Athlete of the Year

[DoubleRBar]

Happy birthday today (Saturday) to an Olympic champion who turns 61 years this day. Our birthday athlete was born on the shores of Pahurehure Inlet. Well, maybe not right on those shores, but fairly close.

Roy was the father of this champion. Arch Jelley coached our birthday athlete. Dr. Watson delivered our athlete 61 years ago today with the umbilical cord wrapped around the baby's neck.

This champion achieved a track and field milestone in Sweden.

Our birthday athlete set a world record on Arch Jelley's birthday.

Helen married this champion and they had four children.

Again, don't worry about the hurdles when trying to name this Olympic gold medalist.

Track and Field News named our birthday person as their "Athlete of the Year".

Who is this world famous person who won an Olympic gold medal in North America?

[KDFINE]

Re: Athlete of the Year

Sounds like John Walker.

[DoubleRBar]

Re: Athlete of the Year

John Walker it is, KDFINE. Very good. Happy birthday to John Walker, first under 3:50 for the mile and first over 100 sub-four minute miles.

[KDFINE]

Re: Athlete of the Year

I first saw Walker at a meet in Toronto the summer of 1973, I think it was the US versus Oceania versus something else. I hope I still have the program. I feel fortunate to have been in grad school in Canada for TV viewing of the 1974 Commonwealth games, which I'm sure weren't on the tube back home. Otherwise I'd have never seen the 1500 as it happened. What a race!

[DoubleRBar]

Re: Athlete of the Year

Walker was a great athlete and ran a terrific race (1:51.0 last 800) to win in Montreal (1976), but I still wonder what would have happened had the Africans not boycotted the 1976 Montreal Olympics.

[Olli]

Re: Athlete of the Year

If I recall correctly, Bayi was not in such a great condition in 1976, but I too have one memory of seeing one of his and Walker's duels as a kid, taking place in Helsinki 1975(?). As usual, Bayi had a lead of some twenty meters or so, but Walker kicked so as to only just pass Bayi at the final meters. Such duels are the stuff the audience enjoys: no boring rabbit races as today. Or, more precisely, there was a rabbit, but one that also tried and had a good chance to win.

[tandfman]

Re: Athlete of the Year

The way Bayi ran from the front, he never needed a rabbit. I could be wrong, but I believe his 3:51.0 WR remains the fastest unrabbited mile ever.

[paw]

Re: Athlete of the Year

Jim Ryun also took the lead from the start to the finish in his mile world record 3.51.1 at Bakersfield in 1967 and unlike Bayi, who fight off Liquori,Coghlan and Wohlhuter, Ryun hadn't equally serious competion in his race!

And the track at Bakersfield in 1967 was a dirt track,

the track in Kingston 1975 was a tartan track, I think.