Walt Murphy is likely one of the most interesting monitor geeks that I do know. Walt does #ThisDayinTrack&FieldHistory, a superb each day service that gives true geek tales about our sport. You’ll be able to try the service for FREE with a free one-month trial subscription! (e mail: WaltMurphy44@gmail.com ) for the whole each day service. We’ll put up a couple of historic moments every day, starting February 1, 2024.
by Walt Murphy’s Information and Outcomes Service (wmurphy25@aol.com), used with permission
This Day in Observe & Discipline–October 15
1960–The Soviet Union’s Pyotr Bolotnikov ran 28:18.8 in Kiev to smash the earlier World Document of 28:30.4, which was set by the good Vladimir Kuts in 1956.
WR Development: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Males’s_10,000_metres_world_record_progression
www.racingpast.ca/john_contents.php?id=92
1964–The ultimate of the Males’s 100-meters on the 1964 Olympics was preceded by the beginning of the 20-kilometer stroll, with the walkers circling the cinder monitor 3 times, largely in lane one, earlier than leaving the stadium. And “Bullet” Bob Hayes, despite the fact that he had received all three of his preliminary races, was assigned to lane one beneath the random draw system utilized in these days. Employees did their greatest to clean out the lane earlier than the ultimate, however, as Hayes would say after the race, “…it felt slightly mushy”.
Irrespective of–Hayes was so dominating that quicksand most likely wouldn’t have stopped him from successful the gold medal. For the primary time in Olympic historical past, 8 males have been within the remaining (6 was the norm previous to 1964), and the powerfully constructed Hayes ran away from the entire different finalists, successful in 10.0 to equal the World Document. Auto-times have been accessible and his .19s margin of victory over Cuba’s Enrique Figuerola (10.06-10.25) remains to be one of many largest in Olympic historical past. Successful the bronze medal was Canada’s Harry Jerome (10.2/10.27).
And Hayes, who died in 2002 as a consequence of kidney failure, did it in borrowed sneakers! As former St.John’s star Tom Farrell, who would win a bronze medal within the 800-meters 4 years later in Mexico Metropolis, says about his “declare to fame”:
”I used to be warming up for my semi-final within the 800 (Farrell would end fifth within the remaining) when Ed Damage (Coach from Morgan State and one of many workforce’s dash coaches) and Bob Hayes got here to me and requested what measurement sneakers did I put on. I believed this was an uncommon query as I used to be nervous in addition to excited for my upcoming race. So I instructed them 8 1/2. Bob stated it was the identical measurement he wears. He requested if he might borrow them for his 100M semi-final and remaining races. I requested him the place are his spikes and he stated he had two lefts and was in an actual bind. On the time within the Olympic Village there have been solely 2 shoe corporations–Adidas and Puma–and you possibly can get as many pairs of sneakers as you wished– I at all times carried an additional pair–simply in case. So I gave Bob my different pair of Tokyo 64s from Adidas–chances are you’ll bear in mind they have been blue suede sneakers and really reversed Kangaroo pores and skin.”
“I believed this was all slightly odd since this was an important race of Bob Hayes’s profession. At stake was a gold medal and the world’s quickest human title. A gold medal would improve his negotiating energy with the Dallas Cowboys and right here he was with 2 left sneakers! I used to be glad I might assist out. Had I had just one pair–Bob would have needed to run in flats. I’d not give him my solely pair.”
“I came upon someday later that future boxing nice Joe Frazier (who additionally received a gold medal in Tokyo) performed a sensible joke by switching Bob’s sneakers earlier than he left for the monitor–some joke!!!”
“Just a few days later my father despatched me a clipping from the New York Occasions which learn: ‘Farrell’s sneakers win gold medal, too unhealthy Farrell wasn’t in them’.”
Hayes, who would run an incredible anchor leg within the 4×100 relay on the ultimate day of competitors, went on to have an All-Professional profession with the Dallas Cowboys and is the one athlete to have received an Olympic gold medal and a Tremendous Bowl ring.
Whereas it was an incredible day for Hayes, it was not so nice for yours actually. Since digital camera gear was comparatively cheap in Japan on the time, I purchased an 8mm film digital camera the day earlier than. The salesperson kindly loaded the primary roll of movie for me and I excitedly began capturing the whole lot that moved on the monitor. Alas, after I opened the digital camera to insert a brand new roll, I found to my horror that the movie was all in a jumble inside–the salesperson hadn’t loaded it correctly! So, no lasting photos of Hayes’ nice run. After I introduced the digital camera again to the purpose of buy, the salesperson was beside himself with regret, however set me up correctly this time in order that I might document the remainder of the Video games.
