THE first top-class high hurdles (then 120 yards) I saw was in the 1948 USA versus The British Empire (as it was then) match at the White City, when the Olympic champion Bill Porter of the USA broke the UK all comers’ record with 14.0.
I had watched the greatest hurdler of his time, Harrison Dillard of the USA (see Digest, p12), at the 1948 Olympics, but winning the 100m, so it was a great pleasure to see him finally get his Olympic hurdles title in 1952.
Speaking of great hurdlers, I am pleased to recall Britain’s remarkable Group Captain Don Finlay gaining his ninth AAA hurdles title in 1949 at the age of 40 after 20 years in which he won Olympic, European and Commonwealth medals and fought as an RAF fighter pilot in World War II.
It is fair to say that we had to wait until Colin Jackson for a high hurdler to match Finlay’s career. Jackson’s world record of 12.91 when winning the 1993 world title at Stuttgart wasn’t beaten for nearly 13 years and complemented his European and Commonwealth gold medals.
Harry Whittle won seven national 440 yards hurdles titles, held the British record, with 52.7, gained a bronze medal in the 1950 European Champs and I watched him finish fifth in the 1952 Olympics. He was known among aficionados as someone who “couldn’t run fast and couldn’t hurdle well”. However, he was the perfect example of a man who maximised what abilities he had. Incidentally this amazing athlete also won AAA long jump and decathlon titles.
この記事は Athletics Weekly の November 21, 2019 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
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この記事は Athletics Weekly の November 21, 2019 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
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Carbon Footprint
You'd have had to have been running on a different planet to miss all the recent debate about carbon-plated shoes. The talk of bans and performance enhancement has been so widespread that even non-runners are asking their running friends about the potentially magical footwear.
Trail time
WHEN looking for a trail or off-road running shoe, it’s often all about the grip. However, given that no two paths are the same, careful consideration is required. What’s the terrain like where you’ll wear the shoes the most? If you’ll be negotiating soft, wet and muddy conditions then look for deeper lugs. For tackling gravel tracks and forest trails then more evenly spaced lugs will work better. When it comes to cushioning, consider how hard the ground will be; if it’s soft then you’ll be fine in low-profile shoes, but on those firmer tracks reasonable cushioning will be called for.
Stay neutral
EVOLVING every year, if not month, neutral cushioned shoes are seeing developments in cushioning materials and dynamics at a pace which is nothing short of astonishing. The latest models feature new polymers in the midsoles to give them a cushioned feel while at the same time keeping their weight to a minimum. Give them a spin and choose the most comfortable for mile after mile of shock absorbing running.
Support network
WHEN it comes to ‘over-pronation’, a common question is ‘how much is over?’. With no hard and fast rules, it’s best to choose a shoe that instinctively feels right. Gait analysis can often assist in helping you make this choice and your specialist running store is always a good place to start if in doubt. To help you make that choice, here’s a selection of some of the best ‘support’ shoes around.
Need for speed
THE racing shoe segment of the market is becoming somewhat split. This is partially due to the rise of carbon-plated footwear but also the fact that many shoes are becoming much lighter. Here we take a look at some of the leading contenders to toe the line in.
Gadget show
WITH technological products to enhance every area of life, running is now no different. From headphones to treadmills, the devices to aid performance and recovery are endless. Here we take a look at some of the latest gadgets and gizmos to enhance your training.
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We bust some of the jargon around footwear
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