DOCSLIB.ORG

Roger Bannister How Roger Bannister Changed Modern-Day Running By

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Roger Bannister How Roger Bannister Changed Modern-Day Running By Roger Bannister How Roger Bannister Changed Modern-Day Running By: William Sylvester Junior Individual Paper 2,050 words 1 Roger Bannister was a British runner who ran in the 1940s and 1950s. He was the first person to break the four-minute-mile barrier. Roger Bannister’s accomplishment of breaking the four-minute mile barrier in 1954 had a sizeable impact on modern-day running because of his usage of interval training and his scientific research of the human body. Since 1954, over 500 people have run a mile in less than four minutes using training techniques inspired by Bannister. History of the Four-Minute-Mile Before Roger Bannister’s quest to run a sub-four-minute mile, civilizations have been running for millennia. In the ancient Greek Olympics, many of the events were footraces. Ancient Romans created the earliest mile, which equated to about 1,611 yards or 4,833 feet. In the early 1800s, Robert Barclay ran a 4:50 mile, a record at the time. Runners gradually chipped seconds off the record. In the late 1880s, Scottish runner William Cummings ran a record- breaking 4:20 mile. In 1884, British chemist Walter George reduced his time to 4:18.8. This set up the “Mile of the Century” which took place on August 23, 1886, between George and Cummings. 25,000 spectators packed the Lillie Bridge Grounds in London, England. George narrowly beat Cummings. In 1915, American Norman Taber broke George’s record by 0.2 seconds. The record was broken eight years later, by Finnish engineer Paavo Nurmi. Nurmi ran a 4:10.4 in 1923. This was a major accomplishment because of how long it took Taber to break Walter George’s record by only 0.2 seconds. Nurmi inspired a wave of amateur runners to try to reduce the record. One of these runners was Jack Lovelock. Born in New Zealand, and raised in England, Lovelock ran a 2 4:07.6 mile in 1933 in Princeton, New Jersey. Gunder Haegg and Arne Andersson were two Swedish runners who both held the mile record three times from 1942 to 1945. Haegg set the record at 4:01.4 at a race in Malmo, Sweden on July 17th, 1945.1 Roger Bannister Roger Gilbert Bannister was born on March 23, 1929, in Harrow, Middlesex County, near London. His dad, Ralph Bannister, worked as a clerk. His mother, Alice, worked in a cotton mill. The Bannister family later moved to Bath, where Roger first discovered running. He came in first in his school's 2.5-mile cross-country race. Bannister tried other sports, including rugby and rowing, but running was his favorite.2 At the age of 17, Bannister enrolled in Exeter College in Oxford, England. He soon joined the Oxford athletic club, and he participated on the track team. In his first race for the college, he ran the mile in 4:52. At the age of 19, he was being considered to represent Britain for the 1948 London Olympics. Unfortunately, he did not make the team. This motivated him to begin training for the 1952 Helsinki Olympics. He began his training by traveling around the world, running in races. He did this to gain experience and to learn his opponents’ racing styles. In 1951, Bannister began medical school in London at St. Mary’s Hospital. Bannister trained by himself leading up to the Olympics. On the other hand, most of his fellow runners and competitors trained with a coach. Bannister received criticism for training by himself, but he still stayed with his methods. 1 Neal Bascomb, The Perfect Mile, published 2004, pg. 57-62. 2 Neal Bascomb, The Perfect Mile, published 2004, pg. 8-15. 