January 15th On This Day In Tracks Paavo Nurmi Hits 3 WRs In One Race At Madison Square Garden (1925)

Walt Murphy News and Results Service ((email protected))

This day in athletics – January 15

1925– Paavo Nurmi, the “Flying Finn”, returned to New York’s Madison Square Garden for the 2nd stop of his US tour and came away with three more world records, although they all came in one race.

After allowing Will “Willie” Ritola to set the early pace, Nurmi, hailed by the media as the athlete of the century, delighted the crowd by outpacing most of the field to set records in the 1-3/4 mile (7:55.6), 3,000 meters (8:26.8) and 1-29.8 miles (8:26.8) and 1-8. Joey Ray was the previous record holder in all three distances. Shortly after the race, Nurmi took a train to Chicago, where she was scheduled to compete the following night, before heading straight back to New York for her 3rd meet in as many days.

1965— Ireland’s John McDonnell won the slow-paced mile in 4:22.5 at the Senior Metropolitan AAU Championships at NY’s 168.^th Street arsenal. McDonnell, of course, went on to a Hall of Fame career as a coach at the University of Arkansas.

Other notable winners included Fordham’s Sam Perry in the 60 (6.4) and Oscar Moore Jr. in the 3 mile (14:29.0).

https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1965/01/16/101522396.html?pageNumber=20

1977– It didn’t get much attention at the time, but Steve Scott, a 20-year-old junior at the University of California, Irvine, broke down.

4 minutes for the first time when he ran 3:59.7 to place 3rd in the mile at the Sunkist Invitational. Paul Cummings (3:59.2) and Wilson Waigwa (3:59.7) finished ahead of Scott.

Scott became one of the greatest sprinters in history and ran a total of 136 sub-4 minute miles, the most ever in a Hall of Fame career. He kept the American Indoor Record from 1979-2005 and Outdoor mark from 1982-2007. Scott retired in 2018 as the head coach at Cal-State San Marcos, which won three straight NAIA women’s X-Country titles from 2009-2011.

Hall of Fame Biography: https://www.usatf.org/athlete-bios/steve-scott

Steve Scott-Miller/Biography of Mark Bloom

http://www.amazon.com/Steve-Scott-Miler-Americas-Legendary/dp/0028616774

CSSM biography: http://www.csusmcougars.com/coaches.aspx?rc=222&path=wcross

1978– Long Island University’s Lorna Ford, a two-time Olympian (1972, 1976) in her native Barbados, set a world record 1:10.5 in the 500m relay at Dartmouth. Ford is a two-time winner of the 440y at the USA Indoor Championships and is a member of the Penn Relays Wall of Fame.

From 1975 to 1983, was part of a remarkable 21 winning teams for the TC of the Atoms at Penn.

https://pennrelays.com/honors/hall-of-fame/lorna-forde/58

1984– Sergey Bubka, 20, who first gained international fame when he swept the field to win the gold medal at last year’s world championships in Helsinki, set his first world record, indoor or outdoor, when he cleared 19-3/4 (5.81) in Vilnius. The previous mark of 19-1/4 (5.80) was set by Billy Olson in 1983.

1986– Bubka set another world record by jumping 19-3 (5.87) in Osaka, Japan.

1987– Bubka returned to Osaka to set another world record at 19-6 ½ (5.96). Two more world marks were set: Ben Johnson ran 6.44 60 meters (later revoked) and Oleg Protsenko won the Triple Jump with a leap of 57-11 ¾ (17.67m).

WR progress: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Men’s_pole_vault_indoor_world_record_progression

2015— Akron’s (and Canadian) Sean Barber joined the 6-meter (19-8 ¼) club at the Pole Vault Summit in Reno, NV. Later in the year, he would go on to win the NCAA Indoor (his 2nd).^th) and outdoor titles, and he became the world champion in Beijing.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shawnacy_Barber

2022— Florida’s Jacory Patterson ran 31.99 for the 300 meters at Clemson, breaking his own record of 32.38.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbtnUSW24MQ

2022— Senior Will Sumner (Woodstock, Ga.) ran 1:01.25 in the 500 meters at Virginia Beach to break the US high school indoor record of 1:01.68 set by Strymar Livingston (Columbus, Bronx, N.Y.) in 2012, another Hay Swing record. (1:17:58) when he ran 1:15.58 for 600 meters a week later in Chicago.

