by RBR Admin
Walt Murphy’s News and Results Service ([email protected])
This Day in Track & Field–October 15
1960–The Soviet Union’s Pyotr Bolotnikov ran 28:18.8 in Kiev to smash the previous World Record of 28:30.4, which was set by the great Vladimir Kuts in 1956.
WR Progression: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Men’s_10,000_metres_world_record_progression
www.racingpast.ca/john_contents.php?id=92
1964–The final of the Men’s 100-meters at the 1964 Olympics was preceded by the start of the 20-kilometer walk, with the walkers circling the cinder track three times, mostly in lane one, before leaving the stadium. And “Bullet” Bob Hayes, even though he had won all three of his preliminary races, was assigned to lane one under the random draw system used in those days. Workers did their best to smooth out the lane before the final, but, as Hayes would say after the race, “…it felt a little soft”.
No matter–Hayes was so dominating that quicksand probably wouldn’t have stopped him from winning the gold medal. For the first time in Olympic history, 8 men were in the final (6 was the norm before 1964), and the powerfully built Hayes ran away from all of the other finalists, winning in 10.0 to equal the World Record. Auto-times were available, and his .19s margin of victory over Cuba’s Enrique Figuerola (10.06-10.25) is still one of the largest in Olympic history. Winning the bronze medal was Canada’s Harry Jerome (10.2/10.27).
And Hayes, who died in 2002 due to kidney failure, did it in borrowed shoes! As former St.John’s star Tom Farrell, who would win a bronze medal in the 800 meters four years later in Mexico City, says about his “claim to fame”:
”I was warming up for my semi-final in the 800 (Farrell would finish 5th in the final) when Ed Hurt (Coach from Morgan State and one of the team’s sprint coaches) and Bob Hayes came to me and asked what size shoes I wear. I thought this was an unusual question, as I was nervous as well as excited for my upcoming race. So I told them 8 1/2. Bob said it was the same size he wears. He asked if he could borrow them for his 100M semi-final and final races. I asked him where his spikes were, and he said he had two left and was in a real bind. At the time in the Olympic Village, there were only two shoe companies–Adidas and Puma–and you could get as many pairs of shoes as you wanted– I always carried an extra pair–just in case. So I gave Bob my other pair of Tokyo 64s from Adidas–you may remember they were blue suede shoes and actually reversed Kangaroo skin.”
“I thought this was all a little odd since this was the most important race of Bob Hayes’s career. At stake was a gold medal and the world’s fastest human title. A gold medal would increase his negotiating power with the Dallas Cowboys, and here he was with two left shoes! I was glad I could help out. Had I had only one pair–Bob would have had to run in flats. I would not give him my only pair.”
“I found out sometime later that future boxing great Joe Frazier (who also won a gold medal in Tokyo) played a practical joke by switching Bob’s shoes before he left for the track–some joke!!!”
“A few days later, my father sent me a clipping from the New York Times which read: ‘Farrell’s shoes win gold medal, too bad Farrell wasn’t in them’.”
Hayes, who would run a great anchor leg in the 4×100 relay on the final day of competition, went on to have an All-Pro career with the Dallas Cowboys and is the only athlete to have won an Olympic gold medal and a Super Bowl ring.
While it was an excellent day for Hayes, it was not so great for yours truly. Since camera equipment was relatively inexpensive in Japan at the time, I bought an 8mm movie camera the day before. The salesman kindly loaded the first roll of film for me, and I excitedly started shooting everything that moved on the track. Alas, when I opened the camera to insert a new roll, I discovered to my horror that the film was all in a jumble inside–the salesman hadn’t loaded it properly! So, no lasting images of Hayes’ incredible run. When I brought the camera back to the point of purchase, the salesman was beside himself with remorse, but set me up correctly this time so that I could record the rest of the Games.
