Walt Murphy’s News and Results Service (wmurphy25@aol.com)
This Day in Track & Field–August 16
1920–Using his patented finish-line leap, American Charley Paddock edged teammate Morris Kirksey to win the 100-meters at the 1920 Olympics in Antwerp, Belgium, with both being timed in 10.8. Kirksey might have lost the gold medal when he glanced to his right just as Paddock crossed the finish line. Great Britain’s Harry Edward edged American Jackson Scholz to take the bronze medal(estimated time of 10.9 for both). Loren Murchison, the winner at the U.S. Trials, was left in the blocks after thinking that a recall gun was about to be fired, and wound up last in the 6-man field.
Unhappy with the living quarters on the ship that was carrying the U.S. team across the Atlantic to Antwerp, Paddock led the “Mutiny on the Matoika”, gathering signatures from his fellow athletes on a petition that asked for more suitable conditions when they arrived in the host city. A noble gesture, but the athletes’ plea apparently fell on deaf ears, with Paddock winding up renting his own apartment so he could better prepare for the Games.
Paddock went on to win the silver medal in the 200 in Antwerp, and ran the lead-off leg on the U.S. team that won the 4×100 relay. He competed in two more Olympics, winning the silver medal in the 200 in 1924.
After befriending Hollywood’s Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., on the trip to the 1924 Games in Paris, Paddock had a brief acting career. He enlisted in the Marines when World War II broke out, serving as a Morale Officer, and was killed in a plane crash in Alaska in 1943 while serving in that capacity.
It was a medal sweep for the U.S. in the 400-Meter Hurdles, with winner Frank Loomis setting a World Record of 54.0. Winning silver and bronze were John Norton (54.6e), who had set a WR of 54.2 for the slightly longer 440-yards event at the Western Trials earlier in the year, and August Desch (54.7e).
Finland’s Eero Lehtonen won the 1st of his 2 gold medals in the 5-event Pentathlon, while teammate Hugo Lahtinen won the bronze. Winning the silver medal was American Everett Bradley.
Medalists: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athletics_at_the_1920_Summer_Olympics
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