Third String

[DoubleRBar]

Happy birthday today (Friday) to an Olympic champion who was born 92 years ago today and competed in only one Olympics.

This champion was born in the same city in which our birthday athlete died at the age of 74.

You might be interested to know that this individual won that Olympic gold medal some 4,971 miles (8,000 km) from the city where this champion was born and died.

Two Olympic champions share the same initials as our birthday athlete and one of those two won Olympic gold five days after our birthday person.

The other Olympic champion with the same initials as our birthday athlete won Olympic gold about twenty years before our birthday individual.

One of these two Olympic champions with the same initials as our birthday athlete did the same event as our birthday champion in winning that Olympic gold medal.

If I told you about our birthday athlete's "Cousins", would that give you any help?

Please name this birthday champion on this first day of Spring in the Northern Hemisphere.

[catson52]

Looked this up, pretty tricky. Not surprised at no attempts so far - though many people have other things taking up most of their attention and time.

[noone]

I know the answer. The City of his or her birth was almost an Olympic city. I don't get the third string clue.

[DoubleRBar]

Yes, noone, this city was almost a Winter Olympic city. The "Third String" title refers, in part, to the fact that this athlete was not the favorite going into the Olympic final. Details to follow.

[Olli]

Perhaps the athlete was born in Denver. Born 1928. Both Helsinki and Melbourne are pretty far from Denver. Cannot get farther than that.

[richh]

Jerome Biffle went to Denver U, and was the surprise LJ winner in Helsinki, after George Brown fouled out.

[DoubleRBar]

Jerome Biffle it was. Very good, richh. Biffle was second in the U.S. 1952 Olympic Trials (long jump) in Los Angeles. George Brown, the number one ranked long jumper in 1951, was third at those Olympic Trials. Biffle was considered our third best jumper in Helsinki, however Jerome Cousins Biffle, with four fouls in the final, managed to win the gold medal with his third round jump of 7.57 (24' 10").

[noone]

And Josy Barthel had the same initials. As did Jim Bausch, but that's not the same event.

[noone]

Unless you meant Bausch long jumped as part of the decathlon...

[DoubleRBar]

Yes, the long jump is part of the decathlon.