Hayes wasn’t the only future Hall of Famer displaying his talents on this day. Al Oerter once again showed his competitive toughness by overcoming injuries to win the 3rd of his eventual four gold medals in the Men’s Discus. Competing at times with a neck brace he used to ease a cervical disk injury, and with a taped rib cage that had doctors advising him to withdraw, Oerter was in so much pain he decided his 5th throw would be his last. Dramatically, he came from behind with an Olympic Record throw of 200-1 ½ (61.00m) to win over Czech Ludvik Daněk (198-7 [60.52]), who had taken away Oerter’s World Record earlier in the season. 3rd was American Dave Weill (195-2 [59.49]).
Said Oerter about competing in pain, “These are the Olympics. You die for them.”
Much has been written about Oerter never being the favorite when he won his gold medals, but he was the consensus pick of T&F News’s expert panel before these Games.
Jay Silvester (193-10 [59.09]), who got bumped from the bronze medal position by Oerter’s winning throw, almost didn’t make it to the final. Walking towards the infield through a tunnel under the stadium, he was knocked unconscious after hitting his head on a concrete beam, but quickly recovered. Years later, Oerter, who was behind Sylvester when he hit his head, said (with a smile), “My first thought as I stepped over Jay was, ‘One less man to worry about’”.
Romania’s Iolanda Balas, the World Record holder in the event, set an Olympic Record of 6-2 ¾ (1.90) while winning her 2nd gold medal in the Women’s High Jump. Winning silver and bronze were Australia’s Michelle Brown (5-10 ¾ [1.80]) and the Soviet Union’s (and Russia’s) Taisiya Chenchik (5-10[1.78]).
George Young ran 8:34.2 in the first round of the Steeplechase to break his own American record of 8:35.0—he would finish 5th in the final two days later.
The medalists in the Men’s 20k-Walk were Great Britain’s Ken Matthews (1:29:34.0/OR), Germany’s Dieter Lindner (1:31:13.2), and the Soviet Union’s (and Ukraine’s) Vladimir Golubnichiy (1:31:59.4). Finishing 6th (he was 19th four years earlier in Rome) was Ron Zinn, who died the following year during a battle in Vietnam—the Capt. Ronald Zinn Memorial awards are now presented each year to the leading racewalkers and officials of the event at the annual USATF convention.
Zinn was posthumously promoted to Captain and is buried in the West Point cemetery (along with numerous military notables, George Custer among them). The USA Olympic shield adorns his tombstone.
Medalists/Results: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athletics_at_the_1964_Summer_Olympics
Olympedia Reports: http://www.olympedia.org/editions/16/sports/ATH
http://www.virtualwall.org/dz/ZinnRL01a.htm
https://www.usatf.org/disciplines/race-walking/race-walking-awards
Oerter(1963 SI Feature): http://www.si.com/vault/1963/06/17/594254/a-big-shy-man-who-likes-to-think
Hayes Links
Hall of Fame Bio: https://www.usatf.org/athlete-bios/bob-hayes
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/H/HayeBo00.htm
Videos
M100: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztRL-QMI1NY
DT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpeUbj4Wpf0
1968–Four years to the day after winning his 3rd Olympic title in Tokyo, Al Oerter cemented his place as a sporting legend by winning his 4th gold medal in the Men’s Discus in Mexico City, becoming the first T&F athlete in Olympic history to win the same event four times (Carl Lewis would later win four golds in the Long Jump). Few gave Oerter a chance this time, since Jay Silvester had set a World Record of 224-5 (68.40) the previous month, a distance that was 17-feet longer than Oerter’s best.
But Oerter was the consummate competitor, especially at the Olympics. He took the lead for good in the 3rd round with a throw of 212-6 ½ (64.78), an Olympic Record and a personal best by more than 5 feet! A disheartened Silvester couldn’t improve on his 2nd-round throw of 202-8 (61.78) and had to settle for 5th place. Winning the silver and bronze medals were East Germany’s Lothar Milde (206-11 [63.08) and Czech Ludvík Daněk (206-5 [62.92]). Daněk, the silver medalist in 1964, would complete his Olympic set of medals by winning gold in Munich in 1972.
