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by Walt Murphy’s Information and Outcomes Service (wmurphy25@aol.com), used with permission
This Day in Observe & Subject-January 5
1957–NYU’s Denny Gatto beat some massive names to win the 600y (1:12.5) on the Metropolitan AAU meet on the 168th Avenue Armory in NY. Ending behind Gatto had been Tom Courtney (1:12.9), the 1956 Olympic 800-meter champion, Steve Bartold(1:13.2) of St.John’s, the longer term coach at his alma mater and Yale, and Manhattan Faculty junior Tom Murphy, who went on to make the 1960 U.S. Olympic staff within the 800-meters. Former Villanova star Fred Dwyer received the Mile, then completed 2nd within the 3-Mile to Horace Ashenfelter, the 1952 Olympic steeplechase champion.
Gatto’s victory was #75 on the Armory’s record of “100 Biggest Moments” (compiled in 2008)
1980–Houston McTear ran so quick for 60-meters on the Muhammad Ali Inv. in Lengthy Seaside(Ca.) that his time was by no means acknowledged as a World Document. McTear had set the present file of 6.54 at this similar meet in 1978 and appeared to have bettered that mark when he ran 6.53 in his warmth. However suspicions in regards to the timing and/or the gap arose after he received the ultimate in an unbelievable 6.38, adopted by three others who had been quicker than the earlier file–Harvey Look (6.41), Steve Riddick (6.51) and Cliff Wiley (6.52). (The present World Document is 6.34/the IAAF/World Athletics didn’t formally acknowledge indoor WRs till 1987)
Officers insisted that the race distance was right and the timing system labored correctly, however the record-keepers ultimately determined that the instances had been an excessive amount of of a superb factor and determined to not acknowledge them as “respectable”.
Additionally dropping a file was Evelyn Ashford, who received the ladies’s dash in 7.04, which was quicker than the listed mark of seven.12.
There have been some marks within the meet that did stand as much as scrutiny. Steve Scott received the 3000-meters in 7:45.2 to interrupt Steve Prefontaine’s American Document of seven:50.0; Craig Masback, the previous CEO of USATF, received the lads’s 1500 over Sydney Maree (3:45.8-3:46.0); Franklin Jacobs(7-5 ½[2.275]) beat Dwight Stones(7-4 ¼[2.24]) to win the excessive bounce; and Jan Merrill edged New Jersey prep Joetta Clark to win the ladies’s 800(2:09.6-2:09.8).
Stones had just lately been reinstated as an newbie after being tabbed a “skilled” for his participation within the Superstars exhibits.
Additionally returning to motion had been former members of the ITA skilled circuit, akin to Rod Milburn and John Smith.
From Observe and Subject Information)
Sports activities Illustrated Vault—Oldies however Goodies
1984—Operating barefoot, 17-year previous Zola Budd clocked 15:01.83 for 5000-Meters in Stellenbosch, South Africa. That was quicker than the present World Document of 15:08.26 that had been set by Mary Decker-Slaney in 1982, however the mark was by no means ratified as a result of her native South Africa was underneath suspension by the IAAF on the time, because of the nation’s apartheid coverage.
Budd, whose paternal grandfather was born in England, would quickly achieve British citizenship, enabling her to compete on the L.A. Olympics later within the 12 months, the place she could be concerned within the collision that brought about Decker-Slaney to fall within the last of the 3000-meters!
