Ben Eastman

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Ben Eastman (actually Benjamin Bangs Eastman ; born July 9, 1911 in Burlingame , California , † October 6, 2002 in Hotchkiss , Colorado ) was an American sprinter and middle-distance runner who was successful in the 400 m and 800 m in the 1930s was. He won Olympic silver once and set multiple world records, which earned him the nickname Blazin 'Ben .

successes

He competed in his first competition in 1931 when he won the IC4A over 880 yards and ran a world record with the 4x440 y relay at Stanford University . He repeated this success the following year. In 1933 he won the IC4A for the third time, but this time over 800 m. In 1934 he became American champion over this route at the AAU .

On March 26, 1932 in Palo Alto, Eastman ran a world record over 400 m with 46.4 s. He improved the four-year-old record of his compatriot Emerson Spencer by 0.6 seconds.

On June 4, 1932, Eastman set two world records:

  • over 440 yards in 46.4 s (this record should last for more than 40 years) and
  • over 880 yards in 1: 50.9 min (with which he improved the world record of the German Otto Peltzer by 0.7 seconds)

At the 1932 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, he only started in the individual competition. He won silver in 46.4 s behind Bill Carr , who ran a world record with 46.2 s.

In 1933, he set two world records in the hall over rarely run routes:

  • 500 m in 1: 02.0 min and
  • 600 yards in 1: 09.2 min

On June 16, 1934, he set the world record over 800 m held by British Tommy Hampson in Princeton with 1: 49.8 minutes .

At the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, he was fifth in the US eliminations.

The 1.85 m tall and 72 kg heavy runner started for Stanford University . Here he trained with Dink Templeton , who was known for year-round training (which was still considered dangerous at the time ). He trained him like a sprinter and explained that the 400 m and 800 m are also a long sprint . During the semester break at the AAU sports festivals and abroad, he started for the San Francisco Olympic Club , for which his trainer also worked.

Later career

Eastman initially worked as an employee at a diesel engine manufacturer. Later he went into business for himself. After finishing his active career, he moved with his family to Colorado. There he became a farmer and ran an apple plantation. He was a member of the Agriculture Commission for 12 years.

At the age of 91 he died of pneumonia. He left three sons, seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. In 2006 he was inducted into the National Track and Field Hall of Fame .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ http://web.archive.org/web/www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ea/ben-eastman-1.html on . 23rd March 2017
  2. ↑ Arnd Krüger : Many roads lead to Olympia. The changes in training systems for medium and long distance runners (1850–1997) . In: N. Gissel (Hrsg.): Sporting performance in change . Czwalina, Hamburg 1998, pp. 41-56.
  3. ↑ http://www.paloaltoonline.com/weekly/morgue/news/1994_Dec_16.CREATR40.html on . 23rd March 2017

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Eastman, Ben
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Eastman, Benjamin Bangs
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American sprinter
DATE OF BIRTH July 9, 1911
PLACE OF BIRTH Burlingame
DATE OF DEATH October 6, 2002
Place of death Hotchkiss (Colorado)