Loren Murchison
 From left to right: Charles Paddock, Hubert Houben, Loren Murchison (Berlin, 1924) | ||
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's athletics | ||
Representing the  United States | ||
| Olympic Games | ||
.svg.png){kind=icon} | 1920 Antwerp | 4x100 m relay |
| | 1924 Paris | 4x100 m relay |
Loren C. Murchison (December 17, 1898 – June 11, 1979) was an American athlete, double gold medal winner in 4x100 m relay at the Olympic Games.[1]
Born in Farmersville, Texas, Loren Murchison was an AAU Champion in 100 yd (91 m) in 1920 and 1923 and in 220 yd (200 m) in 1918 and 1923. He also won the British AAA championships in both 100 yd (91 m) and 220 yd (200 m) in 1925.
At the 1920 Summer Olympics, Murchison finished fourth in 200 m and sixth in 100 m. He also ran the third leg in the gold medal winning United States 4x100 m relay team, which set a new world record of 42.2 in the Olympic final.
At the 1924 Summer Olympics, Murchison was again sixth in 100 m and won his second Olympic gold medal as an opening leg in the world record (41.0) setting American 4x100 m relay team.
Murchison was an outstanding indoor runner. He won 14 titles (9 individual and 5 in the relay) at the United States premier indoor athletics meet, the Millrose Games.[2] He was also national indoor champion at the 60 y in 1919-20 and 1922–24, and 300 y in 1919-20 and 1923-24.[3] [4]
Murchison was also a prolific breaker of records indoors. Amongst the world best times he equaled or broke are:[5]
- equaled 60 y best of 6.4 s in 1920, 1922 and 1923;[6]
- established new 60 y best of 6.2 s in 1923;[7]
- 50 m of 6.0 s in 1925;
- 300 y of 31.2 s;
- 220 y best of 22.4 s.
It was such exploits that inspired Charley Paddock (1920 Olympic 100 m champion) to call Murchison "the greatest indoor sprinter of his generation and the finest starter of all-time.[5]
In 1925 Murchison was struck with spinal meningitis and paralyzed from the waist down for the rest of his life.[5][8][9]
A resident of Leisure Village in Lakewood Township, New Jersey, Murchison died at the age of 80 on June 11, 1979 at Point Pleasant Hospital in Point Pleasant, New Jersey.[10]
References
- ↑ "Loren Murchison Olympic Results". sports-reference.com. Retrieved 2012-10-15.
- ↑ articles.latimes.com/1992-02-08/sports/sp-1329_1_millrose-games, Everett's Finish in 600 Breaks Oldest Indoor World Record, Associated Press, Los Angeles Times, February 8, 1992.
- ↑ "UNITED STATES INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS (MEN)". www.gbrathletics.com. Retrieved January 12, 2015.
- ↑ "USA Indoor Track & Field Champions Men's 60 m". USA Track & Field. Retrieved December 31, 2015.
- 1 2 3 A History of Indoor Track and Field 1849-2013, R. Grant Birkinshaw, Sponsored by IAAF, Published by Edit Vallardi, p. 56
- ↑ "Recods Broken in Track Meet". Sacramento Union. 13 February 1922. Retrieved December 31, 2015.
- ↑ Jordan Sprachman and Bill Shannon (13 February 1922). "This Day in New York Sports". Sports Publishing Inc. Retrieved December 31, 2015.
- ↑ This author met Murchison in the early 1970s and heard his story directly from him. My father was his doctor. Original date claimed was 1925 but other sources suggest the later date of 1927/28.
- ↑ http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1927/12/12/page/29/article/loren-murchison-suffers-relapse-in-fight-for-life, Loren Murchison Suffers Relapse in Fight For Life, Associated Press, Chicago Tribune, December 12, 1927.
- ↑ Staff. "Loren Murchison, 80, Track Star", The New York Times, June 14, 1979. Accessed February 9, 2011. "For the last 16 years he had resided in Leisure Village, a retirement community in Lakeville [sic]."
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