Great Doublers

[gh]

This couldn't happen now that weightlifting has changed the nature of the throws so drastically, but how about Michigan's Bill Watson?

In 1938 NCAA he was 1st in the LJ, 3rd in the SP and 4th in the DT? And the next year finished 4-2-2.

Hard to imagine his not winning the Olympic decathlon in '40 or '44 had he had the chance.

You know what, Watson is so great I'm going to start his own thread for him.

[billthedog]

Les Steers was 54th in the world (205-2 7/8) in the javelin in 1941, the year he set the world record at 6-11.

[billthedog]

How about high jump and gate crashing? Connie Varneck, a 6-5 jumper who was around for many years (he tried the decathlon at Tulare as late as 1950 and was in a multiple tie for third in the nationals in 1951), was a notorious gate crasher. So notorious that, it's said, he was not allowed into Stanford athletic events even when he showed a legitimate ticket. And once, again it is said, invited to participate in a New York indoor meet he couldn't resist the temptation to crash the gate at Madison Square Garden and so put his athlete's pass in his pocket and slipped through. A fellow alumnus of Peninsula School in Menlo Park.

[gh]

Bert Nelson used to tell the story that Varneck was very uncomfortable with a pole, so in some decathlons he was happy just to run down the runway, drop the pole and hop over the bar and be satisfied with a 6ft "vault."

[Guest]

Obvious ones:

LJ/100: Carl Lewis

LJ/100H: JJK