This day in the field of athletics – October 31
(Born on This Day – Caron Clement, Ebony Floyd, Alonzo Babers, Frank Shorter, Mel Pender/RIP-Bob Day)
1921-Federation Sportive Feminine Internationale forms (1st women’s athletics association)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Women%27s_Sports_Federation
Born on this day*
Warren Weir-Jamaica 36 (1989) 2012 Olympic Games bronze medalist — 200 m; (Part of the sweep of Jamaica – Usain Bolt, Johan
Blake);
2013 World Champion — 4×100 (silver medalist-200); PB::19.79 (2013);
Member of the Jamaican team that set a world record time of 1:18.63 in the 4×200 relay at the 2014 World Championships
(Nickel Ashmid, Warren Weir, Jermaine Brown 19.6, Johan Blake 19.4)
Last time he participated in 2019
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warren_Weir
Whatever happens.: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sahInI0SYiI
Kerron Clement 40 (1985) 2016 Olympic gold medalist – 400m hurdles (2008-silver, 2012-8th)
Gold medalist of the 2008 Olympic Games — 4×400 (1St round)
2-time world champion (2007, 2009/2005-4).th2013-8th2015-4th2017-bronze);
2-time world champion — 4×400 (2007, 2009); 2010 indoor world champion — 4×400;
He made 10 consecutive US All-World Teams (Worlds/Olympics) before finishing 8th at the 2019 US Championships
2-time NCAA champion — 400 hours (Florida/2004, 2005);
2005 NCAA Champion – 400m (Set a world meet record of 44.57 – Michael Norman ran 44.52 in 2018, but
mark not validated due to improper drug testing)
2004 Junior World Champion — 400 Hurdles
Ranked 1st in the world 4 times (2007-2009, 2016)
PBs44.48 (2007), 44.57i (2005/#3 All Time World/#2-USA), 47.24 (2005/#14 All Time World/#7 USA);
In 2005, as a 19-year-old, he ran 47.24, leading to speculation that he was about to break Kevin Young’s world.
46.78 record, but that remained his personal best in his career.
WikiBio:: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerron_Clement
2016 AND:: https://olympics.com/en/video/men-s-400m-hurdles-final-rio-2016-replays
Ranking tables: https://trackandfieldnews.com/rankings/
Ebony Floyd 42 (1983) 2013 US Champion: 400m
Named after finishing 6th in the 4×400 relay poolth At the 2008 US Olympic Trials, but failed to compete in those events
Beijing Olympic Games
All-American at Houston – NCAA. 2006 (400-5:th), 2007 (100-2:th200-3rd)
Daughter of former world class runners Stanley Floyd and: Delisa Walton
https://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/ebony-floyd-14310239
http://www.olympedia.org/athletes/923937
Alonzo Babers 64 (1961) 1984 Olympic gold medalist — 400, 4×400; PB: 44.27 (1984)
graduated from the US Air Force Academy in Aerospace Engineering
The All-American finished 4thth in the 400 at the 1983 NCAA Championships (5th-600yi/1983)
After the Olympics, Babers enrolled in pilot training school and began his career as a pilot. He was an active person
Active duty in the United States Air Force from 1983 to 1991 and continued to serve as an Air Force member.
Force Reserves before becoming a United Airlines pilot.
WikiBio:: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alonzo_Babers
AND Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgUOZc826SY
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/78059
https://www.alpa.org/news-and-events/air-line-pilot-magazine/our-stories-olympic-gold
Frank Shorter 78 (1947) 1972 Olympic gold medalist – Marathon (1976-silver), 5th-10,000 (1972)
5-time USA Champion – 6 mi/10,000m (’70, ’71, ’74, ’75, ’77)
1970 US Champion — 3 miles
1969 NCAA Champion – 6 Mile (Yale/2th in 3 miles)
4-time winner of the Fukuoka Marathon (1971-1974), considered the first marathon
the world then
In 1972, with the victory of the Olympic Games, the running boom began in the United States
Former American record holder.
10,000. 1972 Olympics — 27:58.2 (heat), 27:51.4 (final)
Marathon: 2:10:30 in Fukuoka (1972)
2-mile: 8:26.2 — San Diego (1971)
Inducted into the USA Hall of Fame in 1989
Former NBC anchor
PBs7:51.4 (1972), 8:26.2/2 m (1971), 13:26.62 (1977), 27:45.91 (1975), 2:10:30 (1972)
HOF Organic (1989): https://www.usatf.org/athlete-bios/frank-shorter
WikiBio:: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Shorter
Growing up: https://www.runnersworld.com/runners-stories/a21753998/frank-shorters-story/
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/79039
Mel Pender 88 (1937) 1968 Olympic gold medalist — 4×100 (6th-100, 1964 & 1968); 5′-5″ (1.65)
The USA team set a world record in Mexico City: 38.2 (38.24).
(Charlie Greene, Mel Pender, Ronnie Ray Smith, Jim Hines)
Competed as a member of the professional ITA tour.
A great starter, twice clocked a world record 5.9 for the 60-yard dash. Won in the 60s at the 1972 Millrose Games
The first love was football. he didn’t start running until he was 25.
Army veteran served two tours in Vietnam. Twice he was called home from the army for training
Olympic Games!
Earned his BA from Adelphi University in New York while he was the head coach at West Point
Inspired to join the army at age 17 after seeing the movie “To Hell and Back”The life story of World War II hero Audie Murphy.
“I wanted to be like him, because he was short like me, I also wanted to get away from him
discrimination I encountered in the South.”
PB: 10.15 (1968)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mel_Pender
2025 Interview (58 minutes/worth of time): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G14yjareNq8
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/78887
(2012) https://patch.com/georgia/smyrna/mel-pender-olympic-athlete-entrepreneur-and-philanthropist
Soldier-athlete (2020):
https://runnersgazette.com/2020/10/16/soldier-athlete-mel-pender-olympic-gold-medalist/
https://theolympians.co/tag/mel-pender/
https://www.wearethemighty.com/sports/melvin-pender-world-record-olympics?rebelltitem=1#rebelltitem1
The story of Mel Pender: https://www.amazon.com/Expression-Hope-Mel-Pender-Story/dp/1635251117
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4S_AwyKFAw
https://aupanthers.com/honors/hall-of-fame/mel-pender/197/kiosk
