by RBR Admin
Walt Murphy’s News and Results Service ([email protected])
This Day in Track & Field–October 2
1988—Italy’s Gelindo Bordin won the Men’s Marathon at the Seoul Olympics in 2:10:32. 2nd was Kenya’s Douglas Wakiihuri (2:10:47), the 1987 World Champion, and 3rd was Djibouti’s Ahmed Salah (2:10:59), who won the silver medal at the 1987 Worlds.
Other significant finishers included Australia’s Steve Moneghetti (5th/2:11:49), Great Britain’s Charlie Spedding (6th/2:12:19), Tanzania’s Juma Ikangaa (7th/2:13:06), Australia’s Rob de Castella (8th/2:13:07), American Pete Pfitzinger (14th/2:14:44), Italy’s Orlando Pizzolato (16th/2:15:20), and American Ed Eyestone (29th/2:18:08).
37-year old Philadelphia native Gary Fanelli, a 2:14 marathoner in his prime, applied for a job as the track coach for American Samoa after learning that part of the deal would enable him to represent the country in Seoul. The fun-loving Fanelli, who was known for wearing costumes (Blues Brother, Chef Boyardee) while running marathons in the U.S., got the job and wound up finishing 51st (2:25:35)!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athletics_at_the_1988_Summer_Olympics_–_Men%27s_marathon
Fanelli:
Sports Illustrated Vault (Fanelli)
1989—The Athletics Congress (TAC-the forerunner of USATF) announced that they were beginning a “year-round, out-of-competition drug testing program aimed at curbing substance abuse in the sport in the United States. Under the new plan the top 15 U.S. athletes in each event are subject to random selection for testing within 48 hours of notification.”
2019—American Grant Holloway (13.10) won the Men’s 110-Meter Hurdles at the World Championships in Doha, Qatar. Finishing 2nd and 3rd were Russia’s Sergey Shubenkov (13.15), the 2013 World Champion, and France’s Pascal Martinot-Lagarde (13.18). Jamaica’s Omar McLeod once again had problems late in a race and was disqualified for impeding Spain’s Orlando Ortega (13.30) coming off the last hurdle. Ortega, who was a clear 3rd at the time of the incident, was awarded a bronze medal by officials. American Devon Allen finished 7th (13.70).
An emotional Holloway stopped halfway through his victory lap to sprawl on the track and broke down in tears.
The former Florida Gator confounded the doubters who didn’t think a U.S. collegian who had been competing since January could maintain his form through early October. He had won NCAA indoor titles in the 60 and 60-hurdles in March, won the NCAA Outdoor title in June with a Collegiate Record of 12.98. and finished 2nd at the U.S. Championships in July. A 6th-place finish in Paris in August added fuel to the argument that he wouldn’t be much of a factor in Doha, but Florida coach Mike Holloway obviously knew how to get his star pupil ready for the big stage.
“I am speechless,” said Holloway. “It’s my first major championships and a lot of people were counting me out because I’ve been off my game in the last month or so. But when you have motivation you never lose. I kept believing in myself, I kept focused and I stayed healthy.” He would go on to win two more World titles in 2022 & 2023 and the gold medal at the 2024 Olympics.
Kentucky’s Daniel Roberts, who had beaten Holloway at the SEC Championships in May and the U.S. Nationals in July, never got to show what he might have done in the final after he was disqualified in the 1st round for knocking over the hurdle of a fellow competitor in an adjoining lane!
Great Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith (21.88/National Record), who was 2nd in the 100, won the Women’s 200-Meters over American Brittany Brown (22.22) and Switzerland’s Mujinga Kambundji (22.51). Absent from the event was the Netherlands’ Dafne Schuppers, the 2-time defending champion, whose Worlds ended early when an injury forced her to withdraw from the final of the 100-meters.
Poland’s Paweł Fajdek (264-1 [80.50]) won his 4th consecutive World title in the Men’s Hammer Throw. All 4 of his fair throws were good enough to win the gold medal. Winning silver and bronze were France’s Quentin Bigot (256-6 [78.19]) and Hungary’s Bence Halász (256-6[78.18]).
Medalists/Results: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_World_Athletics_Championships
Videos: MHT Highlights W200 Highlight M110h Highlight
Recap Day Six: https://worldathletics.org/news/report/world-championships-doha-2019-holloway-asher
T&F News’ Coverage(for subscribers) MHT W200 M110h
Born On This Day*
Norah Jeruto—Kazakhstan 30 (1995) 2022 World Champion—Steeplechase…2025-6th (fell at final water jump)
9th at the 2024 Olympics
2021 Diamond League Champion
2011 World Youth Champion
Missed a chance to defend her World title in 2023 while she was provisionally suspended for a possible doping
violation related to blood samples tested in 2020 and 2021. She successfully challenged the suspension (see
links).
Native of Kenya started representing Kazakhstan in 2022
PBs: 14:51.73 (2019), 8:53.02 (2022/#6 All-Time)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norah_Jeruto
https://worldathletics.org/athletes/kazakhstan/norah-jeruto-14479154
https://www.espn.com/olympics/story/_/id/40430230/norah-jeruto-course-paris-games-legal-win-case
https://www.globalsportsadvocates.com/blog/cas-rules-in-favor-of-world-champion-norah-jeruto.cfm
https://apnews.com/article/norah-jeruto-doping-6dc9c5133d9c09cff586df63339ff908
Mark Crear 57 (1968) 2-time Olympic medalist—110m-hurdles (1996-silver, 2000-bronze); PB: 12.98 (’99)
Ran with a broken arm at the 1996 Olympics
2-time U.S. Champion–1994, 1999; 1992 NCAA Champion (USC/3rd-1990)
Ordained minister, public speaker.
