Each Lane Will Test

[DoubleRBar]

Happy birthday today (Monday) to two Olympic champions who were born approximately 3,739 miles (6,925 kms) from each other.

Our birthday athletes competed in a total of six Olympic Games and won a total of five Olympic gold medals.

Neither of these two people were born in South America, Asia, or Australia.

Only one of the six Olympic Games these two competed in was not in Europe.

With a total of 198 years since their births, only one is still alive today.

One of our birthday individuals won Olympic gold in the same country where this person was born.

Did I tell you that one of our birthday athletes turns 57 today?

Some of the Olympic events our older athlete competed in are no longer contested today.

Are you up for this?

Please give it a try and name our birthday Olympians for this final Monday of February (and 289th anniversary of George Washington's birthday).

[Olli]

Erik (or is it Eric?) Lemming.

[Olli]

By the way, do you count the 1906 games?

[DoubleRBar]

Eric Lemming was born 141 years ago today in Sweden. Lemming competed in four Olympic Games (1900, 1906, 1908, and 1912) and yes, I count 1906. Lemming was well-known for throwing the javelin, however he competed in several other events (high jump, pole vault, long jump, discus, hammer, shot put, and the discus). He also competed in some events which have since been discontinued (standing long jump, tug-of-war, stone throw, javelin freestyle, ancient pentathlon, discus both hands, and javelin both hands). By the way, the discus and javelin using both hands does not mean throwing those implements with both hands at the same time (could be interesting though). They threw using the left hand the then using the right hand and then combined the total distance.

Good work, Olli.

Eric Lemming was only 50 years old when he died in 1930.

[noone]

I can't imagine throwing the javelin with both hands at the same time

[dukehjsteve]

I'm trying to think of W - T goldies from 1984 and 1988 but I am coming up blank.

[DoubleRBar]

This athlete did not compete in the 1984 or the 1988 Olympic Games.

[Trickstat]

I can't imagine throwing the javelin with both hands at the same time

If I recall correctly, there is nothing in the rules to prevent the discus being thrown two-handed it just doesn't go very far.

[dukehjsteve]

This athlete did not compete in the 1984 or the 1988 Olympic Games.

Thank you doubleR, as that jogs me to 1992, and now I say it's 800 champ William Tanui.

[DoubleRBar]

Happy 57th birthday today to William Tanui and nice going, dukehjsteve. William Tanui won the Olympic 800 in Barcelona (1:43.66) and four years later (1996) he was fifth place (3:37.42) in the 1,500.

Thank you dukehjsteve and Olli.