My brother Pete, who was attending his first Olympics, picked Oerter to win in the daily T&F News prediction contest. Being the “expert” I thought I was, I scoffed at the idea, but my brother won a transistor radio for making the correct pick, and he often reminded me who the absolute expert in the family was!
Oerter, who passed away in 2007, “retired” in 1969, but returned to the U.S. top-10 rankings in 1977, finished 4th at the 1980 boycott Olympic Trials, threw a personal best of 227-11 (69.46m) that same year when he was 43, and made his final appearance in the U.S. Rankings in 1983 at the age of 46!
RELATED OERTER LINKS:
Overcoming Adversity: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qVnLK2olmo
ESPN: http://espn.go.com/sportscentury/features/00016388.html
BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics2000/bbc_team/890517.stm
https://vault.si.com/vault/1977/04/25/his-past-is-slipping-into-the-future
4 Golds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KK_rWwQfjWo
Photos: http://tinyurl.com/OerterPhotos
NY Times Obituary (by Frank Litsky):
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/01/sports/othersports/01cnd-oerter.html
Wyomia Tyus, who had won in Tokyo in 1964, became the first Olympian (man or woman) to win successive 100-meter titles. Tyus, one of Ed Temple’s Tennessee State Tigerbelles, set a World Record of 11.0 (11.08) to beat American teammate Barbara Ferrell and Poland’s Irena Szewińska, both of whom ran 11.1 (11.15-11.19). The long-striding Szewinska caught 17-year-old Raelene Boyle (11.1/11.20) of Australia right before the finish to win the bronze medal. Boyle would win the silver medal in the 200 later in the week and would win silver in both sprints 4 years later in Munich!
Tyus went through her usual pre-race ritual of doing the “Tighten Up”, a dance made popular by the group Archie Bell and the Drells, which had a hit song of the same name earlier in the year! (Check the Australian link below for Dwight Stones’s comments on Tyus and her dancing.)
USATF Hall of Fame Bio(Tyus): https://www.usatf.org/athlete-bios/wyomia-tyus
Great Britain’s David Hemery, who had won IC4A and NCAA titles in the 400-meter hurdles earlier in the season while competing for Boston University, completed his trifecta by winning the biggest title of all, taking the gold medal in Mexico with a World-Record time of 48.1(48.12). The battle for the remaining medals was fierce, with only .1s separating the next four finishers. East Germany’s Gerhard Hennige (49.0/49.02) won silver and Great Britain’s John Sherwood (49.0/49.03) the bronze. Missing out were American Geoff Vanderstock (49.0/49.07), who was 2nd coming off the final hurdle before slipping back, and the Soviet Union’s (and Ukraine’s) Vyacheslav Skomorokhov (49.1/49.12). A close 6th was the 2nd American, Ron Whitney (49.2/49.27). Vanderstock had set the previous World Record of 48.8 at the U.S. Trials.
Another World Record was tied in the Men’s 800, with Australia’s Ralph Doubell winning the gold medal in 1:44.3 (1:44.40). Kenya’s Wilson Kiprugut (1:44.5/1:44.57), the bronze medalist in 1964, won the silver medal. St. John’s alum Tom Farrell (1:45.4/1:45.46), 5th with 200 meters to go, held off Germany’s Walter Adams (1:45.8) to win the bronze. Kiprugut held the lead throughout the race until being passed by Doubell 50 meters from the finish line.