Race Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-1f1R2HKMo
https://vault.si.com/vault/1984/04/09/a-flight-to-a-stormy-haven
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zola_Budd
Vital Birthdays
Born on This Day*
Mohammed “Moh” Ahmed—Canada 34 (1991) 2021 Olympic silver medalist-5000m
Bronze medalist within the 5000 on the 2019 World Championships
Different world placings
Olympics: 2012 (10,000/18th), 2016 (5000/4th, 10,000/32nd), 2021 (10,000/6th), 2024 (10,000/4th)
Worlds: 2013 (10,000/9th), 2015 (5000/12th), 2017 (5000/6th, 10,000/8th), 2019 (10,000/6th), 2022 (5000/5th,
10,000/6th), 2023 (5000/7th, 10,000/6th)
All-American at Wisconsin: NCAA-2010 (10,000-4th), 2012 (5000-7th), 2013 (5000i-5th), 2014 (5000-5th)
Canadian Document holder: 3000 (ind/out), 2-Miles (ind), 5000 (in&out), 10,000
PBs: 3:34.89 (‘20), 3:53.87 (‘21), 7:40.11i (‘16), 7:31.96 (’24), 8:13.16i/2m (‘17), 12:56.87i (’22), 12:47.20 (‘20),
26:34.14 (’22)
2024 SBs: 3:37.92, 4:02.93, 7:31.96, 12:54.22, 26:43.79
Native of Somalia moved to Canada along with his household when he was 11 years previous
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohammed_Ahmed_(runner)
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/120195
https://nationalpost.com/sports activities/olympics/canadas-mo-ahmed-wins-olympic-silver-in-5000m
https://olympic.ca/team-canada/mohammed-ahmed/
Excessive Faculty Days: https://runningmagazine.ca/sections/runs-races/rio-2016/throwback-thursday-olympian-mohammed-ahmed/
Patrik Sjöberg—Sweden 60 (1965) 1987 World Champion—Excessive Leap
2-time Olympic silver medalist—1984,1992 (1988-bronze)
2-time medalist—World Indoor Championships (1989-bronze, 1993-silver)
Set a World Document of 7-11 ¼ in 1987 (2.42/now =#3 All-Time World)
Set two World Indoor Information: 1985 (7-9 ¾[2.38]), 1987 (7-10 ¾[2.41]/now =#3 A-T World)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrik_Sjöberg;
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/76381
WR Video(2.40): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xo56swo_FFc
WR Progressions:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menpercent27s_high_jump_world_record_progression
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menpercent27s_high_jump_indoor_world_record_progression
Metric Converter: https://www.usatf.org/statistics/calculators/markConversions/index.html
Kathrine Switzer 78 (1947) One of many pioneers of ladies’s distance working
By signing her entry kind for the 1967 race, “Ok. V. Switzer”, which is the best way she had all the time signed her title since she was 12-
years previous, she grew to become the primary girl to obtain a quantity within the Boston Marathon, which, on the time, solely accepted entries
from males. By her personal estimate, she completed in 4:20:00. Her entry gained nationwide consideration after race director Jock Semple
tried to pressure her off the course early within the race, solely to be blocked by her boyfriend on the time.
In 1978, she organized the inaugural Avon Worldwide Marathon, which drew lots of the world’s greatest feminine distance runners to
Atlanta. The success of the race (and subsequent editions), together with the assistance of others, ultimately helped result in the
addition of the ladies’s 3000 and Marathon on the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles.
Winner of the 1974 NY Metropolis Marathon…ran her private greatest of two:51:37 on the 1975 Boston Marathon
Her husband, journalist Roger Robinson, has been writing in regards to the working scene for a few years.
In her Personal Phrases: http://kathrineswitzer.com/about-kathrine/1967-boston-marathon-the-real-story/
50 Years Later
NY Occasions: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/17/sports activities/boston-marathon-kathrine-switzer.html?_r=0
CNN Interview: http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/17/us/boston-marathon-kathrine-switzer-trnd/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avon_International_Marathon
https://www.csrwire.com/press_releases/34430-avon-women-the-olympics-driving-a-marathon-revolution
http://www.marathonguide.com/historical past/olympicmarathons/chapter25.cfm
Deceased
Ed Collymore 85 (1938-Might 7, 2023) 1958 NCAA Champion—220y (Villanova/1957-3rd/1958-100y/5th)
Member of the Villanova staff that received the 1957 NCAA staff title—staff, referred to by some as “The Biggest
Ever”, included previous and future Olympic gold medalists (with their NCAA putting) Charlie Jenkins (’56-
400, 4×400/3rd within the 440y), Ron Delany (’56-1500/1st-mile, 2nd-880y), and Don Bragg (’60-Pole Vault/2nd).
Additionally on the staff had been two different Olympians—Excessive Jumper Phil Reavis (’56) and distance runner Alex
Breckenridge (’60)—Reavis tied for 3rd on the NCAA meet, was 7th on the Olympics/Breckenridge was 4th within the
NCAA 2-mile, competed within the marathon on the 1960 Olympics …Jenkins was Collymore’s teammate at Rindge
Tech (Ma) H.S. for 2 years.
Winner of 6 Penn Relays watches
1957–Mile relay, Distance Medley
1958–Mile Relay, Dash Medley, Distance Medley
1959—Mile Relay
https://www.debaptiste.com/obituary/edward-collymore-sr
https://displays.library.villanova.edu/black-villanova-oral-history-project/ed-collymore-class-1959/
Penn Relays Wall of Fame: https://pennrelays.com/honors/hall-of-fame/ed-collymore/65
Finest NCAA Group Ever?: http://villanovarunning.blogspot.com/2010/01/was-this-best-villanova-track-team.html
1957 Outcomes: https://trackandfieldnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/1957.pdf
Walt “Buddy” Davis 89 (1931-Nov.17, 2020) 1952 Olympic gold medalist—Excessive Leap; overcame polio.