The son of former Villanova All-American ½-miler Brad Sumner and Tosha Woodward, Sumner won the 2023 NCAA 800 title as a freshman at Georgia before turning pro. He was injured in 2024, but ran 45.06 for 400 meters in 2025.

https://georgiadogs.com/sports/track-and-field/roster/Will-Sumner/7110

https://trackandfieldnews.com/2-national-records-for-high-schooler-will-sumner/

https://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=11088703

https://www.thestridereport.com/post/turning-pro-will-sumner-signs-with-adidas

in 2023— Emily Sisson finished 2nd^th Ethiopia’s Hiwot Gebrekidani (1:06:28) at the Houston Half Marathon and came away with a short-lived American record of 1:06:52. (Kira D’Amato would run 1:06:39 in July). Sisson still holds the US marathon record (2:18:29/2022).

Born on this day*

Tsegaye Kebede-Ethiopia 39 (1987) 2008 Olympic marathon bronze medalist

Also a bronze medalist at the 2009 World Championships… 2013 (4:^th)

Double winner of Fukuoka Marathon – 2008, 2009

Abbott World Marathon Majors (3-time winner)

London-2009 (2:^th), 2010 (1:^St)2011 (5:^th), 2012 (3:^th), 2013 (1:^St)2014 (3:^th)

Chicago – 2010 (2:^th), 2012 (1:^St)

New York — 2011 (3:^th), 2013 (2:^th)

Berlin-2014 (9:^th)

Tokyo-2015 (8:^th), 2017 (9:^th)

PBs: 59:35 (2008), 2:04:38 (2014)

Grew up in poverty as one of 13 children

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsegaye_Kebede

https://worldathletics.org/athletes/ethiopia/tsegaye-kebede-14181360

https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/115458

https://marathonview.net/marathon-results-of-Tsegaye-Kebede

Dylan Armstrong – Canada 45 (1981) 2008 Olympic bronze medalist — shooting;

He didn’t get his medal until 2015, after the original 3^thPlacer was retroactively disqualified for a doping violation

Double medal winner of the World Championship (2011-silver, 2013-bronze)

All-American at Texas – NCAA. 2001 (Weight throw-4th, Hammer throw-5th^th)

Coached 1972 Olympic champion Anatoly Bondarchuk in the hammer throw

Delayed Olympic medal: http://tinyurl.com/ArmstrongOlyMedal

https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/117036

2013 Article: https://spikes.worldathletics.org/post/a-shot-at-success

Super trainer: http://tinyurl.com/hwo5tce

WikiBio:: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dylan_Armstrong

Mark Carroll – Ireland 54 (1972) 1995 NCAA Indoor Championships Champion – 5000m (Providence/2^th outside)

2000 European indoor championship champion — 3000 meters; 2 times Olympian – 5000 m (1^St round-2000,2004)

5000 final in 1995 (12^th) and in 1999 (14:00^th) world championship.

6:00^th In the 2002 City Marathon

Irish record holder – 3000m (7:30.36), former record holder – 5000m (13:03.93), 10,000m (27:46.82)

Other P:B:s:3:34.91 (2000), 3:50.62 (2000), 3:54.50 (2001), 2:10:54 (2002)

In December 2019, he was named the Boston AA (BAA) senior coach. Trained before

Auburn and Drake

Coached by Jim Harvey for most of his career

https://www.baa.org/mark-carroll-announced-baa-high-performance-coach

https://www.baa.org/baa-coaches

https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/87045

2012 article. https://auburntigers.com/news/2012/7/20/Auburn_Olympic_Profile_Mark_Carroll

WikiBio:: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Carroll_(athlete)

Duncan Macdonald 77 (1949) 1976 Olympic – 5000 m (1:^St round); In 1976 ran 13:19.40 to break Steve

Prefontaine’s American Record for 5000 meters; Competed for Stanford;

3-time Honolulu Marathon winner (1973, 1976, 1980); 13:00^th 1983 Boston Marathon (2:12:50).

