Died: Don Catlin, 85
On February 16, in Los Angeles; of a stroke. Considered to be the father of modern dope testing in the U.S., Catlin started the UCLA Olympic Analytical Laboratory in ’82 and served two decades on the IOC medical commission.
RIP: Don Hood, 90
On February 09, in Abilene, Texas. In 11 years as head coach at Abilene Christian, Hood led the team to 8 Div. II titles as well as 2 NAIA crowns. He coached 16 Olympians. He was inducted into the USTFCCCA Hall Of Fame in ’06.
Died: Kelvin Kiptum, 24
On February 11; in a car crash, in Kenya. The WR holder in the marathon with his most recent effort, the Kenyan phenomenon World Ranked No. 4 in ’22 and No. 1 in ’23. (See a major remembrance elsewhere in this issue.)
Died: Bedřiška Kulhavá, 92
On February 20, in Ústí nad Labem, Czechia. A 26-time national champion, she World Ranked No. 10 in the 800 in ’57. Ran in the heats of the ’60 Olympics.
Died: Henry Rono, 72
On February 15, in Nairobi; after a brief illness. Twice boycotted out of the Olympics, the Kenyan great set WRs at 3000, 5000, 10,000 and the steeplechase in an astonishing 81-day binge while at Washington State in ’78. In his collegiate career he twice won NCAA steeple titles, plus an Indoor 2M and 3 XC crowns. He broke the 5000 WR again in ’81. He World Ranked 11 times in total, with No. 1s in the steeple, 5000 and 10,000 coming in ’78. (See a major remembrance elsewhere in this issue.)
Died: Jacques Rousseau, 72
On February 14. The ’78 European long jump champion competing for France, the Guadeloupean finished 4th in the ’76 Olympics after a 10th in ’72. He World Ranked 4 times, with a No. 2 in ’77.
Died: Fabian Schulze, 39
On February 25, in Sonthofen, Germany; of an undisclosed illness. A 2-time World Ranker in the pole vault (No. 6 in ’06), he was 4th in the ’06 World Indoor.
Died: Tony Tenisci, 74
On October 28, in Philadelphia; of sepsis induced by chemotherapy. A 4-time All-America in the hammer at Washington State, he was the first frosh ever to score in the NCAA, with a 3rd in ’69. He represented Canada internationally and coached for more than 30 years at Penn.