Name the Athlete and Year

[dj]

This is from an LA Times story:

XXX Wins Salt Lake Race
High Altitude Slows XXX

Salt Lake City, May 27--". . . The time . . . while not exceptional for . . . was considered good in view of the fact that the 4400-foot altitude was the highest at which [he] has competed.
"'the altitude bothered me in the third lap,' he said. 'It seemed like my breath only went down about a fourth of the way into my lungs.'"

***
I'll add a clue after every few incorrect guesses

[midwestfan]

Wild guess, 1968 and maybe 1500/mile ( 3rd lap) race as warmup for OG Trials. Could be Ryun, Patrick, or Liquori.

[Master403]

1968 Ryun

[gh]

not a lot of SLC races through the years that have had name athlete(s) in them

[DoubleRBar]

Henry Marsh; 1984.

[tandfman]

Marsh went to BYU and must have competed at Utah's altitude before 1984.

[LopenUupunut]

I feel like this is some kind of trick question... though maybe that's just because it would be some kind of trick question if I were doing the asking.

Lon Myers in 1882, in a 3/4 mile race?

[dj]

Lopen is correct about the trick question. T&F lore often identifies the 1968 Olympics as the first time when many people thought about altitude affects, but this story predates Ryun, et al, '68 (and Marsh '84).

But it doesn't go back as far as Lon Myers!

[DoubleRBar]

Marsh went to BYU and must have competed at Utah's altitude before 1984.

He did and he also trained in the Salt Lake City area in 1983-1984 before the Los Angeles Olympics.

[midwestfan]

Sorry dj, I had to do research and it is an unbelievable question and answer. Everyone who says Jim Ryun came close in a way??