Technique and power have always separated elite sprinters from the rest, but Bolt’s height (6-foot-3) always gave way to a longer stride on the track. Tyson Gay, who stood at 5-foot-11, told Sports Illustrated that “it looked like his knees were going past my face.”
FOR THE ‘NEVER TOO OLD’ IN ALL OF US
2015: Classical pianist Harriette Thompson played at Carnegie Hall three times. She survived cancer twice. And at 92 years and 65 days old, she became the oldest woman to ever complete a marathon. Running in her 16th Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon in San Diego, Thompson finished the 26.2-mile trek in seven hours, 24 minutes and 36 seconds.
Thompson considered the 2015 race to be her most difficult. She lost her husband in January that year and dealt with complications from a staph infection. The Charlotte, North Carolina, native was properly feted when she crossed the finish line, but she was also reflective of the hard journey to get there.
“I don’t think I’d be living today if I didn’t do this running,” Thompson told the Associated Press.
That Thompson even ran marathons at such an advanced age was remarkable when you consider that she didn’t begin the long-distance runs until she was 76 years old. In 1999, Thompson was inspired by a friend who was participating in the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon to raise money in the fight against cancer. Where her friend was there to walk the miles, Thompson chose to run. “I noticed when I got there that everybody was running, so I decided to run,” she once said in a video for her alma mater, Syracuse University.
Thompson, who lived a remarkable life beyond the marathon path, died in 2017 at the age of 94.
Happy birthday…
- Joe Namath, New York Jets quarterback famous for successfully predicting victory in Super Bowl III despite being the underdog. Namath’s Hall of Fame career also included three division championships. Broadway Joe gained celebrity status, starring in movies and TV commercials, including with then-icon Farrah Fawcett. In a recent autobiography, Namath admits to excessive drinking that nearly killed him. (77)
- Jordy Nelson, former wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers and Oakland Raiders. Nelson won a Super Bowl with Green Bay and led the league in touchdown receptions with 14 in 2016 when he was named the Comeback Player of the Year. (35)
- Jim Craig, gold-medal-winning goaltender in the 1980 Olympics “Miracle on Ice” game. Craig stopped 36 of 39 shots to lead the Americans to the shocking win over the Soviet Union. (63)
- Two-time Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson. The Swedish defenseman was a first-round draft pick of the Ottawa Senators where he spent his first nine years in the NHL before getting traded to the San Jose Sharks. (30)
- Former NBA player Nate Robinson, picked in the first round of the 2005 draft. The explosive point guard, who at 5-foot-9 was one of the shortest players in the league, played for 11 seasons with eight teams, including five seasons with the Knicks. (36)
- Former MLB center fielder Kenny Lofton, five-time AL stolen base champ and six-time All-Star. Lofton is also a four-time Gold Glove winner and holds the record for the most stolen bases in the postseason at 34. His 622 career steals are 15th all-time. (53)
- National League 2005 Cy Young Award winner Jake Peavy, who also led the NL in strikeouts in 2005 and 2007. Peavy won a World Series with Boston and with San Francisco. (39)
R.I.P
2011: Hall of Fame defensive end Andy Robustelli, who was considered a key member of championship teams with the Rams and Giants. Following retirement, he served as an assistant coach and GM for the Giants. He was 85.
1983: Boxer Jack Dempsey, who held the World Heavyweight title for seven years. Dempsey had 49 knockouts over his 13-year career with his signature aggressive style and power. ESPN once ranked The Manassa Mauler as the ninth-best boxer of all time. He died of heart failure at 87.
1970:
Terry Sawchuk, Hall of Fame goaltender who spent most of his 21-year NHL career with the Detroit Red Wings. Sawchuk’s 103 career shutouts rank second all-time behind Martin Brodeur. He won the Calder Trophy and was a four-time Stanley Cup and four-time Vezina Trophy winner. Sawchuk died of a pulmonary embolism, following “horseplay” with a teammate. He was 40.
May 30: Mantle’s monster of a mash
