Walt Murphy is one of the finest track statisticians 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.
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By Walt Murphy’s News and Results Service ([email protected]), used with permission.
Walt Murphy’s News and Results Service ([email protected])
This Day in Track & Field-June 8
1912–Hall-of-Famer Abel Kiviat set the first recognized World Record (by the IAAF) in the Men’s 1500, running 3:52.8 in front of 20,000 fans at the U.S. Eastern Olympic Trials at Harvard. Same for Dartmouth’s Marc Wright, who cleared 13-2 ¼ (4.02m) in the Pole Vault. Later in the year, Kiviat and Wright went on to win silver medals in their respective events at the Olympics in Stockholm.
While Kiviat’s mark was the first official record for the distance, he had previously lowered the 1500 best twice during the previous two weeks. On May 26, he ran 3:59.2 to better Great Britain’s Harold Wilson’s mark of 3:59.8, and on June 2, he ran 3:56.8.
Willie Kramer, a 3-time U.S. X-Country Champion (1909, 1911, 1912) set American Records for 6-miles (30:43.4) and 10,000-meters (31:43.6).
Kiviat’s HOF Bio: https://www.usatf.org/athlete-bios/abel-kiviat
From the IAAF’s Progression of World Records(order info). http://www.iaaf.org/about-iaaf/publications
WR Progressions:
10,000: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1500_metres_world_record_progression
Pole Vault: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Men%27s_pole_vault_world_record_progression
Jeff Benjamin on Kiviat: www.silive.com/northshore/index.ssf/2012/05/kiviats_magic_revisited_on_100.html
1929—Ohio State junior George Simpson became the first man to run 9.4 for 100 yards at the NCAA Championships at Stagg Field in Chicago. The mark was accepted as a Collegiate Record but not as an American or World Record since the starting blocks used hadn’t yet been accepted as legal equipment. The AAU eventually ratified the time in 1944 (from the Progression of IAAF World Records). Simpson also won the 220y (straight-20.8/MR) to help Ohio State win the team title.
He finished 2nd in the 100y at the 1928 and 1930 NCAA Championships and was 2nd and 1st, respectively, in the 220y in 1928 and 1930.
Simpson won the silver medal in the 200 meter at the 1932 Olympics after finishing 4th in the 100
Results: https://trackandfieldnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/1929.pdf
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/79045
1936—18-year old Helen Stephens, a senior at Fulton(MO) H.S., ran 11.6 for 100-Meters in Kansas City(MO) to break her 2-year old American Record of 11.9. The multi-talented Stephens, who excelled in many sports, went on to win gold medals at the Berlin Olympics in the 100-Meters and the 4×100 Relay.
Historic Missourians: https://historicmissourians.shsmo.org/stephens-helen/
1946—Bob Fitch, using the “Minnesota Whip,” a throwing technique he developed, set a World Record of 180-2 ¾ (54.93) in the Discus at the Minnesota AAU Championships in Minneapolis. His training partner, Fortune Gordien, finished second, throwing 161-4 (49.17).
Fitch won the 1942 NCAA title while a senior at Minnesota and was a 2-time U.S. Champion (1942,1946).
Gordien, another Minnesota grad, went on to have a Hall-of-Fame career, winning three NCAA (1946-1948) and 6 U.S. (1947-1950,1953-1954) titles, setting four World Records, and winning two Olympic medals (bronze-1948, silver-1956).
Wiki Bio: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Fitch
Minnesota Hall of Fame:
Fitch: https://gophersports.com/sports/2018/5/21/sports-m-club-spec-rel-hof-fitch-html
Gordien: https://gophersports.com/news/2007/9/6/Fortune_Gordien
WR Progression: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Men%27s_discus_throw_world_record_progression