3 1952 Helsinki Olympics Bannister qualified for the Helsinki Olympics in the 1,500-meter race, which is about 110 meters short of a mile. He ran a 1:52 half-mile race on May 28, 1952. This performance silenced the critics who thought it was ill-advised to train without a coach. To avoid media coverage, Bannister and his fellow runner, Chris Chataway, left for the Olympics later than the rest of the British team. Eventually, Bannsiter traveled to Helsinki where he qualified for the 1,500-meter final. Unfortunately, Bannister had to run two qualifying races instead of the one he had anticipated. The night before the 1,500-meter final Bannister had trouble sleeping. He was anxious to run against the best middle-distance runners in the world with little time to recover after the qualifying races. The fact that Chataway, his roommate, fell down in the final lap of his 5,000-meter race put pressure on Bannister to win a medal. Additionally, the British Olympians had underperformed in the rest of the games. They did not win a single gold medal. These details added to Bannister’s anxiety. The 1,500-meter final was set to take place on July 26, 1952. The German runner, Werner Lueg, started out leading, and at the 800-meter mark, Bannister was in fifth place. Bannister, known for his finishing kick, tried to sprint with 180 meters left. Fatigued from running the qualifying heats two days in a row, Bannister couldn’t accelerate. He ended up in fourth place with a time of 3:45.2, disappointing many British fans. 3 3 Jones, Matt. “Sir Roger Bannister Dies at 88; Was 1st Person to Run a Mile in Under 4 Minutes.” Bleacher Report, Bleacher Report, 30 Mar. 2018, bleacherreport.com/articles/2762583-sir-roger-bannister-dies-at-88-was-1st- person-to-run-a-mile-in-under-4-minutes. 4 To try to overcome the Olympic loss, Bannister determined to redeem himself. He set a goal to train to become the first person to break the four-minute mile barrier. American Wes Santee and Australian John Landy rivaled Bannister in the quest to run a sub-four-minute mile. Wes Santee had placed 13th in the 5,000-meter race at the Helsinki Olympics. Santee was a runner at the University of Kansas, under the famed coach Bill Easton. Unlike Bannister, John Landy failed to advance in the 1,500-meter qualifying race at Helsinki. Bannister, Santee, and Landy trained individually to break the barrier of the four-minute-mile. In late 1952, John Landy ran a 4:02.1 mile. After the race, many people questioned whether a sub-four-minute mile was possible. A great coach, Brutus Hamilton, had published a book named “The Ultimate of Human Effort” in 1935. He stated the fastest anyone can run a mile was 4:01.6. Bannister knew he needed to prove the doubters wrong. While balancing his medical studies, Bannister continued to train on his own. He thought he could get the best out of himself without a coach. During his training, he ran interval workouts on a track. His theory: he needed to run specific distances faster every training session. Interval training, like Bannister’s, is still used today to help athletes perform at their peak. Unlike other runners of his time, who spent the majority of their day training, Bannister ran short, efficient workouts. The Science of Running In his free time, he studied the effects of different levels of oxygen on the human body. In one experiment he and a friend ran on a treadmill until exhaustion set in while breathing varying levels of oxygen. He observed his oxygen consumption, lactic acid levels, and carbon dioxide levels. Bannister noticed that runners ran longer while breathing 66% oxygen instead of 5 100% oxygen. He deduced that the human heart couldn’t use the 100% oxygen as efficiently as the 66% oxygen. In his experiments, he learned that once the body stops using oxygen for fuel the muscles produce lactic acid.4 Lactic acid causes pain and cramping in muscles, which makes running difficult and painful. Scientists have confirmed this discovery today. His knowledge of how the heart and lungs worked was very advanced for his time. Bannister discovered several ways to use less oxygen to run faster. Bannister improved his running form to eliminate unnecessary motion. He also tried to run at an even pace to increase the efficiency of his oxygen consumption. Bannisterle, but he was waiting for the opportunity. The chance came on May 6th, 1954. Breaking the Four-Minute-Mile On May 6th, 1954, Roger Bannister became the first person to run a mile in less than four minutes. The race took place at a track meet between the British Amateur Athletic Association (AAA) and the University of Oxford at the Iffley Road Track in Oxford, England. The mile race was set to begin at 6:00 p.m. on a very windy and rainy day. Luckily for the runners, the clouds cleared up, and the rain slowed at about 5:45 p.m. Bannister called the weather “stupid”, and he almost didn’t participate in the race.5 Bannister and his pacesetters decided to vote on whether to attempt the record-breaking run. After voting they decided to go on with the race. The race took place on a 440-yard track (four laps equals one mile). The wind speeds registered at 15 mph during the race.6 Six runners competed in the mile event. Alan Gordon 4 Neal Bascomb, The Perfect Mile, published 2004, pg. 91-94 5 Reuter News Agencey. “Bannister Achieves Magical Mile on 3:59.4 Mark.” Salt Lake City Tribune, 7 May 1954, p. D1. 6 Reuter News Agencey. “Bannister Achieves Magical Mile on 3:59.4 Mark.” Salt Lake City Tribune, 7 May 1954, p.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • © 21St Century Math Projects
    © 21st Century Math Projects Project Title: Mile Run Standard Focus: Data Analysis, Patterns, Algebra & Time Range: 3-4 Days Functions Supplies: TI Graphing Technology Topics of Focus: - Scatterplots - Creating and Applying Regression Functions - Interpolation & Extrapolation of Data Benchmarks: 4. For a function that models a relationship between two quantities, interpret key Interpreting F-IF features of graphs and tables in terms of the quantities, and sketch graphs showing key Functions features given a verbal description of the relationship. 6. Calculate and interpret the average rate of change of a function (presented Interpreting F-IF symbolically or as a table) over a specified interval. Estimate the rate of change from a Functions graph.★ Building Functions F-BF 1. Write a function that describes a relationship between two quantities.★ Interpreting 6a. Fit a function to the data; use functions fitted to data to solve problems in the Categorical and S-ID context of the data. Use given functions or choose a function suggested by the context. Quantitative Data Emphasize linear and exponential models. Interpreting Categorical and S-ID 6c. Fit a linear function for a scatter plot that suggests a linear association. Quantitative Data Procedures: A.) Students will use Graphing Calculator Technology to make scatterplots using data from the “Mile Run Chart”. (Graphing Calculator Instructions insert included) B.) Students will complete the three parts of the Mile Run Project. © 21st Century Math Projects The Mile Run In 1593, the English Parliament declared that 5,280 feet would equal 1 mile. Ever since, a mile run has become a staple fitness test everywhere -- from militaries to the high school gyms.
    [Show full text]
  • Finland in the Olympic Games Medals Won in the Olympics
    Finland in the Olympic Games Medals won in the Olympics Medals by winter sport Medals by summer sport Sport Gold Silver Bronz Total e Sport Gol Silv Bron Total Athletics 48 35 31 114 d er ze Wrestling 26 28 29 83 Cross-country skiing 20 24 32 76 Gymnastics 8 5 12 25 Ski jumping 10 8 4 22 Canoeing 5 2 3 10 Speed skating 7 8 9 24 Shooting 4 7 10 21 Nordic combined 4 8 2 14 Rowing 3 1 3 7 Freestyle skiing 1 2 1 4 Boxing 2 1 11 14 Figure skating 1 1 0 2 Sailing 2 2 7 11 Biathlon 0 5 2 7 Archery 1 1 2 4 Weightlifting 1 0 2 3 Ice hockey 0 2 6 8 Modern pentathlon 0 1 4 5 Snowboarding 0 2 1 3 Alpine skiing 0 1 0 1 Swimming 0 1 3 4 Curling 0 1 0 1 Total* 100 84 116 300 Total* 43 62 57 162 Paavo Nurmi • Paavo Johannes Nurmi born in 13th June 1897 • Was a Finnish middle-long-distance runner. • Nurmi set 22 official world records at distance between 1500 metres and 20 kilometres • He won a total of nine gold and three silver medals in his twelve events in the Olympic Games. • 1924 Olympics, Paris Lasse Virén • Lasse Arttu Virén was born in 22th July 1949. • He is a Finnish former long-distance runner • Winner of four gold medals at the 1972 and 1976 Summer Olympics. • München 10 000m Turin Olympics 2006 Ice Hockey • In the winter Olymipcs year 2006 in Turin, the Finnish ice hockey team won Russia 4-0 in the semifinal.
