l20 yards s inches. So in submitting
some records I don't bother to
distinguish.
I figure Towns, on his strength,
timing and speed between sticks is
No. l even though never handled
poor hurdlers on an Olympic trip.
Great Hurdlers Listed.
A MONG the great hurdlers Towns
tops-to me-are:
Forrest Smithson, Oregon Univer-
sity. Multononah A. G. and Yale, l4.8
In 1908.
Fred Kelly. Southern California,
l4.6 In 1912
Earl Thompson. Dartmouth, and
Canadian Olympic star, 14.4 in 1920.
Percy Beard, Alabama University,
l4.2 in 1882.
Jack Keller. Ohio State, 14.1 in
1882.
George Sailing, Iowa University, 141
In 1882.
Smithson did his l4.8, which sounds
slow in this company. on grass at the
London Olympics. The hurdles were
riveted In the ground, which meant
cracked bone If you hit one and It
was really ganlet race.
He was the exception. Like Kraenz-
lein and Towns, he could break o:1o
IN the 100, but unlike those two tall.
powerful long. loose-legged stars, he
was short and stocky.
Space does not permit technical tips.
but any youngster with hurdlins ambi-
tions must learn exercises to loosen
his muscles He must be able to
split" Most Of all, he must be pre-
pared to master an exact science.
Copyright. 1887. Reproduction In whole
or In part prohibited without permission.)