Medalists/Results
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athletics_at_the_1968_Summer_Olympics
Olympedia Reports: http://www.olympedia.org/editions/17/sports/ATH
Related Link(Hemery–50 Stunning Olympic Moments):
WR Progressions:
W100: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women’s_100_metres_world_record_progression
M800: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/800_metres_world_record_progression
M400h: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Men’s_400_metres_hurdles_world_record_progression
Videos
W100: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2TOQU2T338
From an Australian Perspective: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gn3hMAvOYfQ
M400h: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59L3GeA2_2w
M800(w/Comments by Doubell): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-cOsTZUjlE
Oerter and his four gold medals(at the NYAC)
1975–Brazil’s João de Oliveira, taking advantage of the friendly altitude of Mexico City, jumped 58-8 ½ (17.89m) at the Pan-American Games to smash the World Record of 57-2 ¾ (17.44m), set by Viktor Saneyev in 1972. Runner-up Tommy Haynes set an American record of 56-5 ¼ (17.20).
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzYhDlbsLgM
WR Progression: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triple_jump_world_record_progression
Born On This Day*
Ronnie Baker 32 (1993) 2-time NCAA Indoor Champion—60m (TCU/2015, 2016)
2nd at the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials—5th at the Tokyo Olympics
Didn’t compete outdoors in the 100 in 2022(injured)
Bronze medalist in the 60 at the 2018 World Indoor Championships
2017 U.S. Indoor Champion—60m (2018-2nd); 2nd in the 100 at the 2018 U.S. Championships
5th in the 100 at the 2019 U.S. Championships
PBs: 6.40 (2018/#3 All-Time World/U.S.), 9.83 (2021), 20.55 (2018); 2025 SBs: 6.50, 9.92
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronnie_Baker_(athlete)
https://www.worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/ronnie-baker-14498578
Chris Brown—Bahamas 47 (1978) 2012 Olympic gold medalist—4×400 (silver-’08, bronze-’00,’16)
Ran the lead-off leg on the team that upset the U.S. in London in 2012.
2001 World Champion—4×400 (silver-’05,’07, bronze-’03)
2010 World Indoor Champion—400m (silver-’14, bronze-’06,’08,’12)
Competed in his 5th Olympics in Rio at the age of 37—ran 45.56 in the first round
Competed in 8 World Championships and 8 World Indoor Championships
Made T&F News’ Top-10 World Rankings 10 times from 2003-2015 (high of #3 in 2008)
All-American at Norfolk State—3rd in the 400 at the 2000 NCAA Championships
PB: 44.40 (2008)
Wiki Bio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Brown_(sprinter)
Video(2012 OG): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQIOyVQPd3I
Career Stats: https://www.worldathletics.org/athletes/bahamas/chris-brown-14178050
Biggest Challenge: https://www.worldathletics.org/news/series/chris-brown-bahamas-400m
Ato Boldon Interview: https://spikes.worldathletics.org/post/chris-brown-iaaf-inside-athletics
World Rankings: https://trackandfieldnews.com/rankings/
Meredith (Rainey) Valmon 57 (1968) 1989 NCAA Champion—800m(Harvard/the first female individual NCAA champion in
any sport in Ivy League history)1990 NCAA Indoor Champion
1993 Pan-American Games Champion; PBs: 51.56 (1990), 1:57.04 (1996/#8 All-Time U.S.)
2-time U.S. Olympian (1992-1st round, 1996-semis)
3-time U.S. Champion (1990,1995,1996-O.T.)
Made the T&F News top-10 U.S. Rankings 11 times between 1989-2000 (#1-3x, #2-5x)
An 18-year-old freshman walked into Harvard coach Frank Haggerty’s office in the fall of 1986 and
told him she wanted to join the track team. Rainey had been an age-group star in Brooklyn while
competing for Fred Thompson’s Atoms Track Club, but had concentrated on other activities
during her 4 years at St.Ann’s H.S. in Brooklyn, NY. A skeptical Haggerty allowed her to come
out for the team, and the rest, as they say, is history.
“The night I won the (1989) NCAA Outdoor 800-meter title, Frank and I talked about that first meeting,” Rainey
Valmon remembered. “He said, ‘When you told me your times, I was skeptical, but as soon as I saw you jog, I knew
you would be great.’ I joked, ‘Likely story, Frank.’ I think it took a bit longer for him to see that I could
contribute.”