    [Show full text]
  • Athlete-Training-Schedule-Template
    Arthur Lydiard’s Athletic Training Training Summary for Middle Distance and Distance Running based on the Lydiard Principles Edited and footnotes added by Nobby Hashizume TABLE OF CONTENTS 1) Arthur Lydiard – A Brief Biography 2) Introduction to the Lydiard System 3) Marathon Conditioining 4) Hill Resistance 5) Track Training 6) How to Set-out a Training Schedule 7) Training Considerations 8) The Schedule 9) Race Week/Non-Race Week Schedules 10) Running a Marathon 11) When You Run a Marathon, Be Sure That You… 12) How to Lace Your Shoes 13) Nutritions and More 14) Training Terms 15) Glossary 16) Training Schedule for 10km (sample) 17) Training Schedule (Your Own) 18) Lecture Notes 1 ARTHUR LYDIARD – A BRIEF BIOGRAPHY Arthur Lydiard was born by Eden Park, New Zealand, in 1917. In school, he ran and boxed, but was most interested in rugby football. Because of the Great Depression of the 1920’s, Lydiard dropped out of school at 16 to work in a shoe factoryc. Lydiard figured he was pretty fit until Jack Dolan, president of the Lynndale Athletic Club in Auckland and an old man compared to Lydiard, took him on a five-mile training jog. Lydiard was completely exhausted and was forced to rethink his concept of fitness. He wondered what he would feel like at 47, if at 27 he was exhausted by a five-mile run. Lydiard began training according to the methods of the time, but this only confused him further. At the club library he found a book by F.W. Webster called “The Science of Athletics.” But Lydiard soon decided that the schedules offered by Webster were being too easy on him, so he began experimenting to find out how fit he could get.
    [Show full text]
  • 2016 Olympic Games Statistics – Men's 10000M
    2016 Olympic Games Statistics – Men’s 10000m by K Ken Nakamura Record to look for in Rio de Janeiro: 1) Last time KEN won gold at 10000m is back in 1968. Can Kamworor, Tanui or Karoki change that? 2) Can Mo Farah become sixth runner to win back to back gold? Summary Page: All time Performance List at the Olympic Games Performance Performer Time Name Nat Pos Venue Year 1 1 27:01.17 Kenenisa Bekele ETH 1 Beijing 2008 2 2 27:02.77 Sileshi Sihine ETH 2 Beijing 2008 3 3 27:04.11 Micah Kogo KEN 3 Beijing 2008 4 4 27:04.11 Moses Masai KEN 4 Beijing 2008 5 27:05.10 Kenenisa Bekele 1 Athinai 2004 6 5 27:05.11 Zersenay Tadese ERI 5 Beijing 2008 7 6 27:06.68 Haile Gebrselassie ETH 6 Beijing 2008 8 27:07.34 Haile Gebrselassie 1 Atlanta 1996 Slowest winning time since 1972: 27:47.54 by Alberto Cova (ITA) in 1984 Margin of Victory Difference Winning time Name Nat Venue Year Max 47.8 29:59.6 Emil Zatopek TCH London 1948 18.68 27:47.54 Alberto Cova ITA Los Angeles 1984 Min 0.09 27:18.20 Haile Gebrselassie ETH Sydney 2000 Second line is largest margin since 1952 Best Marks for Places in the Olympics Pos Time Name Nat Venue Year 1 27:01.17 Kenenisa Bekele ETH Beijing 2008 2 27:02.77 Sileshi Sihine ETH Beijing 2008 3 27:04.11 Micah Kogo KEN Beijing 2008 4 27:04.11 Moses Masai KEN Beijing 2008 5 27:05.11 Zersenay Tadese ERI Beijing 2008 6 27:06.68 Haile Gebrselassie ETH Beijing 2008 7 27:08.25 Martin Mathathi KEN Beijing 2008 Multiple Gold Medalists: Kenenisa Bekele (ETH): 2004, 2008 Haile Gebrselassie (ETH): 1996, 2000 Lasse Viren (FIN): 1972, 1976 Emil
    [Show full text]
  • Never Quit the Following Story Is from the Book Never Quit by Glenn Cunningham
    YOUR KANSAS STORIES OUR HISTORICAL 1-12 HISTORY SOCIETY Read Kansas! By the Kansas State Historical Society Never Quit The following story is from the book Never Quit by Glenn Cunningham. This book is an autobiography. It was published in 1981 when Cunningham was 72 years old. The 1936 Berlin Olympics There was some confusion at the start as runners jostled one another for position. But I was used to this, and I lay back, moving to the outer edge of the pack, running easily and waiting for an opening. The crowd was noisy. I knew they wouldn’t be yelling like that for long. In less than four minutes they would be applauding the winners and forgetting the losers. But I was not going to lose. At 27, this could be my last chance to prove myself. The noise of the crowd throbbed in my ears, modulated by the pounding of my heart. I was pouring on the power when suddenly my legs began to hurt. Panic. Again the pain, the aching. Would it never go away?… At the halfway point in the race a swift Frenchman took the lead. I decided to overtake him. I was about to pass the man when my right leg suddenly buckled! I nearly fell. I recovered at once. But now new pains stabbed through my legs. Once more I started after the Frenchman. This time I passed him, and the crowd went wild. I had the lead!… We were in the stretch now. I lengthened my stride, fighting the pain. I pumped my arms harder.