1952 co-NCAA Champion (Texas A&M/1951/=2nd)
2-time U.S. Champion (1952,1953);
Performed 5 seasons within the NBA (6’8 ½” [2.04])
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/78302
Video: http://www.kangarootrackclub.org/walter-buddy-davis.html
http://www.basketball-reference.com/gamers/d/daviswa01.html
Al Blozis 26 (1919-Jan.31, 1945) 3-time NCAA Champion—Shot Put (Georgetown/1940-1942)
As well as, he received each different title open to him from 1940-1942, successful 3 IC4A Indoor and Out of doors titles, 3 U.S.
Indoor titles, and three U.S. Out of doors titles.
He was inducted into the Nationwide Corridor of Fame in 2015 and was an All-Professional deal with with the NY Giants.
Solely 26 on the time, he was killed in motion in 1945 throughout World Warfare II.
HOF Bio: https://www.usatf.org/athlete-bios/al-blozis
https://www.giants.com/video/memorial-day-tribute-al-blozis-18011337
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Blozis
Buddy Younger 57 (1926-Sep.5, 1983) 1944 NCAA Champion—100y, 220y (Illinois freshman)…additionally completed 2nd within the
Lengthy Leap to assist Illinois win the staff title
Solely 5’-4” (1.625), Younger had already excelled as a standout working again/receiver for Illinois in the course of the 1943
soccer season. Earlier than the season concluded, he scored 10 touchdowns, equaling the Large Ten Convention
file established by the immortal Crimson Grange in 1924.
Drafted by the Navy in 1945, Younger performed on a service soccer staff earlier than returning to Illinois, the place he helped
the staff beat UCLA within the 1947 Rose Bowl. He then performed skilled soccer for 10 years, closing out his
profession with the Baltimore Colts. He died tragically in an auto accident in 1983 on the age of 57. He was the
NFL’s Director of Participant Relations on the time of his dying.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddy_Young
https://fightingillini.com/honors/hall-of-fame/claude-buddy-young/81
http://www.myblackhistory.web/ClaudeYoung.htm
96-yard TD Run: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZA0g_sQcqY
https://www.thesportscol.com/2018/10/buddy-young-stood-out-without-standing-tall/
Jack Lovelock-New Zealand 39 (1910-Dec.28, 1949) 1936 Olympic gold medalist—1500 Meters-
set a World Document of three:47.8 within the last (1932-7th).
Set a World Document of 4:07.6 for the mile in 1934.
1934 British Empire Video games (Commonwealth) Champion—Mile
From Olympedia: Lovelock had graduated from Oxford with a medical diploma and settled within the
United States the place he practiced on the Hospital for Particular Surgical procedure in New York, after
serving within the Royal Medical Corps throughout World Warfare II. Lovelock tragically died in 1949, when
he suffered a dizzy spell and fell on subway tracks in New York, the place he was hit by a
shifting practice.
His Victory Oak from the Berlin Olympics was planted at Timaru Boys’ Faculty in New Zealand the place it
survives as a nationally protected landmark.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Lovelock
http://www.racingpast.ca/john_contents.php?id=77
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/74322
https://nzhistory.govt.nz/individuals/jack-lovelock
Video(1936 OG/commentary by Harold Abrahams of Chariots of Fireplace fame):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nr0ihgPjo3k
The Man, The Fable, The Mistery
Harold “Hal” Davis 86 (1921-August 12, 2007) Former Cal Bear received the 100y & 220y on the 1942 & 1943 NCAA Championships
3-time U.S. Champion-100m (1940, 1942, 1943)
4-time U.S. Champion-200m/straight (1940-1943)
Would have been thought-about one of many favorites in each sprints if the 1940 and 1944 Olympics hadn’t been cancelled resulting from
WWII
The “California Comet” equalled the World Document of 10.2 for 100-meters in 1941
Additionally equalled the WR of 9.4 for 100-yards in 1942, however the mark was not ratified
Inducted into the Nationwide Corridor of Fame in 1974
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold_Davis_(sprinter)
https://calbears.com/honors/california-athletics-hall-of-fame/hal-davis/89
