Walt Murphy’s News and Results Service (wmurphy25@aol.com)
This Day in Track & Field–December 29
1976-Belgium’s Ivo Van Damme was killed in an auto accident just a few months after winning silver medals in the 800 and 1500 meters at the Montreal Olympics. He was only 22 at the time of his death.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1976_Summer_Olympics
https://brussels.diamondleague.com/en/about/history/
Born On This Day
Gout Gout-Australia 18 (2007) Teenage sensation ran 20.04 for 200-meters at the Australian All-Schools Championships in
Brisbane on December 7, 2024, to break the 56-year old National Record of 20.06 that was set by Peter Norman while
finishing 2nd at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City. He won the 100 the previous day in 10.17 after running a wind-aided
10.04 in his heat. He also broke Usain Bolt’s age-16 record of 20.13 that was set in 2003!
Silver medalist in the 200 at the 2024 World Junior/Under-20 Championships
Born in Australia, the son of South Sudanese parents moved to the U.S. in early 2025 to train with Noah Lyles and coach
Lance Brauman for a few weeks!
His protective manager is Australian James Templeton, who was also the manager of greats Bernard Lagat and David Rudisha
According to Gout’s father Bona, when he and his wife Monica fled South Sudan for Egypt, before moving to Australia, the
family name was misspelled during translation from Arabic. The proper spelling should be “Guot”! It remains to be seen if
there will be another name change in the future.
PBs: 10.17 (2024), 20.02 (2025), 46.14 (2025)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gout_Gout
https://worldathletics.org/athletes/australia/gout-gout-15006779
https://x.com/AthsAust/status/1865288461256921562
https://www.nbcsports.com/olympics/news/gout-gout-usain-bolt-record-200-meters-track
Stephanie Ratcliffe-Australia 25 (2000) 2023 (Harvard) & 2025 (Georgia) NCAA Champion-Hammer
Competed in the qualifying round at the 2023 & 2025 World Championships and 2024 Olympics
2023 Penn Relays Champion
Entered Harvard in the fall of 2019, but returned to Australia at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and studied
remotely for 18 months!
Graduated from Harvard with a Bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience…Used her final year of collegiate eligibility at the
University of Georgia, where she earned two more degrees-Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA) and a
Master of Business Administration (MBA)
PBs: 71-9 ½i (2023/21.88), 241-7 (2023/73.63/National Record); 2025 SB: 71-3, (21.72), 234-2 (71.37)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephanie_Ratcliffe
https://georgiadogs.com/sports/track-and-field/roster/stephanie-ratcliffe/7712
Issam Asinga—U.S./Suriname-’22 21 (2004) 2023 New Balance Nationals Indoor Champion—60m, 200m, won the 100
Outdoors
2023 South American Champion-100, 200
Winner of the Junior 60 and 200 at the 2023 Millrose Games
Attended Montverde Academy in Florida
Born in Atlanta, but grew up in Zambia, the birthplace of his mother. Intended to represent Suriname in international
competition. Father Tommy Asinga represented Suriname at 3 Olympics (800-meters) and was an All-American
at Eastern Michigan
Was considered a potential medalist in the 100 at the 2023 World Championships, but was provisionally suspended
by the Athletics Integrity Unit prior to the meet after testing positive for GW1516, a banned substance that was
considered by WADA as a “toxic threat to health if used as a performance enhancer”. Was then hit with a 4-year
ban in May, 2024.
Denying any wrongdoing, Asinga said on Instagram, “My team and I are aware that the next generation of track stars
is looking up to me, and I would never intentionally let them down”. You can read his full statement at the
LetsRun link below.
Sued Gatorade, claiming the company “gave him a fraudulently certified product that contained a banned
substance and led to his four-year banishment from track and field, costing him a chance to compete in the Paris
Olympics,” according to Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post. The case was later dismissed,
Bettered the World Junior (Under 20) Record for the 100 when he ran 9.89 in July, 2023, but he was stripped of the
record.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Issam_Asinga
4-year Ban: https://citiusmag.com/articles/issam-asinga-doping-ban-four-years-stripped-world-u20-100m-record
https://frontofficesports.com/gatorade-asinga-drug-test-suit-dismissed/
Angelo Taylor 47 (1978) 2-time Olympic gold medalist—400-Meter Hurdles (2000-out of lane 1, 2008/2012-5th).
