1884 AAA Championships

The 1884 AAA Championships was an outdoor track and field competition organised by the Amateur Athletic Association (AAA), held on Saturday 21 June at Aston Lower Grounds, Birmingham, England.[1]

1884 AAA Championships
Dates21 June
Host cityBirmingham, England
VenueAston Lower Grounds
LevelSenior
TypeOutdoor
Events14
1883
1885


Competitions were held in fine summer weather which attracted 9,000 spectators to the ground.[2] The prizes were presented by Mrs Wheeler.[3]

The fourteen events on the programme were for men only, with heats and finals all held on the same day, with the exception of the 10 miles race, which was held on the following Monday, 23 June, at the same venue.[1][4] During the winter of 1883 the ground within the stadium had been levelled and the track relaid at 502 yards 2 feet so that it was three and a half laps to one mile.[5][6] There were no heats in the field events, some of which had only two or three competitors. It was customary at the time for race winners only to have their performances recorded, therefore, in the tables below other competitors are shown with the distance each man was behind the man in front. Field event performances are shown in feet and inches as they were originally measured, with a conversion to metric measurement in parentheses. Conversions have been obtained using the International Metric Conversion Tables published by the International Amateur Athletics Federation in 1970.

Five American athletes were visiting England at the time but only one of them, William Meek (West Side AC, New York), competed in the championship, winning the 7 miles walk.[2] The other four Americans were guests of South London Harriers and postponed their first appearance in England to a meet where the gate receipts could benefit their hosts.[7] But the Americans were spectators at the championship and were acknowledged by the crowd. They were Arthur Waldron, American champion at 100 yards in 1882 and 1883, Laurence Myers, who held several world records at events up to 880 yards, and Harry Fredericks, who had won the American 1 mile championship in four consecutive years. All of these were from Manhattan AC, and they were joined by F. P. Murray (Williamsburgh AC) a walking champion. They were also accompanied by G. A. Avery, the secretary of Manhattan AC, who was invited to be a timekeeper at the championship.[8][9]

Public interest in the competitions centred on the meeting of Walter George and William Snook, both of Moseley Harriers. George had broken five world records that summer at distances from 2 miles to 10 miles and was considered virtually unbeatable in that range.[10] The only man capable of challenging him was Snook, who, on the Monday before the championship, had beaten George over 1,500 yards at the Birchfield Harriers Sports in a time that equalled his own British record.[8][11]

Four events, the 1 mile, 4 miles, 10 miles and 7 miles walk, saw new championship best performances, and the championship best in the 100 yards was equalled for the fifth consecutive year.[1] Walter George's winning time in the 1 mile was a new world record.[10] George was also responsible for three of those championship bests, and for the second time he won four events at the championship. In 1882 he had won the 880 yards, 1 mile, 4 miles and 10 miles championships, and he won the same four events in 1884. The only other man to have won four individual events at the championship is William Snook, who won the 1 mile, 4 miles, 10 miles and steeplechase in 1885 and George remains the only man to have done it twice.[1] James Cowie (London AC) repeated the exceptional feat of winning both the 100 yards and 440 yards championships.

In the 1 mile, Walter George (Moseley H.) took the lead from the start but after sixty yards he was overtaken by William Snook (Moseley H.) with the only other competitor, W. Darlington (Wolverhampton AC), close up in third. They stayed like this until there was slightly more than one lap to go when George shot into the lead and Snook went after him leaving Darlington some way behind. Snook overtook again at the Trinity Road end of the stadium and led around the turn but with 200 yards to go George again overtook and this time made Snook look as though he were standing still. Snook slowed almost to a walk and was almost caught on the line by Darlington while George charged ahead and won by ninety yards.[6]Splits, 1 lap: 71.8, 2:29.8 (78.0), 3:44.8 (75.0), 4:18.4 (33.6).[10][12]

Only three men started the 4 miles race, and George took the lead just before 2 miles and was never challenged, winning by 300 yards. Splits, 1 mile: Davis 4:54, George 10:00 (5:06), 14:49.2 (4:49.2), 20:17.8 (5:28.6).[6]