Led Harvard to its first Heptagonal/Ivy League women’s team title in 1990 by scoring in 6 events—won the
400 (setting the current Meet Record of 51.56) and 800, finished 3rd in the 100, 2nd in the 200, and ran on the
runnerup 4×100 and 4×400 relays!
Married to Andrew Valmon, the head coach at Maryland and a 1992 Olympic gold medalist in the
4×400 relay
Currently the Assistant Athletic Director and Head T&F/X-Country coach at the Potomac School in McLean, VA
http://www.ivy50.com/blackHistory/story.aspx?sid=9/19/2006
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/77942
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meredith_Rainey-Valmon
https://trackandfieldnews.com/rankings/
https://www.potomacschool.org/pawprints/detail/~board/faculty/post/dream
Debbi Lawrence 64 (1961) 8-time U.S. Champion—10k-walk (’84,’86,’90-’93, ’96,’97)
4-time U.S. Indoor Champion—3000m Walk (1992-1994,1997)
3-time U.S. Olympian—10k-walk (’92-26th, ’96-20th), 20lk-walk (’00-44th)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debbi_Lawrence
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/77898
Deceased
Bobby Morrow 84 (1935-May 30, 2020) 3-time Olympic gold medalist at the 1956 Olympics (100, 200, 4×100)
3-time U.S. Champion100y (1955,1958), 100m (1956); 1958 U.S. Champion—220y
4-time NCAA Champion while at Abilene Christian—1956 (100,200), 1957 (100y,220y)
Former World Record holder—100y (9.3), 100m (10.2), 200m (20.6), 4×100 (39.5)
Inducted into the U.S. Hall of Fame in 1975
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/78814
http://www.texasmonthly.com/articles/the-fastest-nice-christian-boy-in-the-world/
Sports Illustrated Vault
Pre-Olympics: www.si.com/vault/1956/07/02/582239/bioperse-bobby-morrow
Olympics: http://www.si.com/vault/1956/12/10/580180/golden-melbourne
Sportsman of 1956: www.si.com/vault/1957/01/07/599159/sportsman-of-1956
Forgotten Man (2000): http://tinyurl.com/SIVaultMorrowForgottenMan
John Paul Jones 79 (1890-January 5, 1970) Set two World Records in the Mile:
4:15.4 (1911), 4:14.4 (1913/1st mark recognized by the IAAF)…both records were set at the IC4A
Championships
Won 8 IC4A titles (Cornell): 880y (1911,1912), mile (1911-1913), X-Country (1911-1913)
1912 U.S . Olympian—800 (1st round), 1500(4th)
1911 Penn Relays Champion–4xmile (anchor)
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/78625
https://bringbackthemile.com/athletes/detail/john_paul_jones
https://cornellbigred.com/honors/hall-of-fame/john-paul-jones/309
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Paul_Jones_(athlete)
Boughera El Ouafi—France 61 (1898-Oct.18, 1959) 1928 Olympic gold medalist—Marathon (7th-1924)
PB:2:32:57 (1928)
The native of Algeria was killed by members of the National Liberation Front, three days after his 61st
birthday, after he had refused to support them.
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/68219
Al Dawson 80 (1921-Dec.. 8, 2001) Successful coach on the high school (Manhasset, LI) and college (C.W. Post) levels
Coached NFL Hall-of-Fame Jim Brown in high school and current Virginia coach Vin Lananna in college (Lananna
Succeeded Dawson as the coach at C.W. Post.
Still coaching at the age of 80, he suffered a fatal injury when he was struck in the head by an errant shot during a
practice session.
From the NY Times: ”Coach was 80 — going on 50,” said Lananna. ”He wasn’t one of those teeter-totter little old
men,” Lananna added, suggesting that it was not his mentor’s hearing or reflexes or fitness that had failed.
Presumably, something went wrong in the standard safety procedure, a dreadful event for all concerned.
