This day in athletics – September 20
1879— Despite losing a shoe that came open during the race, Lon Myers, a charter member of the National Hall of Fame, set a pre-IAAF world record of 49.2 400 meters at the NYAC Fall Games held in St. 352y Mott Haven track. He also set an American record in the 220s at 22-3/4.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lon_Myers
1925— Sweden’s Gunnar Lindstrom threw the javelin 220-10 (67.31) in Oslo, more than two feet off his world record of 218-7 (66.62), but the mark was not validated by the IAAF because there was a tailwind. WR progress: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Men%27s_javelin_throw_world_record_progression
1942— Sweden’s Gunder Hegg became the first to break 14 minutes in the 5,000 meters, clocking 13:58.2 in Gothenburg, taking more than 10 seconds off the previous world record of 14:08.8. He also earned a new WR credit in the 3 mile (13:32.4). This enabled Hägg to sweep the current WRs for each event from 1500 meters to 5000 meters. 1500-3:45.8 mile-4:04.8 2000-5:16.4 3000-8:01.2 2-mile-8:47.8 3-mile-13:32.4 5000-13:58.2
WR Progression (5000): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5000_metres_world_record_progression
https://www.iaaf.org/news/news/a-tribute-to-the-career-of-gunder-hagg
http://www.racingpast.ca/john_contents.php?id=235
1953–Russia’s Yuri Lituev, silver medalist at the 1952 Olympics, won the 400-meter hurdles in Budapest in 50.4, breaking the 19-year-old world record of 50.6 set by American Glenn “Slats” Hardin in 1934.
WR: Progress: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Men%27s_400_metres_hurdles_world_record_progression
1969–At the European Championship in Piraeus, Greece, Ukrainian Anatoly Bondarchuk set a world record with a hammer throw of 245-0 (74.68). He would improve the record to 247-7 (75.48) next month.
Czech Jaroslava Yehlichkova won the women’s 1,500 meters in 4:10.7, breaking the previous world record of 4:12.4 set by Italy’s Paola Pini earlier in the season.
Great Britain won the women’s 4×400 in a photo finish with France, with both teams clocking a world record time of 3:30.8.
WR progress: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Men%27s_hammer_throw_world_record_progression
Medal winners: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1969_European_Athletics_Championships
1972–Belgium’s Emil Putemans clocked 13:13.0 for the 5,000 meters in Brussels, breaking the six-day world record of 13:16.4 set by Finland’s Lasse Viren in Helsinki. He also set the WR in the 3-mile at 12:47.8 WR progress: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5000_metres_world_record_progression http://www.racingpast.ca/john_contents.php?id=227
1972— Belgium’s Gaston Roelants set two world records in one race in Brussels: 57:44.4 for 20,000 meters and 20,784 meters for 1 hour. He held the previous records of 58:06.2 and 20.664m, both set in 1966. Another WR was set during the race, also with Belgium’s Willy Polleunis running 46:04.2 over 10 miles.
https://worldathletics.org/news/news/progression-of-world-athletics-records-on-sal
1981— American Herb Lindsay set a world record of 61:47 for the ½-marathon in Manchester, Vermont.
WR progress: https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Half_marathon_world_record_progression
Career statistics: https://more.arrs.run/runner/8982
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herb_Lindsay
1992— The World Junior Championships concluded in Seoul, South Korea, with two future stars each winning two events.
Shortly after competing in the first round of two sprints at the Barcelona Olympics, Trinidad and Tobago’s 18-year-old Ato Boldon won the men’s 100 (10.30) and 200 (20.63).
Just one day after winning the 5,000 (13:36.06), Ethiopia’s Haile Gebrselassie took first in the 10,000 (28:03.99). He set Meet Records in both events. 3:th In the 5,000 it was Morocco’s Hicham El Gerouj (13:46.79). As he was moving into the 20m final of the 10,000, Kenya’s Joseph Machuka punched Gebrselassie in the back (!) and was disqualified (See video).
Great Britain’s Steve Smith tied the current junior world record with a winning height of 7-9 ¾ (2.37) in the men’s high jump.
For Boldon, his double win was a turning point in his career, explaining: “I would have a terrible Olympics in Barcelona. Went over confident (at 18) but not yet ready for the big stage. After qualifying in both the 100 and 200 in Barcelona, I went home and trained like my life depended on it. Coming first in the 100/200 double at the World Juniors was the result and confirmed for me that this was the sport I belonged in.”
Boldon won 7 individual global medals, including gold in the 200 at the 1997 World Championships.
Silver-2000 Olympic Games (100)
Bronze – 1996 Olympics (100,200), 2000 Olympics (200), 1995 & 2001 World Championships (100)
Gebrselassier became one of the greatest distance runners in history, winning 11 gold medals in the world.
stage.
Olympics — 10,000 (1996, 2000)
World Championships — 10,000 (1993, 1995, 1997, 1999); ½-marathon (2001)
World Indoor Championships – 3000 (1997, 1999, 2003), 1500 (1999)
Full results: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1992_World_Junior_Championships_in_Athletics
Boldon: https://www.iaaf.org/athletes/trinidad-and-tobago/ato-boldon-9066
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ato_Boldon
Brush sauce: https://www.iaaf.org/athletes/ethiopia/haile-gebrselassie-8774
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haile_Gebrselassie
Video (10k): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5C5z32ABww&pp=QAA%3D
1998–Brazilian Ronaldo da Costa set a world record in the Berlin Marathon: 2:06:05. It was the first of 9 WRs, including the last 8, to be put on the rush. The most recent WR of 2:01.09 was set in 2022 by Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqraW1LcrXE
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronaldo_da_Costa
WR progress: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marathon_world_record_progression
https://www.bmw-berlin-marathon.com/en/
2009— Tyson Gay won the 100 meters in Shanghai in 9.69 to break his one-month American record of 9.71. Only Usain Bolt of Jamaica has ever run faster (9.58, 9.63). Gay had to pass fast starter Asafa Powell, who finished 2ndth place (9.85).
Carmelita Jeter won the women’s 100m in 10.64 to move into No. 2 on the all-time list behind only Florence Griffith-Joyner (10.49, 10.61, 10.62). Jeter is now 4th on the all-time list after Jamaica’s Elaine Thompson-Hera and Shelley-Anne Fraser-Pryce of Jamaica ran 10.54 and 10.60 respectively in 2021.
Videos:
Gay(no audio). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhsqVfOB9ig
Jeter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7n4MV5II6Es
https://worldathletics.org/news/feature/tyson-gay-dumps-fast-food-for-faster-times-
