by Alvin J. Paullay

Together with the Track & Field News Family, and indeed the family of track and field fans all over the world, I mourn the passing of Cordner Nelson. Cordner, together with brother Bert, was the man most responsible for bringing news and analysis of track and field performances from all parts of the globe, to fans who might receive little or no national or international news in their local newspapers. Track and field would be a much smaller sport today were it not for Cordner’s efforts.

I had occasion to be seated next to a college age youth at the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000, who asked if I would point out the most important of the track athletes as they warmed up. After identifying a few, I turned and pointed to that old but sturdy looking gent seated just a few seats away. "But the most important man here tonight," I said, "is that man over there:

Cordner Nelson, Founder of Track & Field News. Were it not for him, none of us would be here; the stadium would be empty. No one would know there was a track meet here, and in fact, there probably would not be one."

I first "met" Cordner in 1949, when I was a College Freshman. Someone had tacked the 1948 Olympic Issue of T&FN on the bulletin board in our track locker room, and although I thought of myself as a fan, having attended a few Madison Square Garden Meets, and having read the NY Times and Herald Tribune, I was astounded and delighted to be able to read the details of each of the Olympic events, written by experts, in great detail. Other news, totally unknown to me from the far corners of the world also appeared under the bylines of D.H. Potts, R.L. Quercetani, Harry Beinart, P.N. Heidenstrom, and all tied together by Bert and Cordner Nelson. "How magnificent," I thought, "that these two men could take track and field, their life’s passion, and make it their life’s work. I must join T&FN when I grow up," I thought (I was only 17), but in the meantime I subscribed to the magazine (and have continued to do so ever since, keeping and devouring every issue). I never did work for T&FN of course, other career choices called.

I won the 1951 T&FN National AAU Cross Country Prognosticators Club contest, picking the first five in order. This was not too difficult, I thought, being a New York area runner when all the top US distance runners were from the North-East; people I saw training regularly. But Cordner was impressed and noted my win in T&FN with the comment “with the amazingly low score…”. Many, many years later, when I finally met Cordner, he remembered the incident and recalled my name. I didn’t believe it was likely that he recalled all this at that time but as I grew to know Cordner better I came to realize that his prodigious memory did store even the most insignificant of details.

I actually met Cordner at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal, my first trip with TAFNOT (and my second Olympic Games). We exchanged a few words and then moved on. I must admit that I was in awe of Cordner when first we met, and in fact was pretty much in awe of him in the years that followed.

John Geer’s excellent story on Cordner on the T&FN website describes how Cordner loved to move around at a track meet taking the best seat for any particular event. At the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, I had obtained a seat for the handicapped (which I pretty much was at the time); high in the stadium (but at ground level) opposite the finish line. A great seat for the 100 meter dash which was the event coming up. Suddenly there was Cordner in the next seat. We spoke about this event. I had written my prediction for the winning time and showed it to Cordner: 9.84 (a world record). Cordner agreed in principle, and we watched the race.  My prediction was correct, but unfortunately, my reputation was tarnished as someone other than the athlete I had picked won the race, When I turned around again, Cordner was gone.

I had the good fortune to be assigned the same hotel as Cordner in Sydney in 2000. Neither of us felt we could make the morning sessions at the Stadium so we spent many mornings over breakfast and the TV, discussing our favorite track stories. We argued the merits of Mal Whitfield, Peter Snell, and Wilson Kipketer. I congratulated Cordner on what I thought was a great description of the 1992 Barcelona 10,000 as it had appeared in T&FN.  "How," he wondered, "should the IAAF have resolved the situation." I offered the following solution: Since Skah had received aid from his countryman, counter to IAAF rules, he should lose the gold medal, and Chelimo, who might have been able to win had he not been jostled and cut off by Boutayeb, be awarded first place. Since Skah had been so far ahead of third place and Boutayeb’s actions had no effect on Skah himself, Skah should be awarded second place. As for Boutayeb, he should have been banned for life from track and field competition and suffer his hands to be chopped off (or whatever punishment would be appropriate to one who had so dishonored his country). Cordner concurred and offered a case in the 1930s when an athlete was denied the first place medal but given second. A precedent.

Our paths crossed at Eugene the following year and we next met at Stanford in 2003, at a get-together at Foxhaus. Many top fans were there and many things were discussed. John George amused us all with a discussion of movies featuring a different Olympic Games. Which was the best? My vote, as did Cordner’s, went to "Chariots of Fire."

I did not see Cordner in Helsinki 2005 (I was suffering the effects of an almost completely blocked coronary artery and was not able to get around), and Cordner was not up to making Osaka and Beijing. I skipped both those meets as well. But I did attend Berlin 2009, and had a terrific time and saw some great racing. I thought of Cordner then and thought it a terrible shame that he was not able to make it to Berlin. How he would have loved this wonderful trip.

Let me close by offering special condolences to the staff of Track and Field News: to you, Ed, and to Nancy, to Garry, to Janet, to Jon, and to the rest of that "band of brothers" (and sisters) who strive tirelessly to keep alive the torch that Cordner Nelson lit and carried for so long.

AJP