Hayes wasn’t the one future Corridor of Famer displaying his abilities on at the present time. Al Oerter as soon as once more confirmed his aggressive toughness by overcoming accidents to win the third of his eventual 4 gold medals within the Males’s Discus. Competing at instances with a neck brace he used to ease a cervical disk damage, and with a taped rib cage that had medical doctors advising him to withdraw, Oerter was in a lot ache he determined his fifth throw can be his final. In dramatic style, he got here from behind with an Olympic Document throw of 200-1 ½ (61.00m) to win over Czech Ludvik Daněk (198-7 [60.52]), who had taken away Oerter’s World Document earlier within the season. third was American Dave Weill (195-2 [59.49]).
Mentioned Oerter about competing in ache, “These are the Olympics. You die for them.”
A lot has been written about Oerter by no means being the favourite when he received his gold medals, however he was the consensus choose of T&F Information’s professional panel prior to those Video games.
Jay Silvester (193-10 [59.09]), who acquired bumped from the bronze medal place by Oerter’s successful throw, virtually didn’t make it to the ultimate. Strolling in direction of the infield by means of a tunnel beneath the stadium, he was knocked unconscious after hitting his head on a concrete beam, however shortly recovered. Years later, Oerter, who was behind Sylvester when he hit his head, stated (with a smile), “My first thought as I stepped over Jay was, ‘One much less man to fret about’”.
Romania’s Iolanda Balas, the World Document holder within the occasion, set an Olympic Document of 6-2 ¾ (1.90) whereas successful her 2nd gold medal within the Ladies’s Excessive Leap. Successful silver and bronze have been Australia’s Michelle Brown (5-10 ¾ [1.80]) and the Soviet Union’s (and Russia’s) Taisiya Chenchik (5-10[1.78]).
George Younger ran 8:34.2 within the first spherical of the Steeplechase to interrupt his personal American document of 8:35.0—he would end fifth within the remaining two days later.
The medalists within the Males’s 20k-Stroll have been Nice Britain’s Ken Matthews (1:29:34.0/OR), Germany’s Dieter Lindner (1:31:13.2), and the Soviet Union’s (and Ukraine’s) Vladimir Golubnichiy (1:31:59.4). Ending sixth (he was nineteenth 4 years earlier in Rome) was Ron Zinn, who died the next 12 months throughout a battle in Vietnam. The Capt. Ronald Zinn Memorial awards are actually offered annually to the main racewalkers and officers of the occasion on the annual USATF conference.
Zinn was posthumously promoted to captain and is buried within the West Level cemetery (together with quite a few army notables, George Custer amongst them.) The USA Olympic defend adorns his tombstone.
Medalists/Outcomes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athletics_at_the_1964_Summer_Olympics
Olympedia Reviews: http://www.olympedia.org/editions/16/sports activities/ATH
http://www.virtualwall.org/dz/ZinnRL01a.htm
https://www.usatf.org/disciplines/race-walking/race-walking-awards
Oerter(1963 SI Characteristic): https://vault.si.com/vault/1963/06/17/a-big-shy-man-who-likes-to-think
Hayes Hyperlinks
Corridor of Fame Bio: https://www.usatf.org/athlete-bios/bob-hayes
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/gamers/H/HayeBo00.htm
Movies
M100: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztRL-QMI1NY
DT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpeUbj4Wpf0
1968–4 years to the day after successful his third Olympic title in Tokyo, Al Oerter cemented his place as a sporting legend by successful his 4th gold medal within the Males’s Discus in Mexico Metropolis, turning into the primary t&f athlete in Olympic historical past to win the identical occasion 4 instances (Carl Lewis would later win 4 golds within the Lengthy Leap). Few gave Oerter an opportunity this time, since Jay Silvester had set a World Document of 224-5 (68.40m) the earlier month, a distance that was 17-feet longer than Oerter’s greatest.
However Oerter was the consummate competitor, particularly on the Olympics. He took the lead for good within the third spherical with a throw of 212-6 ½ (64.78m), an Olympic Document and a private greatest by greater than 5 toes! A disheartened Silvester couldn’t enhance on his 2nd-round throw of 202-8 (61.78) and needed to accept fifth place. Successful the silver and bronze medals have been East Germany’s Lothar Milde (206-11 [63.08) and Czech Ludvík Daněk (206-5 [62.92]). Daněk, the silver medalist in 1964, would full his Olympic set of medals by successful gold in Munich in 1972.
