On June 18, 1921, at Paddock Field, Pasadena, the "Fastest Human" ran one of the most remarkable races of all time --- 110 yards in 10 1/5 seconds. This was approximately two feet farther than 100 meters for which classic distance the world record was 10.2 until 1956. Although Paddock has never been given official credit for a world record of 10.2 for 100 meters, this 10.2 for two feet beyond 100 meters indicates that Paddock, in 1921, was as fast a man as any before or after his time.
The following excerpt is from my story of Paddock's big day.
Paddock yesterday stepped out and broke the world records in the 90, 110, 130, 150, and 200 yard dashes, for the fourth time in his life equaled the record in the 100-yard dash, and for his remarkable performance received a flurry of applause and an injury to his right leg.
Paddock ran two races. In his first, he set new marks in the 90 and 110 yard dashes and equaled the mark in the century. In his second race, Paddock smashed the world records in the 130, 150 and 200 yard dashes.
The Trojan flyer ran 90 yards in 8 4/5 seconds, two-fifths of a second better than the mark established by Howard Drew in 1913. At 100 yards, Paddock was clocked in 9 3/5 seconds, which equals the world record. Dashing on to the 110 yard tape, Paddock hung up a new mark of 10 1/5 seconds. The record formerly was held by Robert Cloughen, who ran 10 4/5 seconds in New York on Sept. 5, 1910.
(Note - Paddock's intermediate time between 9.6 for 100 yards and 10. 2 for 110 yards has been challenged as impossible. The answer to these skeptics is that 10th-second watches were not legal in 1921 and all the officials used 5th-second watches. The writer has little doubt that had there been 10th-second watches on Paddock in this race the times would have been a world record 9.5 for 100 yards and 10.2 for 110. Thus: Instead of .8 between 90 and 100 yards and an "impossible" .6 between 100 and 110, the intermediates would have been .7 between 90 and 100 and again .7 between 100 and 110.)
In Paddock's second race, he injured a leg at the 150 yard mark. Dr. Albert N. Weston, who treated Paddock, said that he had strained a muscle in his big biceps. Dr. W. S. Cummings, an Eastern osteopath who was Paddock's trainer at the inter-Allied games, said that the sciatic nerve had been stretched.
Paddock was forced all the way by Vernon Blenkiron of Compton High and William Stoard of Pasadena High. The USC runner had a lead of about six yards in the 200 yard dash (in which he hobbled the last 50 in great pain), but in the shorter run he had no cinch any of the way.
At 60 yards Blenkiron was leading and Stoard was even with Paddock. At 75 yards, Paddock had crept up even with the high school youth. At the 90-yard tape, Paddock led Blenkiron by about two feet. At 100 yards he was a yard in advance, and at 110 yards his lead was estimated at four feet.
(Note - Track fans may doubt the authenticity of Paddock's 10.2 when a high school boy was able to stay within four or five feet of him. It should be stated here that two weeks later Blenkiron won the National Junior AAU 100 yards title and then finished second to Paddock in the Senior AAU. In this latter race Blenkiron was 18 inches behind Paddock while defeating such famed sprinters as Morris Kirksey, Eddie Farrell, Bill Hayes and Bernie Wefers, Jr. The only high school sprinter I ever saw who was as fast as Blenkiron was Wykoff.
If we may judge by what our friends in Paris have concluded, Charley Paddock, the eminent sprint king, is another candidate for election into the Order of the 57 Varieties.
Dr. Bellin du Coteau, a Paris physician much interested in athletics, after making a physical examination of the University of Southern California athlete, reported that Paddock is fat, that he has curvature of the spine, that his shoulder blades stick out like those of the famous Spark Plug, that his nasal respiration needs attention and that when he runs he looks exactly like a call with two heads.
"If I had a class of young sprinters," says Dr. Coteau, "I would tell them to watch Paddock closely and do just the opposite from what he does.
"BUT --- Paddock, nevertheless, is the fastest man in the world."
Dr. Coteau saw Paddock run in Paris early this month, and after examining him closely said that ordinarily he would prescribe for such a patient a medical, gymnastic, orthopedic cure. Dr. Coteau said:
"One of Paddock's shoulders is lower than the other, the result of a slight curvature of the spine or of a muscular irregularity.
"His chest is round and his shoulder blades are too prominent. He has defective nasal respiration and breathes through his mouth most of the time.
"He is plainly fat. A swimmer might have some excuse to carry excess fat, but a sprinter --- never. A racing horse would not be considered in condition if he carried such excess weight. But Paddock's arms and shoulders remind one of a 40-year-old matron in decollete.
"In short, I have never seen any sprinter so poorly set up for speed. But, nevertheless, he is the fastest man in the world."
Copyright© 1959, Track & Field News