Forgotten White Athletes?

Just think about the times that Allan Wells would have run if he had access to modern-day Jamaican yams!

Here's another long forgotten white sprinter - Bill Woodhouse - who just died
http://www.acusports.com/news/2014/1/10/TRACK_0110142222.aspx

I remember in HS finding an old track book in the library either about him or written by him, and was surprised that I had never heard of him.
He twice tied the world record of 9.3 in the 100 yard dash in the late 50s! Those times are about as fast as any white American sprinters these days, and were run on dirt tracks. It's hard to believe we don't have more American guys capable of this these days.....
I also liked it that he looked so nerdy with those old-fashioned glasses. I'm sure his competitors took one look at him and assumed he would come in last place.
Anyway, I think it's worth mentioning guys like him who were caste busters years and years ago.

Here' another article about Bill Woodhouse, a little more in-depth.
http://globegazette.com/sports/wood...cle_4f56c343-1631-5063-9948-66b830691776.html

Interesting to note that he was a teammate of Bobby Morrow at Abilene Christian University. Two of the fastest guys in the world running for the same school.
Another thing I didn't know - he tied the HS record for the 100 yd dash.

brilliant stuff lads... also aussie damian marsh 1993 thru 1995 ....aussie 4 by 100 meter wc silver 1995 gothenburg....:icon_wink:

I found this today after searching for years on and off. You'd swear my fave all-time Australian sprinter Damien Marsh almost doesn't exist let alone win it

Kathy Cook interview. What a lovely normal lady she is. This woman is still Britain's best ever sprinter over 100/200/400 with 11.10, 22.10, 49.43
Husband Gary has a 1.44.54 800 metre PR.
Pity those kids never followed in their footsteps

mastermulti said:

I found this today after searching for years on and off. You'd swear my fave all-time Australian sprinter Damien Marsh almost doesn't exist let alone win it

Click to expand...

That's as bad as it gets when it comes to biased coverage.

Strange. I'd read of this result in T & F News back then. Seeing the race, and in particular the photo finish, we see Marsh barely edging Christie and Drummond. Then after the footage of Donovans leg being attended to, we see the then clown prince of sprints, Jon Drummond, with the victory bouquet taking his bows? I'm confused.
I can imagine the tantrum temperamental Jon must have subsequently thrown when learning the officials had changed the results.
Zurich is such a 1st-class operation. I can't imagine an official deciding, without confirmation in a close race, to take it upon himself to award a winner. I want to see the footage of Drummond shoving the flowers down that guys throat, and accusing the Swiss of racism.

That video is amazing!! Not until they show the results would the average watcher even know he was in the race.

I wonder how it would've played out had he had a center lane. Winning against a top field like that from lane 1 is tough.

limitless said:

That video is amazing!! Not until they show the results would the average watcher even know he was in the race.

I wonder how it would've played out had he had a center lane. Winning against a top field like that from lane 1 is tough.

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Kind of like spotting a polar bears nose in a blizzard.

The reason he is my favourite home grown sprinter is his attitude. He went to train in an all black squad coached by Manley Waller in the States early that year (1995). He told us back home he realized he'd been training like a school boy up until then. Here's the result after one season.
When asked the inevitable black/white thing thoughts his reply was "there's only ever been one me. I don't know yet how good I can be".
Unfortunately his achilles turned to mush during the Drake (or Penn)Relays next season and he never regained the confidence to push it that hard again.

here is my (poor) video play of it posted to youtube some time ago. The tape was nearly past its use by date but it shows the race and his running form in slo-mo. Smooth power, great knee lift.

Steve Brimacombe (the short guy) was a professional, handicap race runner and that made him tough as teak. Competed in Stawell Gift.
The other three were all 6'1, 6'2 guys with quite high top speed

Just a bit of fun. Where are they today?
Matt's done well for himself
http://www.domain.com.au/news/sydne...cks-with-mosman-home-listing-20160505-gomx7b/

Mike Agostini, a white sprinter from Trinidad has died.
He was a world record holder and came 6th at the 1956 Olympics in the 100m.
Here is an article about him.
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...1/news-story/929d54f89ee4d34b8401483974a37e7c

Thanks for the article. I'm not in Australia for the moment and missed this news.
I know his sister Noreen from my masters track days. She still competes.

