V 7 N. 72 More Great Pictures Leichtathletik

Here are some photos of the 1972 Olympic Trials in Eugene, some from Munich that same year and a variety of others featuring American runners in the pages of Leichtathletik the German Track and Field magazine during 1972 and several other years.  Many of these are of events we've seen in American press but these are from different photographers from slightly different angles. If we don't get a Cease and Desist Order, we will continue posting more pictures from Leichtathletik featuring German runners and other Euros.  Thanks to John Cobley for the loan from  his collection.

Left- Frank Shorter greeting Jeff Galloway at the end of the 10,000 in Eugene Olympic Trials 1972.
Third runner possibly Bill Clark (lapped)  as suggested by one of our readers Tom P.  Thanks for the correction.  .  Right- Jim Ryun storming to the win over Dave Wottle and Bob Wheeler of Duke in the 1500 at Eugene.

Ian Stewart edging out Steve Prefontaine in the 5000 for the bronze medal in Munich

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Four photos of Dave Wottle winning the 800 over Euvgeny Arzhanov and Mike Boit

Jon Hendershott said...Awesome sequence of Wottle's '72 OG finish; every time I see that video, 

I still doubt Dave can win!

2.

Pre after a race in Bislett.  Looks like he may have won that day.
Yes, he did  7:44 in the 3000 meters

The victorious US 4x100 foursome of Larry Black, Robert Taylor, Gerald Tinker and Eddie Hart  taking a
victory lap after the disappointments of their losses to Valeriey Borzov in both sprints.  

Gerry Lindgren and Tracy Smith

Ryun putting the wraps on another mile.  This time in Compton in 3:55.9 over Sam Bair, Marty Liquori, and
Frank? Murphy (Ire).  Some 'experts' may question whether this is Compton.  We await your email.
Jon Hendershott tells us this is the L.A. Coliseum.  For some reason the Compton meet was held there that year.

" Pretty sure the Ryun mile finish is in the LA Coliseum, not Compton. Tho, I THINK the Compton Invite

 was held in the Coliseum, which always was confusing to me."  Jon Hendershott

The Chase Group in World XC behind Roelants and Taylor.  In picture Graham (GB), Wright (GB)
Tijou and Wadoux (FR), Charlie Messinger (US and Villanova), Haro  (SP)

Tom Farrell from a series called Lehrbildereihe  loosely Picture Studies

Randy Matson arriving in Duesseldorf with his wife.

Billy Mills and Lutz Philipp

Billy Mills again leading Lutz Philipp and Harold Norpoth

Bob Schul wearing the colors of the Dayton Athletic Club

Mills taking over from Clarke and Gammoudi and breaking Clarke's heart.
Clarke could only have been thinking  WTF.
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 Correction from Jon Hendershott

 In '64 OG sequence (another great one), Gammoudi actually is forcing his way between Mills & Clarke; this with about 300m to go in race. Mills has said that the move actually was to his advantage since he got pushed out into about lane 3 of the Tokyo track -- where the footing was more solid than the by-then-chewed-up curb lane. Billy actually made his winning move with 100m to go, heading into the final stretch. Another awesomely great finish.

Pat Traynor winning a US German dual meet in the steeplechase in 8:44.4 over Ludwig Muller

Prefontaine and Norpoth 

Charlie Greene and Tom Hill relaxing Jobst Hirscht.

Bob Beamon taking off on his WR long jump in Mexico while Adrian Paulson wearing hat, looks on.

George-

Bork was in the stadium across the track but same side of the stadium from the long jump when Beamon 'lifted off" and stunned the world ... and himself .. with a jump that projecting forward from the previous WR should not have taken place for nearly another 100 years based on the progression since 1936.  Yes he was farther from the center of the earth in Mexico City and yes the air presented less drag because of the altitude, but those two factors could not explain away the magnitude of his feat.  I believe a light rain had begun to fall and that it was Beamon's first jump.  He was never quite the same after.  It was simply too much to deal with.   He had very much on his plate during childhood that couldn't have prepared him for all the fame ... and questions.  He'd struggled through much of his career getting his steps down and fouling quite often.  But, in that moment, everything worked!  And I recall John telling me he'd wondered -- as Beamon reached the apogee of his jump -- if he was seeing things all that clearly as Beamon's hips were simply impossibly high.  Beamon's reaction to the jump once announced down on his knees on the track , head on the track, was a portent of what was ahead for him.  I've wondered if most all world records come as surprises to the new WRH in that for those moments however long or short, they are quite entirely "On, in "The Flow", as Michael Csiksgentmihalyi called it. And at some moment therein they take advantage of it.  Perhaps you've had that experience in a race or training where you seem to be indefatigable, found yourself testing yourself, your limits and finding on that occasion that they were suddenly stretched out very far in front of you.  That you almost couldn't get tired.  A novel, original and rare event,  And the question is how much of that was conjured up or came from the mind, was promoted or caused by where the athlete was in his or her life and that, in retrospect, in certain ways, that move into uncharted never before reached territory 'naturally' followed from the predisposing life events and recent experiences?  Or not.

Pointing out race walking fouls by two competitors in the Lugano
Cup,  Romansky US on left and Peter Frankel East Germany on the right.
Romansky appears to have both feet off the ground whereas it's not quite that clear in the case of Frankel.

Rules state   ".... it requires the competitor to maintain contact with the ground at all times and requires the leading leg to be straightened as the foot makes contact with the ground. It must remain straightened until the leg passes under the body."