Traditional high jump Gusimbuka Urukiramende: Could early 20th century African athletes beat Olympic champions?

During the first half of the 20th century, extraordinary high jumping performances of East-African athletes were observed. These athletes used a specific native jumping style called Gusimbuka Urukiramende. Eye-witnesses believed that these performances could have been world-records and that these athletes could have competed at the Olympics. However, these athletes never participated in international competitions and there is no other proof to support these performance claims. We have analysed historical photos and cine sequences of these jumps, documented the movement analysis of this technique, quantified performance and compared it to contemporaneous elite performances. Our analyses demonstrate that Gusimbuka Urukiramende athletes did not jump as high as the world record. Nevertheless, even though they used a suboptimal jump technique (because they had to lift their bodies higher to cross the bar) they could cross bar heights of 188 cm or 106% body height and as such their performance still was worthy of participation to the Olympics.

Trânsitos culturais: as experiências dos primeiros clubes athleticos do Rio de Janeiro (1873-1883) / Cultural transit: the experiences of early athletic clubs in Rio de Janeiro (1873-1883) / Tránsitos culturales: las experiencias de los primeros clubes atléticos de Rio de Janeiro (1873-1883

No Rio de Janeiro do século XIX, na conformação do campo esportivo, em conjunto com brasileiros, houve a importante participação de estrangeiros, notadamente de oriundos do Reino Unido. Pari passu, os anglófonos criaram suas agremiações próprias. As pioneiras foram dedicadas ao críquete, modalidade muito relacionada ao ethosbritânico. Na década de 1870, fundaram sociedades dedicadas a promover competições de "esportes atléticos" ­ provas de corridas, arremessos e saltos, primórdios do atletismo no Brasil. Importa perguntar: essas iniciativas influenciaram o desenvolvimento de hábitos esportivos dos fluminenses? Para responder tal questão, este estudo teve por objetivo discutir as experiências dos clubes atléticos criados na Corte entre os anos de 1873 e 1883, primeiro momento de estruturação da nova prática. Como fontes, foram utilizados periódicos publicados na cidade. Ao fim, percebe-se que se tratou de um processo de trânsito cultural, entendido como uma postura ativa de apropriação e ressignificação de bens e representações

In 19th century Rio de Janeiro, when the sports field was being shaped, foreigners' participation­ notably UK nationals ­ played a major role, together with Brazilians. At the same time, Anglophones created their own associations. The early ones were dedicated to cricket, which was highly connected to British ethos. In the 1870s, they founded societies dedicated to promoting competitions of "athletic sports" ­ running, throwing and jumping, the beginnings of athletics in Brazil. Did these initiatives influence the development of sports habits in Rio de Janeiro? To answer such question, this study discusses the experiences of athletic clubs created under the Court between 1873 and 1883, the first stage in structuring the new practice. Newspapers and magazines published in the city were used as sources. At the end, it is perceived that it was a process of cultural transit, understood as an active stance of appropriation and re-signification of goods and representations

En el Rio de Janeiro del siglo XIX, en la conformación del campo deportivo hubo, en conjunto con brasileños, importante participación de extranjeros, especialmente de oriundos del Reino Unido. Pari passu, los anglófonos crearon sus propios gremios. Los pioneros fueron dedicados al cricket, modalidad muy relacionada al ethos británico. En la década de 1870 fundaron sociedades dedicadas a promocionar competiciones de "deportes atléticos" ­pruebas de carreras, lanzamientos y saltos, que marcaron el comienzo del atletismo en Brasil. Es importante preguntar: ¿esas iniciativas influenciaron el desarrollo de hábitos deportivos de los habitantes de Rio de Janeiro? Para responder a esta cuestión, este estudio tuvo por objetivo discutir las experiencias de los clubes atléticos creados en la Corte entre los años 1873 y 1883, primer momento de estructuración de la nueva práctica. Como fuentes, se utilizaron periódicos publicados en la ciudad. Se percibe que se trató de un proceso de tránsito cultural, entendido como una postura activa de apropiación y resignificación de bienes y representaciones

The "how" and "why" of the ancient Greek long jump with weights: a five-fold symmetric jump in a row?

A plausible explanation for the ancient long jump records from Greek antiquity is sought on the basis of pictorial and written sources, and corroborated with practical tests. Ancient sources report that athletes jumped more than 15 m with weights in their hands, which enabled them to jump further than without these weights. It is proposed that the ancient Greek long jump was a continuous succession of five standing broad jumps, in which the landing phase of one jump was also the countermovement for the next jump. Four trained athletes jumped further with (14.64 +/- 0.76 m, range 13.64-15.63 m) than without weights (13.88 +/- 0.70 m, range 12.60-14.75 m; P = 0.001). These results show that this technique is executable, fits with ancient written and pictorial sources, and allows trained modern athletes to jump distances well over 15 m. The extra distance jumped when using weights may be due to changes in the position of the jumper's centre of mass at take-off and at landing, and an increase in take-off velocity stemming from several biomechanical mechanisms.

Alvin C. Kraenzlein, DDS and Walter B. Tewksbury, DDS: Olympic medal winners.

As contemporaries, Alvin C. Kraenzlein, and Walter B. Tewksbury had a great deal in common. They were both outstanding athletic performers and each became an intercollegiate record holder in track and field. In 1898, the New York Times reported that the University of Pennsylvania "at present has the best college athletes in the world, its two particular stars being Kraenzlein and Tewksbury." As close friends and college roommates during their student years at the University of Pennsylvania College of Dentistry, these two young men graduated in close succession (Walter, 1899; Alvin, 1900). Between them, Alvin and Walter won nine Olympic medals in Paris in 1900. Ultimately, as dentists and athletes, they individually and corporately left indelible imprints on track and field for all time.

James B. Connolly, First modern Olympic champion. The Georgia Connection, Circa 1896.

As the centennial Olympic Games come to Atlanta in 1996, and the sailing venue to Savannah, it is only fitting that the first modern Olympic champion had some connection to the state of Georgia, the city of Savannah, and the art of sailing. James Brendan Connolly was not only a terrific athlete, but a noted writer and adventurer. Moreover, he was the type of man who impressed even the President of the United States with his sterling qualities. The latter serve as a shining example a century after his initial Olympic exploits.