'Olympian' Alex Henderson vs John Landy, Ron Clarke

[Vault-emort]

Stumbled across this article today...

Was gonna add it to the fraud/exaggeration thread, but I'm more inclined to think it's just sloppy reporting. Good to see 79 year old Alex Henderson still enjoying his sport.

http://www.modbee.com/2011/09/12/185760 ... ennis.html

A former high school track and tennis coach at Manteca, Henderson was a track star in his youth. He ran middle distance events for Australia in the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne

Henderson didn't run any events at the Melbourne Games, though he wasn't far from selection.

He'd run second in the famous Australian Mile Championship in 1956 (plus a third in the 880y) and since that mile was the one where John Landy stopped to assist the fallen Ron Clarke, it's an iconic race to have been a part of.

Want to see Henderson etc running in that Mile?
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wQLEKw0Nkc

[paw]

Re: 'Olympian' Alex Henderson vs John Landy, Ron Clarke

A much better 'legal' clip of that race here:

1956 AUS Cham.9. marts– Landy vs Clarke – Hogan
http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=59532

[Vault-emort]

Re: 'Olympian' Alex Henderson vs John Landy, Ron Clarke

A much better 'legal' clip of that race here:

pretty hard (impossible?) to work out what's legal these days, but I know the Tube clip loaded up in a few seconds but (minutes into) the pathe it's still buffering and showing nothing for me.

Tough with copyright these days. I know Aussie copyright rules used to be 50 years (hence anything before '61 should be ok) but I think they are changing/being changed.

[Master Po]

Re: 'Olympian' Alex Henderson vs John Landy, Ron Clarke

Interesting -- more T&F history I've somehow never heard of. Watched the videos, so I now have an idea (imo, the Britishe Pathe video is of better quality, though it takes a few secs to load). Now that I've seen this, is there any one out there who knows more about this race who can comment on it further? Complete results, etc.? An extraordinary moment -- would like to know more about it.

[Vault-emort]

Re: 'Olympian' Alex Henderson vs John Landy, Ron Clarke

The results of the race were:
1 John Landy Vic 4:04.2 (3:49.8 at 1500m)
2 Alex Henderson NSW 4:05.8
3 Merv Lincoln Vic 4:08.8
4 John Plummer NSW 4:10.2
5 Ron Clarke Vic (fell)
6 Les Trigg SA
M Edwards SA
B Branendly Qld
D Dyer WA
Rob Morgan-Morris Vic

Landy's gesture was declared the nation's finest sporting moment of the 20th century by the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.

Some more info and quotes - http://www.hyperhistory.org/index.php?o ... 13&op=page

A statue commemorates the incident - http://www.majorprojects.vic.gov.au/our ... rke-statue