This Day in Track & Field–July 18
(Chi Cheng, ’73 US-Italy, ’88-O.T./Lewis-Myricks, Godina, Edwards, ’04 O.T./Born On This Day-Noah Lyles, Dan O’Brien, Janis Klecker, Hemery/R.I.P.-Shirley Strickland, Mack Robinson)
1937—Ilmari Salminen ran 30:05.6 for 10,000 meters in Kouvola to break the 13-year World Record of 30:06.2, which was set by fellow Finn Paavo Nurmi in 1924. Ironically, Salminen was being coached by Nurmi at the time (according to one report). Salminen had led a Finnish medal sweep in the 10,000 at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin.
Olympic Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5D_CHIZuckE
WR Progression: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/10,000_metres_world_record_progression
1944–Sweden’s Arne Andersson ran 4:01.6 in Malmö to break his own World Record in the Mile by a full second.
WR Progression: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mile_run_world_record_progression
Racing Past: http://www.racingpast.ca/john_contents.php?id=126
Steve Cram Remembers Andersson:
1953—Bud Held raised his American Record in the Javelin to 250-8 (76.4) in Pasadena, CA. Held won three NCAA and six U.S. titles.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bud_Held
1959—Parry O’Brien regained the American Record in the Shot Put from Dallas Long, winning with a toss of 63-2 ½ (19.265) on the first day of the USA-Soviet Union dual meet at Franklin Field in Philadelphia.
1970–Chi Cheng, a native of Taiwan, ran 11.2 in Vienna to equal Wyomia Tyus’ World Record in the 100-meters. It was the 6th World Record of the season for Cheng, who had earlier set new standards in the 100y (10.0/10.10 auto), 200m (22.4), 220y (22.7,22.6), and 100m-hurdles (12.8). Cheng, the bronze medalist in the 80-meter hurdles at the 1968 Olympics, was coached by her American husband, Vince Reel, who also gained recognition for his pioneering publication, Women’s T&F World. Cheng went on to win the 100y and Long Jump at the 1971 AIAW Championships while competing for Cal-Poly Pomona. She also won U.S. titles in the 100m-hurdles (1969) and 100y and 220y dashes (both 1970).
WR Progressions:
(100) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women’s_100_metres_world_record_progression
(200) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women’s_200_metres_world_record_progression
(100h) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women%27s_100_metres_hurdles_world_record_progression
1972–The Soviet Union’s Lyudmila Bragina ran 4:06.9 in Moscow to set a new World Record in the Women’s 1500-meter
WR Progression: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1500_metres_world_record_progression
1973—The next stop for the American team in Europe was the USA-Italy match in Turin (July 17-19). Among the highlights—Italy’s Pietro Mennea won the 100 after Herb Washington leaned at the wrong line while in the lead. Steve Williams beat Mennea in the 200 (20.4-20.5). Rick Wohlhuter beat new World Record holder Marcello Fiasconaro (1:43.7/6-27) in the 800 (1:45.3-1:45.8), while Maurice Peoples beat Fiasconaro in the 400 the day before (45.7-45.8). Dave Wottle won the 1500 in 3:36.8, Barry Brown beat Franco Fava in the Steeplechase (8:31.8-8:32.2), and Dwight Stones won the High Jump (7-4 ½ [2.25]).
After traveling by train from Germany to Turin (with help from friendly locals), I settled into a youth hostel and went out to get a bite to eat. Stopping in a local restaurant, and knowing very little Italian, I just pointed to an item on the menu, hoping for the best. Turns out it was just an appetizer! Too embarrassed to try to order something more substantial, I strolled around the neighborhood and came upon—miracle of all miracles—an English pub! Had a great cheeseburger, some cold beers, and, best of all, ran into some members of the U.S. team! I was a happy camper for the rest of my stay in Turin.
1974—Rick Wohlhuter won the 800 in Stockholm in 1:43.9 to match the American Record he set the previous month (the mark was later ratified at 1:43.91). Once again, Wohlhuter came agonizingly close to the World Record of 1:43.7.
In one of the greatest 2-mile races ever, New Zealand’s Rod Dixon (8:14.4) beat a star-studded field that included Belgium’s Emiel Puttemans (8:16.6), Steve Prefontaine, who set an American record of 8:18.4, Holland’s Jos Hermens (8:22.2), Dick Buerkle (8:24.2), Marty Liquori (8:25.4), and Suleiman Nyambui (8:29.6).
