> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> I'm sorry that I didn't learn about Ben Eastman's existence until after he
> was already dead. I would like to know more about his races.
>
> Did he simultaneously hold world records for the 400 m and 800 m?>
First of all, a quickie history lesson. IAAF used to ratify WRs for yard
distances, w/ 440y and 880y corresponding to the 400 and 800. Since the yard
races were a little bit longer than the metric ones (402.34m, 804.68m), a
metric race wouldn't count as a yard record, but a yard record could count
as a metric one. Unfortunately, this led to a lot of cheap yard WRs. e.g.,
Mal Whitfield was credited with a WR of 1:49.2y (worth 1:48.5m) in 1950, but
Rudolf Harbig had run 1:46.6 in '39!
Eastman's first 440 record was a "cheap" one. Ran 47.4 in '31 when the 400
WR was 47.0. But then in March of '32 he ran an amazing 46.4, so figure he
ran the fastest 1-lapper ever by 0.9. A monster improvement. Interestingly,
the first guy ever to run intrinsically faster was the same Harbig, 46.0 in
'39.
Obviously, the history was such that WWII cut Harbig's incredible career
short, partic. since he got killed on the Eastern Front in about '42.
But back to Eastman. In the 2-lapper he did an unratified 1:51.3y (that can
be considered equal to the metric 1:50.6) in April '32, then in May '32 ran
1:50.9y. That record was broken by Tom Hampson in August. So he was the
undisputed world's fastest at both distances from June 4 through August 2 of
'32.
gh
