Many Winners Become Champions Just Zestfully

[DoubleRBar]

Happy birthday today (Monday) to three Olympic champions that will be known here as "A", "B", and "C".

Athlete "A" was born on a Wednesday 110 years ago today while athlete "C" was also born on a Wednesday, however 82 years ago today.

These three champions competed in a total of five Olympic Games and won a total of five Olympic gold medals.

All three individuals competed in the Olympic Games in Europe and all three were born in different continents.

Our birthday athletes have a combined 289 years since their births.

Only "C" is still alive today.

Both parents of athlete "B" died by the time this person was 12 years old and athlete "A" carried the national flag during the Olympic Opening Ceremonies.

You might know that "A" was 13 when "B" was born and that "B" was 15 when "C" was born.

None of our three birthday people competed in the same Olympic Games or in the hurdles.

Interesting to note that one of our birthday champions served in World War II and the Korean Conflict, another was a gem cutter, and the third individual was voted as the "Track & Field Athlete of the Century" for a certain country.

"B" was 91 when this person died while "A" lived to be 71 years old.

Can you name all three Olympians?

Please give it your best on this second Monday of October.

[Olli]

Birthyears are 1911, 1924, and 1939. MW might otherwise be Mamo Wolde, but I believe he was born between 1924 and 1939.

[DoubleRBar]

Olli, you have the correct birth years, however not the correct athlete. Mamo Wolde (Ethiopia) was born in 1932 and died about 19 years ago. You do have the right Olympic event (when mentioning Wolde) for athlete "A", however none of our birthday champions were born in Africa.

[Olli]

Now you may have given it away. At least Z brings to mind Zabala; I suppose his first name was Juan, they are mostly Juans in South America, aren't they?

[DoubleRBar]

Juan Carlos Zabala was born in Argentina 110 years ago today. Very good, Olli.

Zabala won the 1932 Los Angeles Olympic marathon (2:31:36). Paavo Nurmi had been suspended by the I.A.A.F. for taking money when running in Germany in 1931. About six weeks before the Los Angeles Olympic marathon, Nurmi ran 2:22:03 for 40.2 K (maybe around 2:29 for a full marathon), however without Paavo Nurmi, Zabala pretty much led much of the 1932 Olympic marathon on the streets of Los Angeles.

Zabala managed to stay on his feet and finish about 19 seconds in front of San Ferris (Great Britain). Ferris made up approximately 41 seconds on Zabala over the final half mile of the race, but ran out of room to catch the winner.

Zabala ran the 1936 Berlin Olympic marathon, however he did not finish the race. He was sixth place (31:22.0) in the Berlin 10,000 which was about one week before the Olympic marathon. He also carried the national flag of Argentina during the Opening Ceremonies at the Berlin Olympics.

Juan Carlos Zabala died in January of 1983 in Argentina at the age of 71.

Thank you, Olli.

[noone]

I’ll try Bernd Cullman for athlete C. When Manfred Steinbach withdrew to concentrate on the LJ and world class sprinters Futterer and Germar came down with injuries, Germany cobbled together a squad of Cullman-Hary-Mahlendorf-Lauer and got gold when the US was dq’ed for a bad exchange between Frank Budd and Ray Norton.

[DoubleRBar]

Happy 82nd birthday last Monday to Bernd Cullmann. Very good, noone.

Bernd Cullmann was born in Germany and won Olympic gold by running the first leg of Germany's four by 100 relay team in Rome (1960).

They tied the world record at 39.5.

Cullmann was probably the fastest gem cutter in the world.

He is still alive and living in Germany.

Thank you, noone.

[Trickstat]

I believe we are still looking for an athlete with the initials MW who was born in 1923? I also think they were involved in WWII and the Korean War and competed in 2 Olympic Games in Europe which I assume would be London 1948 and Helsinki 1952 and they didn't compete in the hurdles?

[DoubleRBar]

Yes, the "MW" athlete was born in 1924, competed in London and Helsinki, and died about six years ago at the age of 91.

[noone]

Initials MW, presumably American, 1948 and 1952 gold medalist... Hmmm.. Did he by any chance have a big rivalry with AW?

[dukehjsteve]

If you are looking for a double gold medalist in 48 and 52, with initials MW, that's too easy. Hint... it's an event longer than 400, and shorter than 1500.

[DoubleRBar]

I think you are on the right "track".

[Tuariki]

Oh well, seeing as no one else wants to say it
Mal Whitfield

[DoubleRBar]

Mal Whitfield was born 97 years ago Monday, the 11th. Very good, Tuariki. Whitfield won the 800 in 1948 and in 1952. He also took an Olympic bronze medal in the London 400 and another gold in the four by 400 relay in 1948 when he anchored (47.3) the winning relay in London.

He was sixth place in the 1952 Helsinki 400, took another Olympic gold medal in the 800 (same time he ran in London), and anchored the U.S. four by 400 relay team to a silver medal with his 45.5 in Finland.

Whitfield died in Washington, D.C. in 2015 at the age of 91.

Thank you, Tuariki, Trickstat, noone, and dukehjsteve.