    [Show full text]
  • Nick Willis Discipline: Middle Distance Running Specialist Events: 800M and 1500M
    CHAT with a Olympic Education CHAMPION Nick Willis Discipline: Middle distance running Specialist events: 800m and 1500m Nick Willis was born in Lower Hutt (near Wellington) in 1983.Running talent obviously runs in the Willis family, as Nick and his brother Steve are the only brothers in the history of New Zealand to run a mile in less than 4 minutes. When he was at Hutt Valley High School in January 2001, Nick became the fastest New Zealand student to run a mile in just 4 minutes and 1.33 seconds. After high school, Nick was awarded an athletics scholarship at the University of Michigan in the United States of America. He thrived in the environment, and his running went from strength to strength. He represented New Zealand at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games and the 2005 World Championships, reaching the semi- final each time. At the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games, Nick took the Gold Medal in the 1500m. In 2008, he reached the final of the 1500m at the Beijing Olympic Games. After a tight race, Nick finished third to claim the Bronze Medal. In 2009, the winner of the race, Rashid Ramzi, was disqualified because of a positive drug test. So Nick’s Bronze Medal was upgraded to a Silver. (For further information on Nick’s experiences at the 2008 Olympic Games, see “It Pays to Play Fair” in the Living the Olympic Values resource, http:// www.olympic.org.nz/education/living-olympic-values) At the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, Nick was recovering from knee surgery, but he didn’t let this stop him from winning the Bronze Medal.
    [Show full text]
  • List of International Competitions 2021
    List of International Competitions 2021 This document constitutes the list of International Competitions at which the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) will conduct Testing in 2021 (sorted by the category of competition). The list will be published on the AIU and World Athletics’ websites and may be updated or amended from time to time to take account of changes to the 2021 competition calendar arising from the current global pandemic 1. It also serves as the definitive list of International Competitions for the purposes of determining whether an Athlete is an International-Level Athlete pursuant to Rule 1.4.4(b) of the 2021 World Athletics Anti-Doping Rules (2021 ADR)2. WORLD ATHLETICS SERIES 2021 MAY 01-02 World Athletics Relays Silesia, POL AUG 17-22 World Athletics U20 Championships Nairobi, KEN WORLD ATHLETICS INDOOR TOUR 2021 (GOLD) JAN 29 Indoor Meeting - Karlsruhe Karlsruhe, GER FEB 02 27. Banskobystrická latka - High Jump Men Banská Bystrica, SVK 09 Meeting Hauts-de-France Pas-de-Calais Liévin, FRA 13 New Balance Indoor Grand Prix Boston, USA 17 Copernicus Cup Torun, POL 24 Villa de Madrid Madrid, ESP WORLD ATHLETICS CROSS COUNTRY PERMITS 2021 FEB 02 44th Almond Blossom Cross Country Albufeira, POR San Giorgio su MAR 21 64°Campaccio-International Cross Country Legnano, ITA 28 89th Cinque Mulini San Vittore Olona, ITA TBC TBC Cross de Atapuerca TBC Burgos, ESP TBC TBC Cross Internacional de Soria TBC Soria, ESP TBC TBC Cross Internacional de la Constitucion TBC Alcobendas, ESP 1 This published list of International Competitions is without limitation to the AIU’s authority to conduct Testing at Competitions under Rule 5.1.3 2021 ADR.
