Wrong info, at least on one account: That 3:10.4 by the 1948 US Olympic team over 4 by 400m was not a World record. The WR had been held by the 1932 US team anchored by Carr but missing Ben Eastman, who had run 3:08.2 minutes. A US 4-some anchored by Whitfiled finally broke this WR after 20 years, running 3:04.0 minutes in helsinki 1952. Trouble was, Whitfiled finished a step behind George Rhoden who anchored Jamaica to 3:03.9...
UG ================== Quoting Charles F Wandler <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>: > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > From: "USATF Communications" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: USATF Release: Whitfield to donate Olympic gold medal to Hall > of Fame > Date: Mon, 18 Feb 2002 14:39:13 -0500 > > Contact: Jill M. Geer > Director of Communications, USATF > 317-261-0500 x360 > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > http://www.usatf.org > > FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Monday, February 18, 2002 > > Whitfield to donate Olympic gold medal to Hall of Fame > > NEW YORK - Three-time Olympic gold medalist Mal Whitfield on Monday > announced that he will donate his 1952 800m gold medal to the National > Track > & Field Hall of Fame. Whitfield will make the presentation March 1 in > ceremonies at the 2002 USA Indoor Track & Field Championships, held > March > 1-2 at the Armory Track & Field Center on 168th Street in Washington > Heights. The Hall of Fame will reopen at the Armory in 2003. > > Whitfield, 77, made the announcement at a meeting of the Track Writers > Association of Metropolitan New York. > > "I thought, maybe what I need to do before I give up this whole thing is > to > try to let young people see what an Olympic gold medal looks like," > said > Whitfield, who displayed the medal at the luncheon. "For 12 straight > years I > trained at the Armory with (coach) Joe Yancey and the New York Pioneers. > I > am willing to donate this medal to the Armory, and I am doing that in > hopes > that young people will have a vision. My vision goes beyond track & > field. > It has taken me to 187 countries." > > The 800-meter Olympic gold medalist in 1948 and 1952 and 4x400m relay > gold > medalist in 1948, Whitfield was inducted into the Hall of Fame in > 1974. > During his competitive days, Whitfield - or "Marvelous Mal," as he was > called - trained and competed at the Armory. Whitfield will join > fellow > members of the 1952 Olympic Team who will be honored during a special > presentation during the Indoor Championships in celebration of the > 50th > anniversary of the 1952 Team. > > Born October 11, 1924 in Bay City, Texas, Whitfield held his share of > world > records. But first and foremost, he was an athlete who ran to win > rather > than running for time. Competitive at any distance from 220 yards to > the > mile, Whitfield put together a record that included two Olympic 800m > crowns, > six world records and eight National AAU titles, six of them outdoors. > > A sergeant in the U.S. Air Force while attending Ohio State, Whitfield > won > national collegiate 800 yard/800 meter titles in 1948 and 1949. He made > his > first Olympic team in 1948, taking the 800 meters in 1:49.2, an > Olympic > record, and placing third in the 400. He garnered a second gold medal in > the > 4x400m relay, which ran a world-record time of 3:10.4. In 1952, he > repeated > his 800m victory, again in 1:49.2, and earned a silver medal in the > 4x400. > > Whitfield narrowly missed making the 1956 Olympic team while a student > at > Cal State Los Angeles. The 1954 Sullivan Award winner as the top > amateur > athlete in the U.S., he later worked for the U.S. State Department in > Africa. He was elected to the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame in 1988. > Earlier > this month he was inducted into the Millrose Games Hall of Fame. > > For more information on the 2002 USA Indoor Track & Field > Championships, > visit the USATF Web site, www.usatf.org. > > Sauer, Mueller ready to soar > > Also at the Track Writers luncheon, U.S. pole vaulters Mary Sauer and > Mel > Mueller discussed by phone hook-up their seasons, in which both women > have > vaulted over 15 feet in the span of just over a week. Sauer cleared > 4.61 > meters/15 feet, 1.5 inches Sunday in Flagstaff, Arizona, while Mueller > cleared 4.60/15-1 the previous weekend, also in Flagstaff. The two > train > together under Anthony Curran at UCLA. > > Below are excerpts from their phone call-in. > > MEL MUELLER > > Q: Mel, you have had a great deal of success vaulting in New York, > winning > at Millrose in 1999 with a then-American record. How do you feel about > coming back to New York for Indoor Nationals? > > MUELLER: I'm always excited to come back to New York, but Mary and I > will > probably be there for the shopping (laughter). I hear the Armory is a > great > place to compete. The crowd goes crazy - we thrive on that, and I'm > really > looking forward to it. > > Q: How do you account for your improvement this season? > > MUELLER: I am injury-free this year for the first time in two years. > (Mueller had knee surgery in 2001). Both Mary and I went to UCLA to > train > with Anthony Current, so we will have a very good year. > > Q: Would you rather win an Olympic/World Championships gold medal or set > a > world record? > > MUELLER: I think I want it all. We want to jump well and do it when it > counts. > > MARY SAUER > > Q: How have you and Mel going over 15 feet recently changed the > complexion > of the upcoming Nationals? > > SAUER: I think it's going to make for a great competition. I think it > has > been pretty one-sided with Stacy winning. It should be more interesting > this > year. > > Q: How has training together (with Mueller) under Anthony Curran > affected > your training? > > SAUER: He is a really positive person. We go into practice and we train > hard > every day. It's just being in that positive atmosphere that makes a > big > difference. > > Q: With no Olympics or World Championships this year, do you approach > your > season any differently? > > SAUER: This year, we're just kind of learning to vault. I've only been > vaulting for a few years. I think more than anything, it's important for > us > to train really hard this year so we can really be ready two years from > now > (for the 2004 Olympics). > > # # # > >
