"Women's Track World"

[tandfman]

Debbie Heald was my age and she ran as fast as I did in high school.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LrvJ2bsFduY

It's interesting that you should mention Debbie Heald. I confess that like almost all of the people I knew who were serious track fans, including the Nelsons, there was a time when I followed the men closely but the women not at all. All of that changed when I attended the US-USSR indoor meet in Richmond, VA in March, 1972. Heald upset the Soviets and in doing so set a World Indoor Record in he mile. It was by far the most exciting event of a good meet and it really got me hooked on the possibility of following the women's side of the sport, which I've done closely ever since.

[Conor Dary]

It's interesting that you should mention Debbie Heald. I confess that like almost all of the people I knew who were serious track fans, including the Nelsons, there was a time when I followed the men closely but the women not at all. All of that changed when I attended the US-USSR indoor meet in Richmond, VA in March, 1972. Heald upset the Soviets and in doing so set a World Indoor Record in he mile. It was by far the most exciting event of a good meet and it really got me hooked on the possibility of following the women's side of the sport, which I've done closely ever since.

One of the best and exciting races I've ever seen....

On a similar note, I never paid attention to women's marathons until Cheryl Bridges ran 2:49 in 1971. A decent time for that era by anyone. It was the first time I realized women could run competitive times.

[Helen S]

I am curious now what the state of women’s track was at various times in the US. At my HS in Gary, Indiana there was a team, but I can’t tell you much about them- their longest race was 180 yards, they did not have meets when the boys did. It was barely above an intramural sport.
I started the women’s team at my college (Earlham ‘74) the year after I graduated because there were a few women who wanted to run track, but the men’s coach said they were not in his job description.

[hanklaw]

Women's Track & Field World (also called "the Pink sheet") made it's debut in June 1967. At the end of 1968 they had "finance issues" and were trying to sell to T&F News, but Bert wasn't interested. Somewhere in '76 or '77 they became Women's Track World then in late '81 they turned back to WTFW again. I believe, but do not know for certain, that their last issue was June 1985. I don't have all the issues, but what I do have you can view at:

http://lynbrooksports.prepcaltrack.c.../CTRN/ctrn.htm

hank

[Atticus]

Women's Track & Field World (also called "the Pink sheet") made it's debut in June 1967. At the end of 1968 they had "finance issues" and were trying to sell to T&F News, but Bert wasn't interested. Somewhere in '76 or '77 they became Women's Track World then in late '81 they turned back to WTFW again. I believe, but do not know for certain, that their last issue was June 1985. I don't have all the issues, but what I do have you can view at:
http://lynbrooksports.prepcaltrack.c.../CTRN/ctrn.htm
hank

Thanks for that. Just printed out the Nov/Dec 1968 issue of WT&FW, covering the Mexico City Olympics. Very cool!

[catson52]

From Louise Tricard's Women's Track history, 1959....

where are you CD? I had many copies of WTFW, but in travels around the world - four continents in less than 10 years - found it hard to hang on to all of them. Enjoyed the magazine, in spite of it clearly giving the air of being prepared hurriedly. I particularly enjoyed an issue of late 1974, with Szewinska on the cover - my clear pick for GOAT in women's track and field. This is not going to win me any friends, amongst those who knew the Nelson brothers. Had some correspondence with Bert concerning the 1968 Olympics and the possibility of a boycott by the African American athletes. He came off as something of a bigot.

[wamego relays champ]

I particularly enjoyed an issue of late 1974, with Szewinska on the cover - my clear pick for GOAT in women's track and field.

From the link above, "The Princess of Poland"

http://lynbrooksports.prepcaltrack.c...t+fw_aug74.pdf

[Helen S]

D62D5F80-D56B-4BAC-850F-975EE1DBD976.jpg Page 18

[catson52]

From the link above, "The Princess of Poland"

http://lynbrooksports.prepcaltrack.c...t+fw_aug74.pdf

Thanks. I have downloaded some copies I liked most from one of the above links. Gave away or sold all copies I had of TFN and WTFW when we moved to Atlanta in 2019.

[dadme]

On a related matter, the Czech stats group published Womens world & european lists throughout the 70's and 80's. These were under the guise of 'START' magazine/book, which were published 4 times per year. Also they published 'Svetove Tabulky' which either had womens lists as seperate publication or were included in annual lists in the 80's. Anyone who has copies of these publications could make them available as PDF's orJPEG's and stats guys could publish lists similar to those of Athletica Legerra. Lets share this wealth of womens data.

[wamego relays champ]

On a related matter, the Czech stats group published Womens world & european lists throughout the 70's and 80's.

Very true, no discussion of Women's T&F statistics would be complete without mentioning the Czech group led by Jan Popper and Vladimir Víšek.

About six months before Scott Davis passed away, ATFS mourned the loss of one of the main compilers of the Czech group, Jiri Havlin.

https://www.worldathletics.org/news/...ies-after-long

[richh]

As well as the Czech Group, headed by Jan Pooper and Ladislav Krnac [editor of the Sports Daily "Sport" in Bratislava, author of histories of International Athletics Histories for both Men and Women - but in Slovakian, and a translator to English at many GP meets], there was also the EastGerman statistician Ernst Elert who from 1963-74 produced top-100's for men and women in an annual booklet]. I can make available [after Eugene 22 ends] these booklets and some of the Popper lists from 1976 onwards - but where exactly?

[richh]

Popper not Pooper - please excuse my typing

[dadme]

Hi richh, thank you for the very generous offer. I am starting to compile womens world lists similar to those published online by 'Athleica Legerra'. Could you post pdfs or jpegs of your material by email attachment to '[email protected]'. Thanks again you have been such a help over the years.

[Vault-emort]

I still find it strange that on this board events (as in WC or USC) are divided by men & women. I mean why not 'track' or 'field' if discussion needs to be compartmentalised?

Are there really some 'fans' these days who will only be interested in men's events?