Interesting how Australia has always thrown up talented sprinters .,,,,i.e. those with some serious potential .....pity the athletics federation don't back them enough ....

Here's a short article about Mark Lutz who was America's best white sprinter in the 70s.
He finished 3rd at the 1976 Olympic Trials in the 200m and competed at the Olympics in Montreal later that year.
http://www.postbulletin.com/sports/...cle_bbf14e99-3f32-5852-96db-46917ee39d4b.html

http://www.domain.com.au/news/matt-shirvington-scores-42-million-on-his-mosman-home-20160830-gr548o/

this is what our Matt looks like now - still super fit and I'm sure could make a great masters athlete. I wonder if his daughters run in Little A's yet

Have you guys heard of this guy?

SANTA ANA — There's nothing about Darel Newman that hints he was once one of the world's fastest men.

You wouldn't be surprised to hear he is a former football player. Newman has the look of a linebacker, stocky and solid. But speed doesn't seem to be part of the mix. Newman, 54, moves with the steady purpose of the longtime physical education teacher that he is at Santa Ana High.

But flash back to the mid-1960s and Newman is the "bald bullet" of Fresno State. This is a man who briefly shared the world record for 100 yards with Bob Hayes. Newman ran the 100 in 9.2 seconds (hand timed) and ran a world-record 5.9 seconds for 60 yards indoors.

Blessed with an extremely fast start--and already bald as a collegian, hence the nickname--he was ranked third in the world at 100 meters in 1965.


That was a golden age for track and field, when dual meets between nations drew huge crowds and worldwide attention.

Newman's apex of fame came in a United States versus Soviet Union meet in Kiev. Newman won the 100 meters in 10.03; he says it was the first competitive 100 to be electronically timed and the first event televised live from one continent to another.

Newman was named the male athlete of the meet and was swarmed by autograph seekers. "All of a sudden I was super famous in Russia," Newman said. "I was even assigned two KGB agents as bodyguards."

But upon returning home and graduating from Fresno State, Newman had to give up running and get a job. Although he had never played football, he was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in 1966. After a couple days in camp he decided to return to California to teach and coach.

His first job at Smedley (now Carr) Intermediate in Santa Ana was the start of 27 years as a track coach, including 11 at Santa Ana High. Fifteen years ago he became the Saints' girls' cross-country coach and in 1992 he took over the entire program, although he now mostly deals with administrative duties while Roger and Imelda Nava handle the day-to-day coaching.

Although it might seem incongruous, a sprinter coaching distance runners, Newman says he enjoys the simplicity of the sport. Still, his background makes him a prime target for ribbing from Athletic Director Frank Alvarado, a former cross-country runner.

"I often tease Darel that he never ran anything over 200 meters in his life," Alvarado said. "He just laughs and says that's because he was smart."

I have heard of Darel Newman.
It was before my time, but I used to pour over old issues of T&FN, and any white sprinter always caught my attention.
He was a top ranked guy in the mid-60s, which was a tough time to be a sprinter - there were so many good ones in the US then.
Another white sprinter from that era was Larry Questad of Stanford.
There were others (can't recall their names at the moment), but probably Newman and Questad were the best American ones of that era.

Paul Narracott was the best Australian sprinter of my era. Remembering we didn't do much electronic timing in the 70s and early 80s, Paul had a 10.26 PB and several 9.9 hand times in legal conditions which would have seen his PB around 10.15 if he'd had the opportunity to be electronically timed as often as many overseas athletes. This was while he was still at university fitting track in with his dental studies.
In those days white athletes competed as a sideline while getting their career qualifications.
I used to go live to see him run against people like Mel Latany, Alan Wells and Don Quarrie . He always pushed them close and made several world class finals.
Track was loads of fun in those days.
Notice how neither the interviewer or cameraman were prepared for anyone but Lewis to win

Then Paul got injured which wrecked his LA Games chances

he smoked Lewis......