Seven men started the 7 miles walk, with Harry Whyatt (Notts Forest FC), the defending champion, quickly assuming the lead.[13] William Meek (West Side AC, New York) took second place and these two gradually moved away from the rest of the field with an eleven second lead after the first mile, by which point two men had retired. Just past two miles Meek made his effort and passed Whyatt and one lap later Whyatt stopped to bathe his face but resumed walking, having lost around twenty yards. At 400 yards past 3 miles Whyatt again stopped, and restarted, two or three times, then finally retired, leaving J. Jervis (Liverpool H.) the only other man in the race. Meek's style received many complements from the spectators and he was applauded for a fine win in fast time. Splits, 1 mile, Meek: 7:03.0, 14:26.5 (7:23.5), 22:05 (7:38.5), 29:51 (7:46), 38:02 (8:11), 46:13 (8:11), 54:27 (8:14), Jervis: 7:18, 14:36 (7:18), 22:42 (8:06), 31:01 (8:19), 39:03 (8:02), 48:35 (9:32), 57:53.2 (9:18.2).[6]

Around 1,000 spectators returned on Monday afternoon for the 10 miles championship where they were disappointed by there being only four competitors. Two of these dropped out by half way, leaving Walter George (Moseley H.) to win easily by two and half laps in a time some three minutes slower than the world record he had set in April. Splits, 1 mile: 5:02, 10:09 (5:07), 15:20 (5:11), 20:37 (5:17), 26:02 (5:25), 31:33 (5:31), 37:09 (5:36), 42:47 (5:38), 48:34 (5:47), 54:02 (5:28); 5 miles: 26:02, 54:02 (28:00).[5]


Results summary

100 yards
PosAthleteClubTime / Dist
1.James John Milroy CowieLondon AC10 1/5
2.Charles George WoodBlackheath H.inches
3.R. F. ShawHereford FC3/4 - 1 1/2 yd
4.W. LiveseyBirchfield H.1/2 yd

Notes: 2 heats. first two in each heat qualify for the final. N. W. Howard McLean (London AC) was eliminated in heats.


440 yards
PosAthleteClubTime / Dist
1.James John Milroy CowieLondon AC50 2/5
2.Charles George WoodLondon AC5 yd
3.W. LockSpartan H.1 ft
4.John Fillingham BishopNotts Forest FC1/2 yd

Notes: 2 heats. first two in each heat qualify for the final.


880 yards
PosAthleteClubTime / Dist
1.Walter Goodall GeorgeMoseley H.2:02 1/5
2.John Fillingham BishopNotts Forest FC2:07 4/5

Notes: only 2 competitors. William Birkett (London AC) the holder, entered but did not start.


1 mile
PosAthleteClubTime / Dist
1.Walter Goodall GeorgeMoseley H.4:18 2/5
2.William SnookMoseley H.4:34 2/5
3.W. DarlingtonWolverhampton ACinches

Notes: only 3 competitors


4 miles
PosAthleteClubTime / Dist
1.Walter Goodall GeorgeMoseley H.20:12 4/5
2.A. H. DaviesLondon AC20:56 3/5
3.George SlynnBirchfield H.10 yd

Notes: only 3 competitors. time for Davies is sometimes given as 20:51 3/5, the time here is from Buchanan.


10 miles
PosAthleteClubTime / Dist
1.Walter Goodall GeorgeMoseley H.54:02
2.George SlynnBirchfield H.58:04

Notes: only 2 finished


Steeplechase
PosAthleteClubTime / Dist
1.William SnookMoseley H.10:21
2.E. WallBirchfield H.10:27
3.William J. LawrenceMoseley H.10:33 4/5

Notes: only 3 competitors


120 yards hurdles
PosAthleteClubTime / Dist
1.Charles Wright GowthorpeNotts Forest FC16 3/5
2.W. H. AngleSpartan H.16 yd

Notes: no heats. only 2 competitors. Angle fell at the ninth hurdle.