    [Show full text]
  • Hannes Kolehmainen in the United States, 1912– 1921 By: Adam Berg, Mark Dyreson Berg, A
    The Flying Finn's American Sojourn: Hannes Kolehmainen in the United States, 1912– 1921 By: Adam Berg, Mark Dyreson Berg, A. & Dyreson, M. (2012). The Flying Finn’s American Sojourn: Hannes Kolehmainen in the United States, 1912-1921. International Journal of the History of Sport, 29(7), 1035-1059. doi: 10.1080/09523367.2012.679025 This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in International Journal of the History of Sport on 15 May 2012, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/09523367.2012.679025 Made available courtesy of Taylor & Francis: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09523367.2012.679025 ***© Taylor & Francis. Reprinted with permission. No further reproduction is authorized without written permission from Taylor & Francis. This version of the document is not the version of record. Figures and/or pictures may be missing from this format of the document. *** Abstract: Shortly after he won three gold medals and one silver medal in distance running events at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics, Finland's Hannes Kolehmainen immigrated to the United States. He spent nearly a decade living in Brooklyn, plying his trade as a mason and dominating the amateur endurance running circuit in his adopted homeland. He became a naturalised US citizen in 1921 but returned to Finland shortly thereafter. During his American sojourn, the US press depicted him simultaneously as an exotic foreign athlete and as an immigrant shaped by his new environment into a symbol of successful assimilation. Kolehmainen's career raised questions about sport and national identity – both Finnish and American – about the complexities of immigration during the floodtide of European migration to the US, and about native and adopted cultures in shaping the habits of success.
    [Show full text]
  • I Was So Much Older Then, I Am Younger Than That
    MONDAY MULLIGAN "I WAS SO MUCH OLDER THEN, I’M YOUNGER THAN THAT NOW" By Ron Sirak • @ronsirak Sept. 19, 2016 Anyone old enough to remember the ‘60s, or curious enough to study history, especially that of music, will recognize those words as the work of Bob Dylan from his 1964 song My Back Pages. What he was saying was that he used to live in a world of limitations created by over-simplified ideas. But as he got older he came to appreciate the unlimited possibilities of imagination. We may be on the verge of re-imagining what is possible in golf. Recently, Jim Furyk shot the first 58 on the PGA Tour. And over the weekend, In Gee Chun broke the major-championship scoring record in relation to par for men and women at Evian by finishing at 21 under par. Are they the Roger Bannister of golf? After the Englishman broke the 4-minute mile in 1954 the floodgates in running opened. The unbreakable barrier was broken again and again and now the world record is 3 minutes and 43 seconds. Will we now see scoring records in golf go lower and lower? My friends Lynn Marriott and Pia Nilsson teach VISION54. That’s the peak- performance approach to the game that makes the goal not a par on every hole, but a birdie – a 54 on a par-72 course. It’s all about imagining the impossible and making it your reality. Furyk and Chun have redefined what’s possible. One of the many things I love about sports is that it speeds up the time frame of human existence and tears down the walls restricting imagination.
    [Show full text]
  • Andrew Richard Meyer, Phd
    Andrew Richard Meyer, PhD. ______________________________________________________________________________ Baylor University Department of Health, Human Performance and Recreation One Bear Place #97313 Waco, TX 76798 USA Phone: (254) 710-4030 Email: [email protected] ______________________________________________________________________________ A. EDUCATION Graduate: PhD University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Department of May 2010 Kinesiology & Community Health Major - Kinesiology Cognate - Cultural, Pedagogical, & Interpretive Sport Studies Dissertation: Contemporary American Sport, Muscular Christianity, Lance Armstrong and Religious Experience MS University of