The Vancouver Sun newspaper is featuring today in its "This Day in History" column, which is part of the celebration of its 100th anniversary, an article about Harry Jerome, a great Canadian Sprinter. Harry had just broken the world record for the 100 meter dash.
This brought back so many memories for me, because I was in Empire Stadium at the Great Vancouver High School's Track Meet in May, 1959 and saw Harry run the 100 yard dash and other races, I think the one mile and the 400 yards relay if I recall correctly. Harry was representing his North Vancouver high school in this track meet.
I have never forgotten that day. There was one race where Harry pulled so far ahead of his competitors that he was one-quarter of the track ahead of his competitors. All the spectators in the stadium, regardless of which high school they were from, rose to their feet and screamed encouragement at the top of their lungs as he approached and then crossed the finish line. We had never seen anything like it.
He went on to a great career, competing for Canada in the 1960 and 1964 Olympics. Here is a short history of Harry from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Jerome
Unfortunately, he died young at the age of 42. There are comemorative runs in his memory.
Empire Stadium was built so that Vancouver could host 1954 British Commonwealth and Empire Games.
Thanks for bringing back some of my own memories. What one remembers is not always totally accurate. In fact seldom is it totally accurate. So the record of that day does need to be set straight. It is true that Harry Jerome was spectacular that day in May 1959 running for North Vancouver High in the Vancouver & District Inter-High Track Meet which at that time was one of Greater Vancouver's most hyped sporting events, if not the most hyped, attracting up to 23,000 annually at Empire Stadium. Although Harry was never one quarter of the way around the track ahead of his competitors in any race and he did not run the mile,he won the senior boys' 100 yards in 10.1 seconds, one-tenth of a second off the meet record, won the 220 yards in 21.9 to beat the meet record set by Percy Williams in 1928 and anchored the 440 yards (4x110)relay which his team won. Yes I was there as well and it was a great day for sure. The photo is of Harry winning the 220 yards that day. Len Corben, Sports Historian.
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