Gene Venzke

Eugene George "Gene" Venzke (June 27, 1908 – February 14, 1992) was an American middle-distance runner. Venzke qualified for the Olympic final at 1500 meters in 1936 and set indoor world records at both 1500 meters and the mile.

Career

Gene Venzke had a long career, placing in the top five at the national outdoor championships ten times between 1930 and 1940.[1][2] His greatest successes, however, came indoors, as he was national champion in 1932, 1933 and 1936[1][3] and also set a number of world records.

Venzke was in excellent shape during the 1932 indoor season.[4] On February 6 he broke the indoor mile world record of Paavo Nurmi and Joie Ray with a clocking of 4:11.2 at the Millrose Games in New York.[5] He improved to 4:10.0 eleven days later at the Baxter Mile, also in New York.[6] On February 27 he broke the 1500 m world record with a time of 3:53.4.[7] Despite his age he was still in high school at the time, having dropped out for several years.[7][8]

On June 18 Venzke broke the American outdoor record at Cambridge, running 3:52.6.[9] He was considered extremely likely to make the Olympic team.[9] However, he had already lost his best shape,[4] having pulled a muscle in training,[8] and at the Olympic Trials he only placed 4th, missing out by one place;[9] he was still among the leaders with a hundred yards to go, but was passed in the final straight by Norwood Hallowell, Frank Crowley and finally Glenn Cunningham.[9]

At the 1933 indoor championships Venzke beat the Olympic fourth placer, Cunningham, in 3:55.4.[10] But again he failed to maintain his best shape into the summer; at the outdoor championships he was only third and Cunningham broke his American record.[2][11]

Venzke's main rivals in 1934 and 1935 were Cunningham and Princeton University's Bill Bonthron.[12] At the 1934 NCAA championships Venzke, now a sophomore at the University of Pennsylvania, placed third behind these two.[13] At the national championships Venzke ran 1500 meters in 3:50.5; however, this was only good enough for third place as Bonthron broke the world record.[2] At the 1935 championships he took second behind Cunningham.[2]

Venzke regained his national indoor title in 1936, scoring a close win over Cunningham in a world record time of 3:49.9.[14] At the outdoor championships he was again beaten to third behind Cunningham and Emporia State's Archie San Romani; however, he defeated Bonthron, who was fourth.[2] At the Olympic Trials the following week[nb 1] the same men took the four top spots in the same order, with Venzke in third making the Olympic team ahead of Bonthron.[16] At the Olympics Venzke won his heat and placed 9th in the final.[1]

After the Olympics, he was part of a United States relay team (with Chuck Hornbostel, San Romani and Cunningham) that set a new world record of 17:17.2 in the 4 x Mile relay.[1][17] He stayed in good shape for many more years,[18] running his personal mile best of 4:08.2 in 1940.[8] Originally from a poor family, Venzke made money as an investor[8] and opened a golf range in Reiffton, Pennsylvania after finally retiring from running.[8][19]

Notes

  1. ↑ In 1936, the national championships and the Olympic Trials were held separately for the first time since 1924. In 1992 they were merged into a single meet again.[15]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Gene Venzke Bio, Stats and Results". Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 21, 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Mallon, Bill; Buchanan, Ian; Track & Field News. "A History Of The Results Of The National Track & Field Championships Of The USA From 1876 Through 2011". Track & Field News. Retrieved May 21, 2013.
  3. ↑ "USA Indoor Track & Field Champions". USA Track & Field. Retrieved May 21, 2013.
  4. 1 2 Jukola, Martti (1935). Huippu-urheilun historia (in Finnish). Werner Söderström Osakeyhtiö.
  5. ↑ "George Venzke Runs Fastest Mile in American History". The Lewiston Daily Sun. February 8, 1932. Retrieved May 21, 2013.
  6. ↑ Cameron, Stuart (February 18, 1932). "World Marks in Mile, Shot Events Smashed". Berkeley Daily Gazette. Retrieved May 21, 2013.
  7. 1 2 "Pottstown High School Phenom Clips Over Two Seconds Off Hahn's Indoor Mark". Reading Eagle. February 28, 1932. Retrieved May 21, 2013.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 "Gene Venzke Runs On Hard Work". Reading Eagle. January 15, 1984. Retrieved May 21, 2013.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Hymans, Richard. "The History of the United States Olympic Trials - Track & Field" (PDF). Track & Field News. Retrieved May 21, 2013.
  10. ↑ "Gene Venzke Wins National 1500-Meter Title". Reading Eagle. February 26, 1933. Retrieved May 21, 2013.
  11. ↑ "Men, 1500 m". trackfield.brinkster.net. Retrieved May 21, 2013.
  12. ↑ "Athletics at the 1936 Berlin Summer Games: Men's 1,500 metres". Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
  13. ↑ Hill, E. Garry. "1500m/MILE" (PDF). Track & Field News. Retrieved 19 May 2013.
  14. ↑ "Venzke Runs Away From Cunningham to Set Dazzling Mark for Indoor Metric Mile Race". Spokane Daily Chronicle. February 24, 1936. Retrieved May 21, 2013.
  15. ↑ Hymans, Richard (21 June 2012). "Olympic Trials History Introduction". Track & Field News. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
  16. ↑ Hymans, Richard. "The History of the United States Olympic Trials - Track & Field" (PDF). Track & Field News. Retrieved May 19, 2013.
  17. ↑ "New 4-Mile Mark". Lawrence Journal-World. 15 August 1936. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
  18. ↑ Kobrin, Jerry (January 9, 1941). "Gene Venzke - 16 Years in Competition". Reading Eagle. Retrieved May 21, 2013.
  19. ↑ Kobrin, Jerry (May 7, 1946). "Gene Venzke Turns to Golf; To Open Own Driving Range". Reading Eagle. Retrieved May 21, 2013.
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