This Day in Track & Field History, April 9, 2024, Edwin Flack wins 800m (1896), Ben Eastman sets 800m WR (1932), DeAnna Price (2021), Valarie Allman (2022) sets AR discus, by Walt Murphy News and Results Service

Walt Murphy is one of the finest track geeks that I know. Walt does #ThisDayinTrack&FieldHistory, an excellent daily service that provides true geek stories about our sport. You can check out the service for FREE with a free one-month trial subscription! (email: [email protected] ) for the entire daily service. We will post a few historic moments each day, beginning February 1, 2024.

By Walt Murphy’s News and Results Service ([email protected]), used with permission.

This Day in Track & Field–April 9

1896—Two days after winning the 1500 at the Athens Olympics, Australia’s Edwin “Teddy” Flack won a 2^nd gold medal in the 800-meters. Nicknamed “The Lion of Athens”, Flack was Australia’s first Olympic champion. He also entered the Marathon, but was unable to finish the race after becoming “delirious with dehydration”, and lost his two tennis matches in Athens!

https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/627

http://www.casey.vic.gov.au/council/about-casey/history/edwin-flack

Marathon Report: https://www.olympedia.org/results/56017

Wiki Bio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edwin_Flack

1932–Ben Eastman set an American Record of 1:51.3 for 880-yards at Stanford. The mark was not ratified as a World Record.

Hall of Fame Bio(2006): https://www.usatf.org/athlete-bios/ben-eastman

1965—Texas A&M’s Randy Matson set the first of his 4 American Records in the Shot Put, reaching out to 67-11 ¼ (20.70) in a quad-meet held at his College Station, TX home facility. His mark also bettered Dallas Long’s World Record of 67-10 (20.67), but it was never ratified by the IAAF (for unknown reasons).

1988—UCLA senior Gail Devers ran 12.71 in the 100-meter hurdles in Fresno to break Stephanie Hightower’s six-year old American Record of 12.79 (She also set a Collegiate Record). She went on to become one of the greatest sprinters/hurdlers in history, winning 2 Olympic gold medals in the 100-meters and 3 World titles in the 100-meter hurdles (along with 1 in the 100-meters).

This Day in Track & Field–December 1, Ron Delaney wins Melbourne Olympic 1,500 meters (1956), Did you know that he almost did not attend? Read the story! by Walt Murphy

This Day in Track & Field/X-Country–November 28, Lee Calhoun wins 110 meter hurdles (1956), written by Walt Murphy

This Day in Track & Field/X-Country–November 27, Al Oerter wins his first Olympic discus title (1956), written by Walt Murphy

DeAnna Price sets WR in weight throw, photo by Kevin Morris

2021— DeAnna Price, the reigning World Champion in the event, threw the Hammer 257-10 (78.60) in Columbia, Missouri, breaking her previous American Record of 256-8 (78.24) that she set in 2019. She would improve her AR to

263-6 (80.31) at the U.S. Olympic Trials in June.

Video: https://www.instagram.com/p/CNdyCEInQvL/

The U.S. now has 4 of the 8 longest throwers in history.

272-03 (82.98) Anita Włodarczyk Poland 2016

263-06 (80.31) DeAnna Price USA 2021

263-00 (80.17) Brooke Andersen USA 2023

260-07 (79.42) Betty Heidler Germany 2011

257-11 (78.62) Camryn Rogers (Canada) 2023

255-11 (78.00) Janee’ Kassanavoid (US) 2022

255-03 (77.80) Tatyana Beloborodova Russia 2006

255-02 (77.78) Gwendolyn Berry USA 2018

Valarie Allman, USATF Distance Classic
track & field meet
May 26, 2023, Los Angeles, USA, photo by Kevin Morris

2022—Valerie Allman, the 2021 Olympic Champion, added a foot to her American Record in the Discus by throwing 234-5 (71.46) at the Triton Inv. in LaJolla, CA. It was the longest throw in the world in 30 years! Her previous AR of 233-5 (71.16) was set in 2021.

https://olympics.nbcsports.com/2022/04/08/valarie-allman-discus-american-record/

https://trackandfieldnews.com/article/another-american-record-for-valarie-allman/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUBoQexS9xE