Montana August 2003 Major - Philosophy Concentration - Teaching Ethics Thesis: Moral Requirements for Today’s Professional Athletes Undergraduate: BS Bridgewater State College, Bridgewater, MA May 2001 Major – Philosophy B. CHRONOLOGY OF PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE Assistant Professor in Sport Foundations Department of Health, Human Performance and Recreation, Baylor University 2013-current Visiting Assistant Professor in Sport Foundations Department of Health, Human Performance and Recreation, Baylor University 2012-2013 Instructor, Part-Time Faculty Department of Health, Human Performance and Recreation, Baylor University 2010 – 2012 Instructor, Teaching Assistant, and Graduate Assistant Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign 2006 – 2010 Andrew Richard Meyer, PhD. Instructor Department of Natural Science, Parkland College,
    [Show full text]
  • Our Part in Four-Minute Mile History
    Our part in four-minute mile history Bruce McAvaney addressed a dinner in Melbourne recently, to commemorate Australian John Landy's first sub-four-minute mile and world record, run 50 years ago, six weeks after Roger Bannister first went under four. This is the transcript of his speech. "Here is the result of event No.9, the one mile: No. 41, R G Bannister, of the Amateur Athletic Association and formerly of Exeter and Merton Colleges, with a time that is a new meeting and track record, and which, subject to ratification, with be a new English native, British National, British all-comers, European, British Empire and World Record. The time is 3…." That's arguably the most famous cue, let alone understated announcement in athletics history…3 Minutes, 59.4 seconds! He was a formidable character, the announcer. Norris McWhirter died earlier this year, unfortunately just before the 50th anniversary of the first sub-four minute mile. McWhirter apparently had rehearsed assiduously the night before, in his bath, and it was through him that the BBC, the newsreel camera and most of the print media were present that day. McWhirter, and his twin Ross, who was gunned down in 1975 by the IRA, were joint founders and editors of the Guinness Book of Records. McWhirter had a sense of humour. Here in Melbourne at the 1956 Olympics, he told the story of a middle-aged Australian woman who, observing distressing scenes at the finish of the marathon exclaimed, "Cripes, how many qualify for the final?"… Back to Bannister, and the race: is it the sport's finest achievement? How does the 3.59.4 stack up with other athletic landmarks? Classics such as our own Ron Clarke's 27:39.4 in Oslo in 1965, a 35 second improvement on the previous mark.
    [Show full text]
  • 100M Mens Compiled by Andrew Pirie Vice President of the ATFS
    100M Mens qf. 1 May 2019-5 April 2020 qf. 1 Dec 2020-29 June 2021 Compiled by Andrew Pirie Vice President of the ATFS Rank Mark Competitor DOB Nat Pos Venue Date 1 9.76 0.6 Christian COLEMAN 6-Mar-96 USA 1f Khalifa International Stadium, Doha (QAT) 28-Sep-19 2 9.86 0.9 Noah LYLES 18-Jul-97 USA 1 Shanghai Stadium, Shanghai (CHN) 18-May-19 3 9.86 0.8 Divine ODUDURU 7-Oct-96 NGR 1 Austin, TX (USA) 7-Jun-19 Cobb Track and Angell Field, Palo Alto, CA 4 9.87 -0.1 Justin GATLIN 10-Feb-82 USA 2 30-Jun-19 (USA) 5 9.90 0.6 André DE GRASSE 10-Nov-94 CAN 3f Khalifa International Stadium, Doha (QAT) 28-Sep-19 6 9.93 0.5 Akani SIMBINE 21-Sep-93 RSA 1 Olympic Stadium, London (GBR) 20-Jul-19 7 9.93 1.9 Arthur CISSÉ 29-Dec-96 CIV 1 Leverkusen (GER) 24-Jul-19 8 9.94 1.3 Tlotliso Gift LEOTLELA 12-May-98 RSA 1 UJ Stadium, Johannesburg (RSA) 14-May-21 9 9.95 0.5 Zharnel HUGHES 13-Jul-95 GBR 2 Olympic Stadium, London (GBR) 20-Jul-19 10 9.95 1.5 Lamont Marcell JACOBS 26-Sep-94 ITA 1h2 Centro Sportivo Fontanassa, Savona (ITA) 13-May-21 11 9.96 0.4 Yohan BLAKE 26-Dec-89 JAM 1 Kingston (JAM) 21-Jun-19 12 9.96 1.7 Aaron BROWN 27-May-92 CAN 1sf3 Montreal (CAN) 26-Jul-19 Complexe Sportif Prince Moulay Abdellah, 13 9.96 1.6 Raymond EKEVWO 23-Mar-99 NGR 1 27-Aug-19 Rabat (MAR) 14 9.97 0.9 Reece PRESCOD 29-Feb-96 GBR 4 Shanghai Stadium, Shanghai (CHN) 18-May-19 15 9.97 0.8 Abdul Hakim SANI BROWN 6-Mar-99 JPN 3 Austin, TX (USA) 7-Jun-19 16 9.97 1.5 Benjamin AZAMATI-KWAKU 14-Jan-98 GHA 1h8 Mike A.
    [Show full text]