A New Hurdle

FOR many years there has been need for an official hurdle that would better meet the requirements than those now in use. The Eastern Intercollegiate Association, the Amateur Athletic Union and the National Collegiate Association have a similarly designed hurdle. In Olympic competition, each country holding the meet uses its particular type, and many colleges use a hurdle of their own design, and usually all styles differ.

The present hurdle in use is dangerous, inasmuch as the upright being in the center of a 26-inch base, the hurdle set at 3 feet 6 inches will rise in falling 1.96 inches, with a greater rise for lesser heights.

The Association of College Track Coaches of America appointed a committee of three consisting of Earl Thomson, former Dartmouth hurdler and present record holder, who now coaches at the Naval Academy; Harold Barron, former star hurdler and now Track Coach at Georgia Technology, and the writer, to attempt to agree on some design which would eliminate the danger of tripping the hurdler on account of the rise as explained above. By moving the upright forward to the front third of the base, the rise in the fall was reduced to .88 of an inch for the 3 feet 6 inch height, and this style was accepted by the Coaches' Association, as being an improvement on the present hurdle. The Intercollegiate Association, however, decided that if there was to be a change something even better should be adopted. It was later suggested that the upright be moved to the front of the base, but this would be impracticable.

Mr. F. E. Austin, E. E., and the writer have been experimenting and developing a new hurdle, with the idea in mind of entirely eliminating this rise in the fall, The base of this new hurdle is articulated, having four hinged wing pieces, two on each side of the hurdle, so arranged that when the hurdle stands upright in the regular position, with the weighted wing attachments on the track, the base is the same as the present regulation hurdle; but when folded over into the middle section, the hurdle becomes the so-called practice hurdle. When converted into a practice hurdle the top bar swings at the slightest impact.

The photographs show the position of the weights during the fall of the hurdle; this reduces to zero the rise in the fall. And for competition these weights act as a friction in the front and a drag in the rear, incidentally being serviceable for windy days. Inasmuch as many athletes have been eliminated from important races, this is the important feature of the new hurdle. The base for the new obstacle will be of cast iron as will the wings.

This new hurdle should be the means of developing hurdlers, as injuries will be reduced to a minumum and the contestants will have a greater amount of confidence.

To be accepted as the official hurdle it will be necessary for the several athletic associations controlling athletics to pass on this new idea and, if approved by the American Associations, the chances are it will be accepted by the Olympic authorities. Regardless of acceptance the hurdle should be an ideal one for practice purposes.

IT DOESN'T BARK SHINS