My brother Pete, who was attending his first Olympics, picked Oerter to win within the each day T&F Information prediction contest. Being the “professional” I believed I used to be, I scoffed on the thought, however my brother received a transistor radio for making the right choose and he typically jogged my memory who the actual professional within the household was!
Oerter, who handed away in 2007, “retired” in 1969, however returned to the U.S. top-10 rankings in 1977, completed 4th on the 1980 boycott Olympic Trials, threw a private better of 227-11 (69.46m) that very same 12 months when he was 43, and made his remaining look within the U.S. Rankings in 1983 on the age of 46!
RELATED OERTER LINKS:
Overcoming Adversity: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qVnLK2olmo
ESPN: http://espn.go.com/sportscentury/options/00016388.html
BBC: http://information.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hello/olympics2000/bbc_team/890517.stm
https://vault.si.com/vault/1977/04/25/his-past-is-slipping-into-the-future
4 Golds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KK_rWwQfjWo
Photographs: http://tinyurl.com/OerterPhotos
NY Occasions Obituary (by Frank Litsky):
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/01/sports activities/othersports/01cnd-oerter.html
Wyomia Tyus, who had received in Tokyo in 1964, turned the primary Olympian (man or girl) to win successive 100-meter titles. Tyus, one among Ed Temple’s Tennessee State Tigerbelles, set a World Document of 11.0 (11.08) to beat American teammate Barbara Ferrell and Poland’s Irena Szewińska, each of whom ran 11.1 (11.15-11.19). The long-striding Szewinska caught 17-year outdated Raelene Boyle (11.1/11.20) of Australia proper earlier than the end to win the bronze medal. Boyle would win the silver medal within the 200 later within the week and would win silver in each sprints 4 years later in Munich!
Tyus went by means of her traditional pre-race ritual of doing the “Tighten Up”, a dance made fashionable by the group Archie Bell and the Drells, which had successful tune of the identical identify earlier within the 12 months! (Verify the Australian hyperlink under for Dwight Stones’s feedback on Tyus and her dancing).
Corridor of Fame Bio(Tyus): https://www.usatf.org/athlete-bios/wyomia-tyus
Nice Britain’s David Hemery, who had received IC4A and NCAA titles within the 400-meter hurdles earlier within the season whereas competing for Boston College, accomplished his trifecta by successful the largest title of all, taking the gold medal in Mexico with a World-Document time of 48.1(48.12). The battle for the remaining medals was fierce, with solely .1s separating the following 4 finishers. East Germany’s Gerhard Hennige (49.0/49.02) received silver and Nice Britain’s John Sherwood (49.0/49.03) the bronze. Lacking out have been American Geoff Vanderstock (49.0/49.07), who was 2nd coming off the ultimate hurdle earlier than slipping again and the Soviet Union’s (and Ukraine’s) Vyacheslav Skomorokhov (49.1/49.12). An in depth 6th was the twond American, Ron Whitney (49.2/49.27). Vanderstock had set the earlier World Document of 48.8 on the U.S. Trials.
One other World Document was tied within the Males’s 800, with Australia’s Ralph Doubell successful the gold medal in 1:44.3 (1:44.40).Kenya’s Wilson Kiprugut (1:44.5/1:44.57), the bronze medalist in 1964, received the silver medal, and St.John’s alum Tom Farrell (1:45.4/1:45.46) , 5th with 200-meters to go, held off Germany’s Walter Adams (1:45.8) to win the bronze. Kiprugut held the lead all through the race till being handed by Doubell 50-meters from the end line.
Medalists/Outcomes
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athletics_at_the_1968_Summer_Olympics
Olympedia Reviews: http://www.olympedia.org/editions/17/sports activities/ATH
Associated Hyperlink(Hemery–50 Gorgeous Olympic Moments):
WR Progressions:
W100: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ladies’s_100_metres_world_record_progression
M800: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/800_metres_world_record_progression
M400h: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Males’s_400_metres_hurdles_world_record_progression
Movies
W100: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2TOQU2T338
From an Australian Perspective: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gn3hMAvOYfQ
M400h: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59L3GeA2_2w
M800(w/Feedback by Doubell): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-cOsTZUjlE
Oerter and his 4 gold medals(on the NYAC)
1975–Brazil’s João de Oliveira, profiting from the pleasant altitude of Mexico Metropolis, jumped 58-8 ½ (17.89m) on the Pan-American Video games to smash the World Document of 57-2 ¾ (17.44m), set by Viktor Saneyev in 1972. Runnerup Tommy Haynes set an American document of 56-5 ¼ (17.20).
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzYhDlbsLgM
WR Development: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triple_jump_world_record_progression