The Hawaii native was the coach (and anesthesiologist) at Punahou School in Honolulu.

PBs3:40.9 (1972), 3:58.4 (1972), 7:51.2 (1976), 8:19.85/2 m (1976), 13:19.40 (1976), 28:38.01 (1982), 2:12:50 (1982), 2:12:50 (1976)

http://www.olympedia.org/athletes/78722

https://www.runnerspace.com/video.php?video_id=187005

https://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=50740

Barbara Friedrich 77 (1949) 1968 USA Olympian – Javelin (9:^th)

1967 Pan American Games Champion

1968 US Champion

1971 AIAW Champion (Newark State/Now Kean)

Set two high school and American records in 1967 while at Manasquan (NJ) HS: 192-11 1/5 (58.81), 198-8

(60.56)

Inducted into the National High School T&F Hall of Fame in 2019

http://www.olympedia.org/athletes/77834

HOF: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnrLnf7JlxQ

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara_Friedrich

Looking back

https://twitter.com/njsiaa/status/1241712159232532481

Dead

Dean Smith 91 (1932-February 24, 2023) 1952 Olympic gold medalist — 4×100 (5^th in 100); went on to have a successful career as an A

Hollywood stuntman. Appeared in 10 John Wayne movies.

All-American at Texas. NCAA-100y (1952-4^th1954-4^th1955-5^th)

His memoir, Cowboy Stunt. From Olympic Gold to the Silver Screen”, published in April 2013.

Much more At:: https://onceuponatimeinthevest.blogspot.com/2019/12/v9-n-52-dean-smith-american-gold.html

https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/79055

Smith and gold medalist Lindy Remigino talk about the 1952 100.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_lPEPV8zcU

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dean_Smith_(athlete)

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/31/us/cowboy-stuntman-dean-smith-writes-a-memoir.html?_r=1&

http://www.amazon.com/Cowboy-Stuntman-Olympic-Silver-Screen/dp/0896727890

http://deansmithcelebrityrodeo.com/index.html

Tom Burke 54 (1875-February 14,1929) First Olympic gold medalist in 100 and 400 (1896); 3-time US champion

440y (1895-1897); 1896 & 1897 IC4A Champion (Boston College) – 440

1899 IC4A Champion — 880 (Harvard District Student);

Hall of Fame Biography:

https://www.usatf.org/athlete-bios/tom-burke

WikiBio:: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Burke_(athlete)

https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/78175

Lou Jones 74 (1932-Feb. 3, 2006) 1952 Olympic Games gold medalist — 4×400;

1955 All-American Games Champion – 400m – set world record 45.4 (Mexico City) … lowered record to 45.2 in 1956

US Olympic Trials, but only 5 finished^th in the Olympic final held in Melbourne in November.

Wiki Biography: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lou_Jones_(athlete)

https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/78628

WR progress: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Men%27s_400_metres_world_record_progression

Obituary.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/08/sports/othersports/08jones.1.html?pagewanted=print

Janusz Kusoczynski-Poland 33 (1907-June 21, 1940) 1932 Olympic gold medalist — 10,000 meters

set two world records in 1932 (3000 meters, 4 miles); PB:30:11.42 (1932)

From OlympiadDuring World War II, Kusoczynski volunteered for the Polish army and was wounded twice.

Released due to injuries, he served in the Polish resistance during the German occupation, and he

On March 26, 1940, he was arrested by the Gestapo and imprisoned in Mokotov prison. He was

was executed by the Germans three months later in Palmyra, near Warsaw. Most famous in his honor

The Polish athletics meet is called Kusotsinski Memorial.

https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/74775