This Day in Track & Field-September 18, Denis Horgan sets 7th shot put WR (1904), Vladimir Kuts runs 13:46.8 for 5,000m WR (1955), Nicole Duclos, Colette Besson, set 400m WR (51.7) and Justin Gatlin runs last race (2021), by Walt Murphy News & Results Services

This Day in Track & Field–September 18 

1904—Ireland’s Denis Horgan set the 7^th and final pre-IAAF World Record of his career in the Shot Put with his toss of     48-10 (14.88). Competing for Great Britain, he would win the silver medal at the 1908 Olympics at the age of 37—he’s still the oldest Olympic medalist in the event.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denis_Horgan

1955—The Soviet Union’s Vladimir Kuts ran 13:46.8 in Belgrade to regain the World Record in the 5000-meters for the 2^nd time. Kuts would get the record back a 3^rd time when he ran 13:35.0 in 1957.

World Record Progression From 1954-1965

13:56.6      Vladimir Kuts  Soviet Union        August 29, 1954

13:51.8        Chris Chataway Great Britain        October 13, 1954

13:51.2      Vladimir Kuts                       October 23, 1954

13:50.8        Sándor Iharos  Hungary                September 9, 1955

13:46.8      Vladimir Kuts                       September 18, 1955

13:40.6        Sándor Iharos                              October 23, 1955

13:36.8        Gordon Pirie Great Britain             June 19, 1956

13:35.0      Vladimir Kuts                       October 13, 1957

13:34.8        Ron Clarke Australia                     January 16, 1965

1968—Jay Silvester bettered his 4-month old World Record (218-4 [66.54])  in the Discus twice at an all-comers meet in Reno, first throwing 223-4 (68.07) and then 224-5 (68.40).

WR Progression: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Men’s_discus_world_record_progression

Hall of Fame Bio: https://www.usatf.org/athlete-bios/jay-silvester

1969—Nicole Duclos edged her French teammate, Colette Besson, the 1968 Olympic gold medalist, to win the Women’s 400-Meters at the European Championships in Piraeus, Greece, with both given credit for a World Record of 51.7 (auto-times were 51.77-51.79).

Results: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1969_European_Athletics_Championships

1983—Joan Benoit regained the World Record in the Half-Marathon with her winning time of 69:10 at the Philadelphia Distance Run. She had set records of 73:26 and 71.16 in 1981, only to have Norway’s Grete Waitz run  69:57 in 1982. Benoit would lower the Record to 68:34 in Philadelphia in 1984 (See 2005).