Also won Olympic gold in the 4×400 in 2008 (silver in 2012)
Bronze medalist in the 400-meter hurdles at the 2007 World Championships (2011-7th; 3-time World Champion-
4×400
One of the favorites heading into the 1999 World Championships, he was eliminated after easing up before finishing
3rd in his heat
1998 NCAA Champion-400h, 4×400/43.6 anchor (Georgia Tech/1997-2nd-400h); Indoors-400 (3rd-1997&1998)
3-time U.S. Champion (1999-2001); 2-time U.S. Junior Champion (1996,1997)
PBs: 44.05 (2007), 47.25 (2008/#7 All-Time U.S.)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angelo_Taylor
2000 OG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ua5DS0IS964
2009 Article: https://www.worldathletics.org/news/news/angelo-taylor-beating-back-the-demons
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/89170
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DEFdRaXxSM9/
Kate “The Great” Schmidt 72 (1953) 2-time Olympic bronze medalist-Javelin (1972,1976/1980-boycott, 4th at the 1984
U.S. Olympic Trials)
7-time U.S. Champion(1969, 1973-1977, 1979)
Set a World Record of 227-5 (69.32) with the “old” implement in 1977
Set 10 American Records between 1972 and 1977
Member of Tom Jennings’ Pacific Coast Club
Inducted into the U.S. Hall of Fame in 1994
In The Beginning
“I grew up right across the street from Long Beach State, and Long Beach State was sort of a gathering place for
southern California javelin throwers, which meant men: Frank Covelli and Doc Seymour and Larry Stuart. They all
threw there. When I was 13 I asked my parents for a javelin for Christmas. I mean, you have to feel some sympathy
for them. They found one. They found a sporting goods store in Long Beach that had a catalog or something.
Somebody ordered one from Germany, and I got this Sam Vick, 35 meter, real clunker javelin for Christmas when I
was 13.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kate_Schmidt
HOF Bio: https://www.usatf.org/athlete-bios/kate-the-great-schmidt
http://www.olympedia.org/athletes/77962
https://artoftheolympians.org/artists/kate-schmidt/
Speaking Her Mind: https://longbeachstate.com/honors/hall-of-fame/kate-schmidt/84
Bill Schmidt 78 (1947)1972 Olympic bronze medalist-Javelin; 6’-0”, 209 (1.83/95kg)
1978 U.S. Champion
All-American at North Texas State/2nd at the 1970 NCAA Championships
PB:283-2 (86.30/old implement)
Helped grow Gatorade into the iconic product it is today
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Schmidt
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/78999
2014 Article: https://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2014/02/17/Champions/Schmidt.aspx
Fred Hansen 85 (1940) 1964 Olympic gold medalist—Pole Vault
Set two World Records in 1964: 17-2 (ratified as 5.23) and 17-4 (ratified as 5.28). and earlier equaled John Pennel’s
World Record of 17-3/4 (5.20), but the mark was only accepted as an American Record.
1962 Co-NCAA Champion (Rice/4-way tie/1961-=4th, 1963-4th)
1964 U.S. Champion; also won at the 1964 U.S. Olympic Trials (separate meets).
Was a long-time dentist in Houston
Roy Tomizawa offers an in-depth look at Hansen’s Olympic win in this 2-part story:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Hansen
https://www.pattersontoday.com/Fall2011-A_Winning_Strategy
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athletics_at_the_1964_Summer_Olympics_–_Men%27s_pole_vault
http://www.olympedia.org/athletes/78511
https://www.tshof.org/store/p128/Fred_Hansen.html
Deceased
Andy Stanfield 57 (1927-June 15, 1985) 1952 Olympic gold medalist-200, 4×100; Silver medalist in the 200 in 1956
Set two World Records—20.6y (1951), 20.6 (1952)
Inducted into the National Hall of Fame in 1977
All-American at Seton Hall-2nd in the 220y at the 1949 NCAA Championships
8-time IC4A Champion: 60y (1949-1951), 100y (1949-1951), 220y (1949), Long Jump (1951i)
Coached at Seton Hall by fellow Hall-of-Famer Johnny Gibson
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andy_Stanfield
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/79086
Tony Waldrop 70 (1951-Dec.3, 2022) Winner of the Mile at the 1974 Penn Relays—ran 3:53.2 to equal Jim Ryun’s
Collegiate Record
All-American at North Carolina—NCAA Mile-1973 (2nd), 1974 (3rd)
2-time NCAA Indoor Champion—1973 (1000y), 1974 (Mile)
Ran 3:55.0 in San Diego in 1974 to break Jim Ryun’s World Indoor Record of 3:56.4
Winner of the Wanamaker Mile at the 1974 Millrose Games-ran 3:59.7 to become the first winner of the iconic race
to break 4-minutes. “Actually that race was one in which I have many fond memories about. Not so much because
I was the one who did it, but because the meet promoter at the time was a man named Howard Schmertz if I
remember correctly, and his father (Fred) was quite elderly at the time. He was worried that his father would not
live long enough to see a sub-4 minute Mile. I remember Howard, the son, actually came down on the track and
ran with me for a bit of it, for the victory lap, because he was so excited for his father.” (from Bring Back The
Mile-see link below)
1975 Pan-American Games Champion (1500m);
Considered a sure bet to make the 1976 U.S. Olympic team, he stopped running after the indoor season that year to
pursue his PhD in physiology!
Was the President of the University of South Alabama from 2014-2021
2005 Article: http://www.letsrun.com/2005/waldrop.php
2012 Article:
https://mynbc15.com/news/local/dr-tony-waldrop-former-president-of-south-alabama-dead-at-70
https://www.southalabama.edu/departments/publicrelations/pressreleases/120422waldrop.html
https://www.ucf.edu/news/ucf-remembers-former-provost-tony-waldrop/