This Day in Track & Field, August 29, Vladamir Kuts wins Euro Champs 5,000m in WR (1954), by Walt Murphy

Walt Murphy’s News and Results Service  ([email protected])

This Day in Track & Field—August 29

1954–Two World Records were set at the European Championships in Bern, Switzerland. Vladimir Kuts won the 5000 in 13:56.8 to set the 1^st of his 4 WRs in the event, and fellow Soviet Mikhail Krivonosov set the 1^st of his 6 WRs in the Hammer with his winning throw of 207-10 (63.34).

WR Progressions

5000: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5000_metres_world_record_progression

HT(conversions are unofficial): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Men%27s_hammer_throw_world_record_progression

1964–Bob Schul set a World Record of 8:26.4 for 2-miles in L.A. The previous record of 8:29.6 was set by France’s Michel Jazy in 1963. Finishing a distant 2^nd to Schul was one Billy Mills (8:45.6). Schul and Mills would win Olympic gold in the 5000 and 10,000, respectively, in Tokyo later in the year.

http://www.garycohenrunning.com/Interviews/Schul.aspx

1982–Bob Roggy set his 3rd American Record of the year in the javelin (“old” implement) by throwing an amazing 314-4 (95.20m) in Stuttgart. Roggy died in a tragic accident in 1986.

Accident

http://articles.latimes.com/1986-08-04/sports/sp-1104_1_javelin-thrower

Elliott Denman Remembers Roggy

http://www.runblogrun.com/2012/06/bob-roggy-column-by-elliott-denman-note-by-larry-eder.html

1984  Johnny Gray ran 1:42.96 in Koblenz, Germany, to set his 4^th American Record of the year (3^rd in just 6 days!)

Gray’s ARs

1:43.74  Los Angeles  June 19, 1984

1:43.28  Brussels  August 24, 1984

1:43.28  Cologne  August 26, 1984

1:42.96  Koblenz  August 29, 1984

1:42.60  Koblenz  August 28, 1985

(Broken by Donavan Brazier, who ran 1:42.34 in 2019)

Hall of Fame Bio: https://www.usatf.org/athlete-bios/johnny-gray

1986–Heike Drechsler ran 21.71 to win the Women’s 200 at the European Championships in Stuttgart, tying the World Record she already shared with fellow East German Marita Koch, who also ran 21.71 twice.

This was just one of four World Records set in Stuttgart (WJT-Fatima Whitbread-254-1 [77.44]), W400h-Marina Stepanova-53.32, MHT-Yuriy Syedikh-284-7 [86.74]).

WR Progression: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women’s_200_metres_world_record_progression

1987—After setting a World Record of 75-2 (22.91 in the Shot Put earlier in the month, Allessandro Andrei was hoping to treat Italian fans to a gold medal performance on the opening day of the…