Three degrees of separation

[George Matthews]

Hey, how about giving the old parlour game a track [or field ] slant.
The only rule is that the athletes must have competed against each other at one time.
Can i bag 1st try and claim a near 50 year spread?
1. al oerter - 1956 OG dis champ - won 4th gold in 68 ahead of among others 2. Ricky Bruch - who went on to compete in meets in Sweden right up to 1984 and threw many times against
3. Mac Wilkins - who competed up to the 88 OG final were he finished 4th behind
4Jurgen Schult - still WR holder and competitive through 2002.
Am sure there are more, any takers?

[gh]

Let me save you a step: Oerter competed directly against Wilkins.

[rhymans]

Oerter competed against Adolfo Consolini, who fisrt made the world's top-20 in 1938 - so C-O-W covers 50 years to Wilkins last OG appearance

[bambam]

Let me start with my favorite T&F athlete - Martin Sheridan.

He never competed against Oerter or Wilkins or Schult.

But he was still great.

[George Matthews]

like a frightful eejit i "overlooked" Oerter's second coming which took him right up to the 80s so the new spread is
1. Consolini 1938-1956
2. Oerter 1956-1980
3.Wilkins1973-1988
4. Schult 1986-2002

[dj]

Let's link bambam's favorite athlete into the chain:

Consolini threw against Jules Noel at the '38 Euro Champs.
Noel lost to Bud Houser at the '28 Olympics.
Houser beat Elmer Niklander at the '24 Olympics.
Niklander lost to Martin Sheridan at the '08 Olympics.

I have yet to find a competition between Noel and Niklander to cut out Houser, a 4-year middleman. And I was hoping to find a 1901 competition between Sheridan and Robert Garrett, the 1896 OG gold medalist, but I haven't. That's the only year in which I show both of them competing.

[gh]

like a frightful eejit i "overlooked" Oerter's second coming which took him right up to the 80s so the new spread is
1. Consolini 1938-1956
2. Oerter 1956-1980
3.Wilkins1973-1988
4. Schult 1986-2002

What's your criterion for beginning and end of career? Wilkins was a 59.72 thrower in '72, finished 4th in the NCAA, 8th in the AAU, didn't make final at OT. (What a difference a year made!)

[Jnathletics]

What's your criterion for beginning and end of career? Wilkins was a 59.72 thrower in '72, finished 4th in the NCAA, 8th in the AAU, didn't make final at OT. (What a difference a year made!)

Didn't you see all of the Pre movies out a few years ago? One of them has Pre's Olympic race inspiring Wilkins. So much so he was out throughing the next day, with the coaches discussing what's got into him. I'm sure it's prefectly actual in it's portrail. :wink:

[KevinM]

like a frightful eejit i "overlooked" Oerter's second coming which took him right up to the 80s so the new spread is
1. Consolini 1938-1956
2. Oerter 1956-1980
3.Wilkins1973-1988
4. Schult 1986-2002

What's your criterion for beginning and end of career? Wilkins was a 59.72 thrower in '72, finished 4th in the NCAA, 8th in the AAU, didn't make final at OT. (What a difference a year made!)

When did he make the switch from JT to DT?

[dj]

When did he make the switch from JT to DT?

Wilkins was always a discus thrower (166-6 as a HS junior). His freshman year in college ('70), he picked up the javelin and quickly did very well, but also blew out his elboy (I think). It was also his last year with the javelin.

[gh]

It's a good thing he lived in Oregon; in more conservative states blowing elboys is a felony. :-)

[tafnut]

gh: Money for nothing, cheques for free

I assume you know it's REALLY chicks for free??!!

[gh]

does mondegreen ring a bell? (as we hijack away)

[George Matthews]

criteria is that the athletes competed against the next person in the list at least one time.
i have another one
1. Merlene Ottey in 1982 competed in the Vitalis indoor 400 against
2. June Griffith who in 77 ran a 400 against
3. Irena Szewinska who competed in the 1964 OG lj against
4. Willye White who first competed in around 1955
52 years and counting, not bad for female sprinter/jumpers

[tafnut]

does mondegreen ring a bell? (as we hijack away)

malmo's favorite word