Athlete of the Decade

[DoubleRBar]

Happy 70th birthday today (Wednesday) to an Olympic champion who competed in three Olympic Games and made the finals in all three Games.

Our birthday champion was only 25 years old when winning the Olympic gold medal.

The birth site of our birthday athlete sits on the River Bode.

You might know that this champion athlete was the first to break through a certain track and field "barrier".

Who is this Olympic champion?

[Karl]

Vincent Matthews

[Karl]

I'm an idiot! Wrong day! Why can't it be Friday?

[Karl]

Ruth Fuchs. What does her throw translate into in feet and inches?

[KDFINE]

Aside from the requirements of the first paragraph, it couldn't be Matthews because the River Bode isn't in Queens, New York!

[Karl]

Aside from the requirements of the first paragraph, it couldn't be Matthews because the River Bode isn't in Queens, New York!

As I stated, I am an idiot. I have never backed down from that stance no matter what stood in my way!

[KDFINE]

Well, it is "impossible" now for DoubleRBar to give us a riddle tomorrow where Matthews is the answer. (Unless if he wants to give some really obscure hints as an academic exercise.)

[DoubleRBar]

Happy birthday today to Ruth Fuchs (70). Nice job, Karl. Ruth set six world javelin records during her career. She was first female athlete to throw over 65 meters (1972) and she was almost the first to throw over 70 meters with her final world record in 1980. Her first world mark was 65.06 which is 213' 5". In 1980 she went 69.96 (229' 6") for her final world record.

[Olli]

But Fuchs won in both 1972 and 1976. Isn't your question just slightly misleading, since you mention only one Olympic gold? (Usually you have told us the number of them.)

[Olli]

I'm an idiot! Wrong day! Why can't it be Friday?

Do you know many athletes' birthdays by heart?

[bambam1729]

Well, our website (www.olympedia.org) has a "Today" feature that lists all Olympians born on this day (or any selected day), all Olympians who died on that day, and all Olympic events held on that day. I think DoubleRBar uses this. And no, I do not cheat and go to the site and then answer the question. I will admit I sometimes look it up on the site but I don't answer the question then when I do that.

[dukehjsteve]

tut tut K if you are looking up birthdays....

[Karl]

Do you know many athletes' birthdays by heart?

No, it was a strange, erroneous line of thinking. I thought of Matthews as being around the same age (though not quite) for the '72 Games, he was a record-holder, etc. Granted, none of the other criteria really matched. I verified his birthday and bam! I had it!

Except I didn't. Not even close.

[Karl]

To clarify before someone calls me on it - Matthews wasn't officially a record holder. But he broke the record.

[Olli]

I verified his birthday and bam! I had it!

Except I didn't. Not even close.

I doubt if verifying birthdays is in accord with the "rules" of these quizzes.