Wiki Bio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Crear
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/78276
Autobiography: https://www.amazon.com/Why-Silver-Gold-Mark-Crear-ebook/dp/B008VGKS6G
Frank Fredericks—Namibia 58 (1967) 1993 World Champion—200m; 1999 World Indoor Champion
4-time Olympic silver medalist—100, 200 (1992,1996/4th in the 200 in ‘04)
3-time silver medalist at the World Championships (’91,’95,’97)
1991 NCAA Champion—100 and 200m (BYU/100:’89-6th, 1990-3rd; 200:’89-3rd, ‘90-2nd)
1991 NCAA Indoor Champion—200m (’89-2nd, ’90-3rd)
PBs: 9.86, 19.68; Set the current World Indoor Record of 19.92 for 200-meters in 1996
After working for a year with a mining company in Namibia, he was given a chance to attend college to study
computer science at the company’s expense. Since he wanted to continue his running career he decided to go to
the U.S. and wound up at Brigham Young. Had thought his “big-time” career in track would end when he left BYU,
but his life changed forever when Namibia was granted independence from South Africa in March, 1990.
That cleared the way for him to compete at the 1991 Worlds (5th-100, 2nd-200). The IOC then recognized
Namibia’s Olympic committee, enabling Fredericks to run at the 1992 Olympics.
Wiki Bio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frankie_Fredericks
Ato Boldon interviews his old friend and rival (2016): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYLJGOnzrQE
Provisionally suspended by the IAAF in 2017 “pending investigation of a potential breach of the IAAF Code of
Ethics”. (Still no resolution as of 9-30-25)
Update(October,2020/ “All I want is for my name to be cleared):
https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1099406/frankie-fredericks-makes-bach-claim
https://worldathletics.org/news/iaaf-news/aiu-statement-frank-fredericks
http://olympics.nbcsports.com/2017/07/17/frank-fredericks-suspended-iaaf/
AIU Statement: www.athleticsintegrity.org/downloads/pdfs/know-us/en/AIU-Press-Release-Frank-Fredericks.pdf
https://www.bbc.com/sport/athletics/41907076
http://www.espn.com/olympics/story/_/id/18842482/frank-fredericks-leaves-2024-olympic-bid-role
Sheila Echols 61 (1964) 1988 Olympic gold medalist—4×100; 2-time Olympian—Long Jump (’88-qual;’92-7th)
Silver medalist in the 4×100 at the 1993 World Championships
1988 U.S. Champion—Long Jump
1987 NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Champion—Long Jump (LSU)….Set the current NCAA Outdoor Meet Record of
22-9 ¼ (6.94)…also finished 3rd in the 100 and 2nd in the 4×100 (2nd leg) to lead LSU to the first of its 11
straight NCAA team titles.
1985 NCAA Champion—4×100 (lead-off leg)
PBs: 10.83 (1988), 22-9 ¼ (6.94/1987)
Wiki Bio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheila_Echols
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/77817
https://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/sheila-echols-14309495
https://www.ustfccca.org/ncaa-100/sheila-echols-lsu-ncaa-outdoor-championships-meet-record-long-jump
Shigenobu Murofushi—Japan 80 (1945) 2-time Olympic finalist—Hammer Throw (1972-8th, 1976-11th/1984-Qual. Round)
Held the Japanese Record of 249-2 (75.96) until his son Koji, the gold medalist at the 2004 Olympics and 2011
World Championships, broke it in 1998. Daughter Yuka set the Japanese Record of 222-4 (67.77) in the
Women’s Hammer in 2004.
Flag bearer at the 1984 Olympics
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/72540
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shigenobu_Murofushi
Jack Shepard 91 (1934) Widely regarded as the foremost high school boys track & field authority for more than 50 years.
High School Boys Editor for Track & Field News since February 1978 (High School Editor since January 1969) after
formerly serving as Frosh/JC Editor since 1967. First listed as a Senior Contributor to T&FN in December
1965 after first contributing as a correspondent in 1964.
A sprinter in High School, he has produced the High School Track statistical annual since 1980 after T&F News
discontinued production in 1979.
Inducted into the Hall of Fame for the Golden West Invitational and International Prep Invitational (1988) and
received the Pathmark Service Award in 1993.
Recipient of the Don H. Potts Award FAST Award for exceptional statistical work in 1995 (the third-ever recipient
after Don H. Potts and Scott Davis).
Named Penn Relays Honorary High School Boys’ Referee in 1998.
Received the National Scholastic Athletics Foundation (NSAF) Doug Speck Award in 2015 for excellence and
innovation.
Inducted into the NSAF National High School Track & Field Hall of Fame in 2019 as a contributor.
Has published historical boys high school lists with Bob Jarvis for the years 1935-41, each featuring an Athlete of
the Year and all-time lists.
Was first exposed to the sport as a youngster when he would go to meets with his father, who was a long-time
official in Southern California.
Former Texaco employee…graduate of Occidental
https://nationalhighschooltrackandfieldhof.org/jack-shepard/
Intro: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Nidc_vaW5M
https://www.runnerspace.com/eprofile.php?event_id=14189&do=news&news_id=564904
