Alan Helffrich
Athletics competitor
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's athletics | ||
Representing the  United States | ||
| Olympic Games | ||
 | 1924 Paris | 4x400 metres relay |
Alan Boone Helffrich (August 7, 1900 – February 3, 1994) was an American athlete, winner of gold medal in 4 × 400 m relay at the 1924 Summer Olympics.[1]
Born in Yonkers, New York, Alan Helffrich was one of America's greatest middle-distance runners in the 1920s. Helffrich won the AAU titles in 880 yd in 1921, 1922 and 1925. As a Pennsylvania State University student, he won the NCAA championships in 880 yd in 1922 and 1923 and IC4A championships in 880 yd in 1923 and in 440 yd in 1924.
At the Paris Olympics, Helffrich ran the final leg in the American 4 × 400 m relay team, which won the gold medal with a new world record of 3.16.0. Helffrich was the only runner to defeat Paavo Nurmi when the Finn toured the United States in 1925, scoring a victory in the half-mile run at the Yankee Stadium.[2] He ended Nurmi's 121-race win streak that had started in 1921.[3]
After his running career, Helffrich officiated at athletics meets in New York City from 1930 to 1955 and served, until his death at age 93, as president of the New York Chapter of the United States Olympians.
See also
References
- ^ "Alan Helffrich". Olympedia. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
- ^ "Alan Helffrich Hands Paavo Nurmi His First Defeat in Five Years". The Meriden Daily Journal. 27 May 1925. p. 8. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
- ^ Raevuori, Antero (1997). Paavo Nurmi, juoksijoiden kuningas (in Finnish) (2nd ed.). WSOY. pp. 433–439. ISBN 978-9510218501.
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- 1908:
William Hamilton, Nathaniel Cartmell, John Taylor, Mel Sheppard (USA)
- 1912:
Mel Sheppard, Edward Lindberg, Ted Meredith, Charles Reidpath (USA) - 1920:
Cecil Griffiths, Robert Lindsay, John Ainsworth-Davis, Guy Butler (GBR) - 1924: Commodore Cochran, Alan Helffrich, Oliver Macdonald, William Stevenson (USA)
- 1928: George Baird, Emerson Spencer, Fred Alderman, Ray Barbuti (USA)
- 1932: Ivan Fuqua, Ed Ablowich, Karl Warner, Bill Carr (USA)
- 1936: Freddie Wolff, Godfrey Rampling, Bill Roberts, Godfrey Brown (GBR)
- 1948: Arthur Harnden, Cliff Bourland, Roy Cochran, Mal Whitfield (USA)
- 1952:
Arthur Wint, Leslie Laing, Herb McKenley, George Rhoden (JAM) - 1956: Charles Jenkins Sr., Lou Jones, Jesse Mashburn, Tom Courtney (USA)
- 1960:
Jack Yerman, Earl Young, Glenn Davis, Otis Davis (USA) - 1964: Ollan Cassell, Mike Larrabee, Ulis Williams, Henry Carr (USA)
- 1968: Vincent Matthews, Ron Freeman, Larry James, Lee Evans (USA)
- 1972:
Charles Asati, Munyoro Nyamau, Robert Ouko, Julius Sang (KEN) - 1976: Herman Frazier, Benny Brown, Fred Newhouse, Maxie Parks (USA)
- 1980:
Remigijus Valiulis, Mikhail Linge, Nikolay Chernetskiy, Viktor Markin (URS) - 1984: Sunder Nix, Ray Armstead, Alonzo Babers, Antonio McKay (USA)
- 1988: Danny Everett, Steve Lewis, Kevin Robinzine, Butch Reynolds, Antonio McKay, Andrew Valmon (USA)
- 1992: Andrew Valmon, Quincy Watts, Michael Johnson, Steve Lewis, Darnell Hall, Charles Jenkins Jr. (USA)
- 1996: LaMont Smith, Alvin Harrison, Derek Mills, Anthuan Maybank, Jason Rouser (USA)
- 2000:
Clement Chukwu, Jude Monye, Sunday Bada, Enefiok Udo-Obong, Nduka Awazie, Fidelis Gadzama (NGR) - 2004: Otis Harris, Derrick Brew, Jeremy Wariner, Darold Williamson, Andrew Rock, Kelly Willie (USA)
- 2008: LaShawn Merritt, Angelo Taylor, David Neville, Jeremy Wariner, Kerron Clement, Reggie Witherspoon (USA)
- 2012:
Chris Brown, Demetrius Pinder, Michael Mathieu, Ramon Miller (BAH) - 2016: Arman Hall, Tony McQuay, Gil Roberts, LaShawn Merritt, Kyle Clemons, David Verburg (USA)
- 2020: Michael Cherry, Michael Norman, Bryce Deadmon, Rai Benjamin, Trevor Stewart, Randolph Ross, Vernon Norwood (USA)
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