Elected: Allyson Felix, 38
The 11-time Olympic medalist has been elected to the IOC Athletes Commission.
Died: Andrea Fischer, 60
On August 06, of complications related to Alzheimer’s. The Missouri runner placed 8th in the ’82 NCAA 3000. She was 17th in NCAA cross country in ’81 and improved to 5th in ’83, placing 8th the next year.
Died: Amadeo Francis, 92
On August 25. An Olympian in the 400H for Puerto Rico, in ’52 & ’56, Francis served as president of NACAC and also served more than 30 years on the IAAF Council. He was vice-president of the international governing body 1999–07.
Died: Mariano Haro, 84
On July 27, in Palencia, Spain; of diabetes. The Spanish runner was a 3-time runner-up at the World XC. Three times he World Ranked at 10,000, with a No. 4 in ’72, the year he placed 4th in the Olympics.
Died: George Rhoden, 97
On August 24. The Jamaican sprint ace won 3 NCAA 440 titles for Morgan State and in addition to his ’51 lap title won the 220. He also captured 3 AAU titles. In ’50 he set a World Record 45.8. At the ’52 Olympics, he edged teammate Herb McKenley for gold in the 400 and anchored the Jamaican 4×4 that won gold in a World Record. He World Ranked 6 times at 400, and was No. 1 in 1950–52; twice he Ranked at 200, with a No. 3 in ’51.
Died: Jozef Schmidt, 89
On July 29, in Zagozd, Poland; of cancer. He won TJ golds in the ’60 & ’64 Olympics, as well as a 7th in ’68. He was the first jumper to surpass 17m (55-9¼) with his ’60 World Record. World Ranked 12 times, 6 of them being No. 1s. He was Poland’s flagbearer at the ’64 Closing Ceremony.
Died: Heinrich Thun, 86
On August 14, in Vienna; of a heart attack. The Austrian hammer thrower, a 2-time Olympic finalist, World Ranked four times, and was No. 3 in ’61 & ’63.
Died: Tracy Walters, 93
On July 27, in Spokane, Washington. An acclaimed coach at Spokane’s Rogers High, he most notably mentored distance phenomenon Gerry Lindgren.
Died: Galina Zybina, 93
On August 10, in Saint Petersburg, Russia. The ’52 Olympic champion in the shot, she added a silver in ’56 and a bronze in ’64. She was also 7th in ’60. She set 8 WRs plus another 5 that weren’t ratified, and was the first woman to throw over 16m (52-6). The 11-time World Ranker would have garnered more but the didn’t start until ’56. She was No. 2 in 1956–58.