High Jump
PosAthleteClubTime / Dist
1.Thomas RayUlverston AC5ft 7in (1.70m)
2.Arthur WatkinsonHull AC5ft 6in (1.67m)
3.F. W. CattleSt Thomas’s Hospital AC5ft 6in (1.67m)
4.Decimus CookeWrexham5ft 3in (1.60m)

Notes: only 4 competitors. 2nd place decided by a jump-off


Pole Vault
PosAthleteClubTime / Dist
1.Thomas RayUlverston AC10ft 10in (3.30m)
2.C. G. TaylorHMS Marlborough, Portsmouth10ft 2in (3.10m)
3.Decimus CookeWrexham10ft 0in (3.05m)
4.J. O. DickerLondon AC

Notes: Ray was declared the winner after clearing 10ft 4in (3.15m), but went on to clear 10ft 10in (3.30m)


Long Jump
PosAthleteClubTime / Dist
1.Ernest W. HorwoodBlackheath H.21ft 9in (6.63m)

Notes: only 1 competitor


Shot Put
PosAthleteClubTime / Dist
1.Owen HarteIreland39ft 10in (12.14m)

Notes: only 1 competitor. Owen Harte was a member of the Royal Irish Constabulary, based in Dublin.


Hammer
PosAthleteClubTime / Dist
1.Owen HarteIreland83ft 5in (25.42m)

Notes: only 1 competitor.


7 miles walk
PosAthleteClubTime / Dist
1.William Henry MeekWest Side AC, New York54:27
2.J. JervisLiverpool H.57:53 1/5

Notes: 7 starters, only 2 finished. The Field gives the winner 54:20, the time here is from Buchanan. the holder, Harry Whyatt (Notts Forest FC) retired after 3 miles and 1 lap.


Championship best performance
EventAthleteTime / DistYear
100 yardsWilliam Page Phillips (London AC)10 1/51880
William Page Phillips (London AC)10 1/51882
James John Milroy Cowie (London AC)10 1/51883
James John Milroy Cowie (London AC)10 1/51884
440 yardsHenry Rawlins Ball (London AC)50 1/51882
880 yardsWilliam Birkett (London AC)1:581883
1 mileWalter Goodall George (Moseley H.)4:18 2/51884
4 milesWalter Goodall George (Moseley H.)20:12 4/51884
10 milesWalter Goodall George (Moseley H.)54:021884
120 yards hurdlesSamuel Palmer (Cambridge Un. AC)16 1/51883
High jumpPatrick Davin (Ireland)6ft 1/2in (1.84m)1881
Pole vaultThomas Ray (Ulverston CC)11ft 3in (3.43m)1881
Long jumpJohn Whitehill Parsons (Edinburgh H.)23ft 0 1/4in (7.01m)1883
Shot putGeorge McKenzie Ross (Patricroft)42ft 4in (12.90m)1882
HammerJohn D. Gruer (Scottish Club)101ft 2 1/2in (30.84m)1883
7 miles walkWilliam Henry Meek (West Side AC, New York)54:271884

"Notes:" Performances in the Steeplechase are not comparable until the event was standardised in the 1930s.

National Union of Track Statisticians


References

  1. Ian Buchanan "AAA Championships 1880-1939" National Union of Track Statisticians (2003)
  2. "Empire News & The Umpire", Sun 22 Jun 1884 p. 6
  3. "Birmingham Daily Post", Mon 23 Jun 1884 p. 7
  4. "London Evening Standard", Tue 24 Jun 1884 p. 6
  5. "Sporting Life", Tue 24 Jun 1884 p. 1
  6. "The Referee", Sun 22 Jun 1884 p. 5
  7. "Weekly Dispatch (London)", Sun 22 Jun 1884 p. 6
  8. "Sport (Dublin)", Sat 21 Jun 1884 p. 6
  9. Donald H. Potts "Lon" a biography of Lon Myers, Tafnews Press (1993)
  10. Richard Hymans "World Record Progressions" International Amateur Athletics Federation (2015)
  11. "St James's Gazette", Sat 21 Jun 1884 p. 14
  12. "Lloyd's Weekly Newspaper", Sun 22 Jun 1884 p. 1
  13. "Nottingham Journal", Sat 21 Jun 1884 p. 7
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.