Died: Gérard Fenouil, 78
On October 08. He led off France’s bronze-winning 4×1 at the ’68 Olympics and ran third leg on ’72’s 7th-placer. Individually, ran the heats of the 100 in Mexico.
Died: Russ Francis, 70
On October 01, near Lake Placid, New York, in a plane crash. As a prep (Pleasant Hill, Oregon) he set a High School Record in the javelin with a 259-9 that lasted 17 years. He continued his javelin career at Oregon, but then left the sport when he joined the NFL as a first-round draft choice.
Died: David Jones, 83
On June 01, on Mallorca. Ran second leg on the British 4×1 that won the bronze in the ’60 Olympics. Also ran in the heats of the 100 and 200.
Died: Ilse Steinegger, 98
On October 19. A 6-time Austrian champion in the jumps, she was a ’48 Olympian, finishing 7th in the high jump and 10th in the long jump.
Died: Ellen Wessinghage, 75
On October 07, in Ingelheim am Rhein, Germany. She broke the WR for the mile with her 4:35.3 in ’71, and two years later won the European Indoor 1500. She World Ranked 5 times, and was No. 4 in ’70 & ’71. Ran in the 1500 heats of the ’72 Olympics and took 7th in ’76.
Died: Aurèle Vandendriessche, 91
On October 17, in Waregem, Belgium. A 3-time Olympian (24th in’56, dnf in ’60, 7th in ’64), he won the Boston Marathon in ’63 & ’64. He World Ranked 6 times, with a high of No. 4 in ’62 & ’63.
Died: Adolf Weinacker, 94
On September 11. A three-time Olympian in the 50K Walk (49,’52, ’56), the former Michigan State runner had his best finish, 7th, in 1956.