A 3rd American Record was set by Martha Watson, who long-jumped 21-7 ½ (6.59) to add a ¼” to her previous mark of
21-7 ¼ (6.58).
Prefontaine(HOF Bio unavailable at this time): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Prefontaine
Hall of Fame Bios
Watson(1987): https://www.usatf.org/athlete-bios/martha-watson
Wohlhuter(1990): https://www.usatf.org/athlete-bios/rick-wohlhuter
1983—A lineup of Neal Jessie, Allen Franklin, Stanley Blalock, and Dennis Mitchell set a World Junior Record of 39.00 in the 4×100 relay at the TAC Sprint Development meet in Colorado Springs, CO. The previous record of 39.32 was set by a team from East Germany in 1979.
1988—Carl Lewis showed once again why he’s considered one of the greatest competitors the sport has ever seen. After Larry Myricks took the lead in the Long Jump at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Indianapolis (July 15-23) with a personal best leap of 28-8 ¼ (8.74) in the 3rd round, Lewis, with his 54-meet winning streak on the line, responded with a jump of 28-9 (8.76), which turned out to be the winning mark. Myricks is still =#5 on the All-Time performers’ list with his mark of 28-8 ¼ (8.74). Finishing 3rd was Mike Powell (27-5 1/4w [8.36]). Lewis, Powell, and Myricks would sweep the medals at the Seoul Olympics.
Also making the team:
Men’s 800,1.Johnny Gray (1:43.96), 2.Mark Everett (1:44.46), 3.Tracy Baskin (1:44.91)…4.George Kersh (1:45.35)
Men’s 10,000,1.Bruce Bickford (29:07.35), 2.Steve Plasencia (29:08.58), 3.Pat Porter (29:09.92)…4.Mark
Nenow (29:11.74)
Men’s Hammer,1.Ken Flax (253-6 [77.28]), 2.Lance Deal (248-2 [75.64]), 3.Jud Logan (248-0 [75.10])
Women’s 400,1.Diane Dixon (50.38), 2.Denean Howard (50.40), 3.Valerie Brisco (50.53)
Women’s 800,1.Kim Gallagher (1:58.01), 2.Delisa Walton-Floyd (1:59.20), 3.Joetta Clark (1:59.93)…dove at the
finish to hold off Debbie Grant-Marshall (1:59.97)…Gallagher, the silver medalist at the 1984 Olympics, would add a
bronze in Seoul
Women’s Javelin,1.Donna Mayhew (208-10 [63.66]), 2.Karin Smith (185-3 [56.46]/4th team), 3.Lynda Sutfin (184-0
[56.08])
Steve Lewis won his semi-final of the 400-Meters in 44.11 to set a World Junior Record.
Results/Notes: https://trackandfieldnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/1988.pdf
https://www.nytimes.com/1988/07/19/sports/olympic-trials-lewis-wins-but-by-a-fraction.html
http://www.alltime-athletics.com/mlongok.htm
Metric Conversion: https://www.usatf.org/statistics/calculators/markConversions/index.html
1991–Future great John Godina won the Shot Put (58-3 [17.75]) and Discus (7-19, 177-1 [53.98]) at the Pan-American Junior Championships. Godina, who was inducted into the National Hall of Fame in 2013, won a total of nine major medals in the Shot Put during his career, including gold at three World Outdoor Championships (’95,’97,’01) and the 2001 World Indoor Championships. Godina was the founder of the World Throws Center, which is now known as Altis.
Hall of Fame Bio: https://www.usatf.org/athlete-bios/john-godina
1995–Great Britain’s Jonathan Edwards had already exceeded Willie Banks’s 10-year World Record in the Triple Jump
(17.97 [58-11 1/2]) three times earlier in the season, but each jump was aided by excessive wind. Taking advantage of the jumper-friendly altitude of Salamanca, Spain, and a just-legal tailwind of 1.98mps, Edwards jumped 59 feet even (17.98) to break Banks’s mark by a mere 1/2-inch. Three weeks later, Edwards bettered his WR twice at the World Championships in Gothenburg, Sweden, first leaping 59-7 (18.16) and then a historic 60-1/4 (18.29).
Edwards’ Wind-aided jumps
June 25: 60-5 ¾ (18.43) and 60-4 (18.39)
July 2: 59-2 (18.03)
WR Progression: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triple_jump_world_record_progression
Wiki Bio: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Edwards_(athlete)
