This Day in Track & Field, January 3, 2025, Born on This Day, Wade Bell (1946), by Walt Murphy

This Day in Track & Field-January 3

1911–From the NY Times Archives: Edinburgh, Scotland–Hans Holmer won the professional Marathon race, 26 miles 385 yards, on Powder Hall ground today in the record time of 2 hours 32 minutes 21 seconds, defeating twenty-six runners of Continental and British fame.

      Holmer left his family in NY when he was 9 years old, promising to return when he “made a name for himself”. He eventually wound up in Canada, where he developed into what the NY Times called, “The premier long-distance  man of the world”. He kept his promise when he visited his family, who thought he was dead, in 1909(see link)

NY Times

http://tinyurl.com/HansHolmerReturns

1951 – Fred Wilt wins the AAU Sullivan Award, presented to the Outstanding Amateur Athlete in the U.S.

            https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_E._Sullivan_Award

http://www.aausullivan.org/

Hall of Fame Bio: https://www.usatf.org/athlete-bios/fred-wilt

Significant Birthdays

Born On This Day*

Bryan Clay  45 (1980)  2008 Olympic gold medalist—Decathlon (2004-silver); 2005 World Champion;

         2-time World Indoor Champion—Heptathlon (2008,2010/silver 2004 and 2006)

         4-time NAIA Champion while at Azusa Pacific-Decathlon (2000), Indoor Pentathlon (2000-2002)

         Inducted into the National Hall of Fame in 2017, his first year of eligibility

         PBs: 6371i (#4 All-Time U.S.); 8832 (2008/#10 All-Time World/#4 A-T U.S.)

         https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bryan_Clay

         http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/02/sports/olympics/02clay.html

         http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/beijing/track/2008-08-22-5000-meters_N.htm

         HOF Bio: https://www.usatf.org/athlete-bios/bryan-clay

         https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/105765

         https://www.worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/bryan-clay-14234870

Mary Wineberg  45 (1980)  2008 Olympic gold medalist—4×400; 2007 World Champion-4×400

         2-time medalist-World Indoor Championship—4×400 (2006-silver, 2003-bronze)

         8^th in the 400 at the 2007 World Championships; PB-50.24 (2007)

         Husband Chris is the Associate Head Coach at Cincinnati.

         Born in Brooklyn,NY—family moved to Cincinnati when she was 4

         http://marywineberg.com/

         https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/114816

         Teacher

         Author: http://www.marywineberg.com/shop

         https://www.olympic.org/news/how-olympic-gold-medallist-mary-wineberg-is-inspiring-children-around-the-world

Lisa Misipeka-American Samoa 50 (1975) Bronze medalist in the Hammer at the 1999 World Championships(Qual.Round-

         2001,2003)

         1998 NCAA Indoor (Weight Throw) and Outdoor (Hammer) Champion (South Carolina/2^nd in both events in 1997)

                 Also an All-American in the Shot Put (1996-7th, 1997-8th)

         3-time Olympian: 1996 (Shot Put-Qual.Round), 2000&2004 (Hammer-Qual.Round);

         PBs: SP/54-8  ¼ (16.67/1995), WT/73-6 (22.40/1999), hT/227-2 (69.24/2003); 5’-6”, 243 (1.68, 110kg)

         Despite being advised to pass up the honor after suffering a knee injury a week earlier, she was the flag-bearer for

           American Samoa at the 2004 Olympics in Athens. She then aggravated the injury in the qualifying round of the

           Hammer Throw, bringing her competitive career to an end.

         Became a coach (Northern Arizona, fresno State, UConn/present position unknown)

         “After I blew my knee out, I knew it was time to get into educating and coaching others. I’ve told myself not to

         cherish anything because once you cherish something, you’re not willing to let it go. Instead, be purposeful every day

         in every pursuit. When that time is over, it’s over. Then you take your purpose, your drive and your passion, and you

         apply it to something else. Those memories, I’ll always have. I’m just creating new ones now, differently.”

         https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lisa_Misipeka

         https://www.ussportscamps.com/coaches/lisa-misipeka

       2017 Article:

https://gamecocksonline.com/news/2017/3/29/Catching_Up_with_Former_All_American_and_Olympian_Lisa_Misipeka.aspx?path=track

         For Subscribers: https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sdut-a-temecula-olympian-2004aug18-story.html

         https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/64475

Alessandro Andrei—Italy 66 (1959)  1984 Olympic gold medalist—Shot Put (1988-7^th, 1992-11^th)

         Bronze medalist at the 1987 World Championships (1983-5^th)

         Improved the World Record 3 times in Viareggio, Italy, on August 12, 1987

                 74-6  ½ (22.72), 74-11  ¼ (22.84), 75-2 (22.91/still #6 All-Time World)

         Used the “glide” technique

         https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/71836

         WR Progression: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Men%27s_shot_put_world_record_progression

         https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alessandro_Andrei

         Videos

       WR Analyzed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCWsBMUQ_c8

         1984 OG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xwe0nAw7wP0

Deceased

Wade Bell  78 (1946-July 4, 2024)  1967 NCAA Champion—880y (Oregon/1965-5^th);

         2-time U.S. Champion—1967-880y,1968-800m

         1967 Pan-American Games Champion—800m

         1968 U.S. Olympian (1^st round); PBs:1:45.0 (1967), 3:59.8 (1968)

         Former Oregon Duck had been an official (clerk of the course) at Hayward Field meets since 1970…in fact, he

             worked the first couple of days at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials shortly before he passed away on July 4.

         https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wade_Bell

         https://www.oregonlive.com/ducks/2024/07/wade-bell-oregon-ducks-track-and-field-great-dies-at-79.html

         https://www.registerguard.com/obituaries/pore0875482

         https://goducks.com/honors/hall-of-fame/wade-bell/34

         https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/78096