Inefficient But Fast

TRACK & FIELD

According to an Arizona podiatrist named Wendell W. Rote Jr., all the best sprinters are pigeontoed. Dr. Rote claims to have done considerable re earch in the subject. "It's simply a matter of physics," he explains. "Those who are pigeon-toed generate a line of thrust which is directly forward. They are 100% efficient in utilizing the power in their legs."

So much for science. Texas Southern's Jim Hines, 20, is not the least bit pigeon-toed--in fact, he's just a little duck-footed, and it may be a good thing. If he were 100% efficient, there is no telling how fast he could run. Three times last winter Hines tied the indoor world record of 5.9 sec. in the 60-yd. dash. Last month, in the 100-yd. dash at Houston's Southwestern Athletic Conference meet, he got off to a so-so start, still was timed in 9.1 sec.--equaling the world record set by Bob Hayes in 1963. Two weeks later in Modesto, Calif., he was again a little slow getting out of the blocks, but tied the world mark of 10 sec. for 100 meters. No official bothered to clock Jim for the first 100 yds. of that race, but two coaches with stop watches did. One caught him 8.9 sec., the other in 9 sec. flat.

Tying world records seems to be Jim Hines's fate--so far. When he was a senior at McClymonds High School in Oakland, Calif. Hines tied Jesse Owens' 31-year-old schoolboy mark of 9.4 sec. for 100 yds. That earned him a $1,200-a-year scholarship to Texas Southern. But when Hines first turned out for track at T.S.U., Coach Stan Wright was appalled: "Jim's starts were awful. He didn't concentrate."

Now, three years later, Wright calls Hines "the best sprinter I've ever coached." Jim himself thinks he can break four world records (100 yds., 100 meters, 220 yds. and 200 meters) this summer. He showed why last week when, on a slow track at the Los Angeles Coliseum, he beat San Jose State's Tommie Smith, the 220-yd. world recordholder (at 20 sec. flat) by three yards in 20.5 sec.

Next year, of course, the Olympics. After that, Hines figures to add a few pounds to his 6-ft. 1-in., 180-lb. frame and play pro football--although he has not tried on a helmet since he was a senior in high school. He is already counting the bonus he intends to collect: "Somewhere between $200,000 and $250,000."

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