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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-January 6
1925–Just 6 months after winning 4 gold medals at the 1924 Olympics in Paris (1500, 5000, two in x-country), the great Paavo Nurmi made his American debut at the Finnish-American A.C. indoor meet at New York’s Madison Square Garden. The NY Times reported that 9,000 lucky fans crowded into the 8,000-seat capacity arena, with thousands more left frustrated out on the street.
With the crowd in a frenzy, “The Flying Finn” didn’t disappoint, overtaking Joie Ray in the final two laps to win the mile in 4:13.6, breaking Ray’s 6-year old world record of 4:14.6. Ray, perhaps a bit past his prime, gave the crowd a thrill by opening a 5-yard lead on Nurmi late in the race, but he was no match for the Finn’s withering finish. Ray was also under his old record, running 4:14.0 in 2nd place. Nurmi got credit for a 2nd world record for his 3:56.0 en-route time for 1500-meters.
The fans would have felt they had gotten their money’s worth just to see Nurmi in the mile, but the legend came back 90-minutes later to win the 5,000-meters in 14:44.6 to take down another of Ray’s world records (14:54.6). Nurmi ran away from another Finn, U.S.-trained Ville “Willie” Ritola, the 1924 Olympic Champion at 10,000-meters. Nurmi missed his bid for a 4th world record when his en-route 3-mile time of 14:18.2 fell short of Ritola’s mark of 14:15.8.
Nurmi trained every day during his long voyage from Finland to the U.S. by running on the deck of the SS Celtic. He would go on to win 51 of 55 races in a year-long tour of the U.S.
Nurmi wasn’t the only record breaker at this memorable meet. Loren Murchison established a World Record of 6.0 to win the 50-meters, then got two more records in one race, clocking 22.4 for 220-yards en-route to winning the rarely-run 250-meters (about 1-3/4 laps on the Garden’s 11-lap track) in 29-flat. A 7th world record was set by Penn State’s Alan Helffrich, who established a new mark of 1:05.8 for 500-meters. (From the NY Times archives)
(For Subscribers): https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1925/01/07/98812492.html?pageNumber=29
1979–Records galore at the Ali Inv. in Long Beach,CA. In the Men’s 1500, New Zealand’s John Walker won with a World Record of 3:37.4, while runnerup Paul Cummings set an American Record of 3:37.6, and Villanova’s Sydney Maree finished 3rd with a Collegiate Record of 3:38.2. Herman Frazier ran 1:01.2 to break his year-old World (and meet) Record in the 500-meters by .1s. Villanova finished 2nd to the Philadelphia Pioneer Club (3:08.6) in the 4×400, but got credit for an American Record of 3:08.8 (Keith Brown 47.8, Tim Dale 47.2, Derek Harbour 47.2, Anthony Tufariello 46.6).
Significant Birthdays
Born on This Day*
Christine Wachtel-East Germany 60 (1965) 3-time World Indoor Champion—800m (1987,1989,1991)
Silver medalist at the 1987 World Championships and 1988 Olympics
6th at the 1991 World Championships
Set two World Indoor Records in 1988—1:57.64, 1:56.40 (now #4 All-Time)
Other PBs: 1:55.32 (1987), 2:30.67(WR at the time, now #4 All-Time)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christine_Wachtel
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/70124
Mike Boit-Kenya 76 (1949) 1972 Olympic bronze medalist—800m (1500-4th)
12th in the 1500 at the 1983 World Championships
Missed the 1976 and 1980 Olympics due to African boycotts
2nd to Cuba’s Alberto Juantorena in a highly anticipated race at the inaugural World Cup in 1977
Won 7 NAIA titles while at Eastern New Mexico
(880y-1973; mile-1974; 3-mile-1974; 1,500/1975-76; 800/1975-76)
PBs: 1:43.57 (1976), 2:15.30 (1977), 3:49.45 (1981), 4:59.43 (1985)
World Rankings: 1972 (3), 1973 (4), 1974 (2), 1975 (1), 1976 (3), 1977 (2), 1978 (5), 1981 (3)
Professor at Kenyatta University
Co-Founder of KENSap (Kenya Scholar-Athlete Project) https://www.kensap.org/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Boit
Professor: http://www.ku.ac.ke/schools/human_sciences/index.php/component/content/article?id=149&Itemid=707 ,
http://www.universitystory.gla.ac.uk/biography/?id=WH25779&type=P
A Look back (1977 WC):
https://vault.si.com/vault/2002/12/23/runners-mike-boit-and-alberto-juantorena-september-12-1977
Rankings: https://trackandfieldnews.com/index.php/rankings
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/72744
Deceased
Ludvik Daněk -Czech Republic 61 (1937-Nov.15,1998) 1972 Olympic gold medalist—Discus (silver ’64, bronze ’68;
Former World Record holder: 211-9 (64.55/1964), 213-11 (65.22/1965)
Ranked #1 in the world 4 times during his career (#2 three times)
https://trackandfieldnews.com/index.php/rankings
https://www.worldathletics.org/news/news/ludvik-danek-1937-1998
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/76597
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludv%C3%ADk_Daněk
Roy Cochran 62 (1919-Sep.26, 1981) 1948 Olympic gold medalist—400m hurdles, 4×400
The 1939 U.S. Champion would have been one of the favorites at the 1940 Olympics, which were cancelled due to Wold War II.
Served in the U.S. during war.
Won his 2nd U.S. title 9 years later in 1948
All-American at Indiana: NCAA-220y Hurdles (1939-3rd, 1941-2nd)
Inducted into the National Hall of Fame in 2010
Coached by Billy Hayes while at Indiana, later by his older brother Com, who won Olympic gold in the 4×400 in 1924.
HOF Bio: https://www.usatf.org/athlete-bios/roy-cochran
http://www.olympedia.org/athletes/78238
https://msfame.com/ricks-writings/roy-cochran-a-mississippi-olympic-story/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Cochran
Ibolya Csák-Hungary 91 (1915-Feb.10, 2006) 1936 Olympic gold medalist—High Jump
From Olympedia: Won the Olympic gold, although she would have placed second by modern-day rules. Together with
Great Britain’s Dorothy Odam and Germany’s Elfriede Kaun, Csák had cleared 5-2[1.60] (in two tries, compared
to one for Odam) and failed at 5-3 ½[1.62]. In the tie-breaker for the medals, Csák was the only to clear 1.62,
taking home the gold.
Won the gold medal at the 1938 European championships after the original winner, Germany’s Dora Ratjen, turned
out to be a man!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ibolya_Csák
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/71035
