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Always having been a fan rather than a sprinter, the thing I remember most about those 220 straight races was trying to time them, particularly on a sunny day where it was almost impossible to see the flash of the gun. Sometimes it was tough even to see the smoke. And then, of course, there was the usual problem of bad hand timing, which I think was worse before auto timing showed some hand timers what they were doing wrong.
Bottom line was that many of those 220 straight hand times were questionable.
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I think dj may have commented on this before: the problem in the LA Coliseum.
I'm told it was awesome because they started outside the stadium, came through the tunnel at full speed and of course the fans had no idea what had happened to that point.
But how did the timers see the starter?
(or do I have this all confused?)
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Originally posted by ghBut how did the timers see the starter?
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Originally posted by dukehjstevere the track at Randall's Island, was that chute ever actually there, or was it merely in that artist's drawing ? I am pretty sure that it was not there in 1958, which was my first time there. ( informal warm up meet for US team before they left for Moscow)
I`ll be talking to folks from RandallsIslandSportsCommision at [email protected] and will see what construction archives are available.
seen in 1948 pix
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_mlPoGU4VqSk/S ... +wards.jpg
see dotted line indicating track
http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?lat=40. ... n=-73.9225Tom Hyland:
"squack and wineturtle get it"
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Re: the Coliseum. Before one of its many "remodelings," prior to the LA Dodgers arrival and the installation of individual seats, the old quarter-mile track was actually some distance to the west of its 1963-late 80s location. The surface of the field was about 15' higher than it is now, and there was a lot more usable space; today's lower stands did not exist. The old track had a second full turn, outside the "normal" one, in the open (peristyle) end. 220 races (and one-turn 440s, which used the outer turn) started in the tunnel; the track surface extended to the beginning of the curved incline that leads up and out of the stadium. The starter would stand far enough out for the timers to (presumably) see the flash of his gun. The sound would have certainly energized any sleepy sprinter.
Here's a view of the old stadium:
http://www.stadiumsofnfl.com/past/lamemfoot.jpg
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Originally posted by wineturtleseen in 1948 pix
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_mlPoGU4VqSk/S ... +wards.jpg
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Originally posted by wineturtleOriginally posted by dukehjstevere the track at Randall's Island, was that chute ever actually there, or was it merely in that artist's drawing ? I am pretty sure that it was not there in 1958, which was my first time there. ( informal warm up meet for US team before they left for Moscow)
I`ll be talking to folks from RandallsIslandSportsCommision at [email protected] and will see what construction archives are available.
seen in 1948 pix
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_mlPoGU4VqSk/S ... +wards.jpg
see dotted line indicating track
http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?lat=40. ... n=-73.9225
Wino, if you say it was there, then it was there. I guess I just never noticed it. It certainly was not used at the AAU meet in '61 . Thanks for the info.
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They used a chute as late as 1970 at the NJ high school championships - not just for the 200, but to eliminate the first turn of all the longer races. I was third leg in the Mile Relay at the state meet so it did not affect me directly, but I do recall running a straight 220 in a local race once and it did seem like forever to the finish line.
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