Walt Murphy’s News and Results Service (wmurphy25@aol.com)
This Day in Track & Field–July 28
1949–American Jim Fuchs set the first of his four World Records in the Shot Put with his toss of 58-4 3/8 (17.79) in Oslo. Hall-of-Famer Fuchs was the bronze medalist at the 1948 and 1952 Olympics.
Obituary (free sign-up required): http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/18/sports/18fuchs.html
HOF Bio: https://www.usatf.org/athlete-bios/jim-fuchs
WR Progression: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Men’s_shot_put_world_record_progression
1955–Hungary’s Sándor Iharos ran 3:40.8 in Helsinki to set a World Record for 1500-meters. This was the third of six individual World Records that Iharos, coached by the legendary Mihály Iglói, would set in 1955. He would also anchor Hungary to a World Record in the 4×1500 relay (9-29/15:14.8).
WR Progression(1500): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1500_metres_world_record_progression
Iharos’ WRs in 1955
5-14 7:55.6 3000m
5-30 8:33.4 2-miles
7-28 3:40.8 1500m
9-10 13:50.8 5000m
10-23 13:14.2 3-miles
10-23 13:40.6 5000m
1958(27/28)–During the early days of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union, the threat (real or imagined) of a nuclear war led to schoolchildren throughout the U.S. hiding beneath their desks (as if that would help), while others were marching towards (or building their own) fall-out shelters during periodic air-raid drills.
But all of that fear was set aside as the two Super Powers met in Moscow in what was the first in a series of memorable dual meets between the world’s two greatest track and field teams.
The individual star of the meet was Rafer Johnson, who regained the World Record in the Decathlon by scoring a phenomenal 8,302 points (7783-current tables). Johnson bettered the previous mark of 8,014 by almost 300 points, and the holder of that mark, Soviet Vasily Kuznetsov, finished a distant 2nd to Johnson here with 7,865 points. And Johnson drew the enthusiastic admiration of an appreciative Russian crowd. (75,000 on the first day, only 30,000 the next–a workday). Johnson was selected as Sports Illustrated’s Sportsman of the Year in 1958.
A second World Record was set in the Men’s Triple Jump by Soviet Oleg Ryakhovskiy, who won with a mark of 54-5 ¼ (16.59).
American Glenn Davis won the flat 400…
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