A Sport History Everybody Listens Engaged

[DoubleRBar]

Happy birthday today (Tuesday) to three Olympic champions with a combined age today of 286 years.

These three won a total of four Olympic gold medals, one Olympic silver medal, and one Olympic bronze medal.

Our birthday athletes were not born in South America, Asia, or Africa and did not compete in any of the current Olympic hurdles.

One of our birthday individuals turns 82 today and another died at the age of 82.

The oldest of the three was 58 years old when the youngest athlete was born.

None of these three people competed in the same Olympic Games.

Athlete number two (in age) was nine years old when the youngest was born.

You might already know that one of these three athletes turns 73 today and was born on a Tuesday.

Only one of these three people is no longer alive and that person was born 131 years ago today.

Two of these three athletes set world records during their careers.

I imagine you must know at least two of our birthday athletes for this final Tuesday in February.

Please name them.

[LopenUupunut]

Sounds like Herb Elliott, Lee Evans and... Albin Stenroos? Not sure if he has a silver, but I can't think of anybody else, and there were plenty of team races back then.

[DoubleRBar]

Happy birthday (82) today to Herb Elliott and to Lee Evans (73). Very good work, LopenUupunut. Albin Stenroos was born this day some 131 years ago. Stenroos won the 1924 (Paris) marathon in 2:41:22.6. Yes, Stenroos won an Olympic silver medal in Stockholm (1912) in the cross country team race. He also won the 1912 Olympic bronze in the 10,000. Most of you have heard of Elliott and Evans from Australia and the United States. They were pretty good runners in their day. Each ran in only one Olympics.

I'm curious about Stenroos and his winning time from Paris (2:41:22.6). How many of you out there have run a marathon faster than Stenroos ran in Paris? I ran about seven minutes slower than Stenroos, but I'll bet some of you ran faster. Don't be shy.

[Olli]

For some reason, Finnish wikipedia and some other sources indicate Stenroos's birthday as 24th February. And, unfortunately, I am not one of those who have run marathon faster than him. My only try in marathon resulted in 2.56.

[Master403]

Well, if you insist, my first marathon was a few seconds faster than that, and my final one was over 10 minutes faster.

[DoubleRBar]

Very good Olli and Master403. Those are good times for the marathon.

Yes, Stenroos's birth date is sometimes listed as February 24 and sometimes the 25th. I could be off one day, but who knows?