Basic HTML Version
Touchline issue 22 | November 2015 | 31
Stella Walsh is a classic story of celebrity gone missing.
For twenty years, she was considered the fastest woman
alive. She won all there was for a female sprinter to win.
She broke the world record for the 100 metre sprint at the
1932 Olympics and won three events at the US national
championships four times. A record that still stands to this
day.
Walsh was Polish born but raised in Cleveland – her actual
name was Walasiewicz - and took to running at an early age.
She competed in America but in the Olympic Games was in
the Polish team. During the infamous Berlin Olympics, she
was narrowly beaten by a 6-foot-tall American called Helen
Stephens. This enraged the Polish press, who speculated
that Stephens was actually a man.
The same charge had been levelled at Walsh, and there was
even an investigation. She was cleared, but with the coming
of World War II, she sunk without trace.
Fast-forward 40 years to a Cleveland shopping centre. The
Olympic champion, now an unknown 69-year-old woman,
was entering the car park. Two thieves accosted her, she
went to protect herself, and a gun went off. Walsh was shot
in the stomach, and died some hours later.
It was only now that her secret was revealed. Stella Walsh,
the fastest woman on earth for twenty years, was a man. It is
unknown whether Helen Stephens laughed when she found out.
The 1988 summer Olympics in Seoul were important for
several reasons, not least because after eight years of
boycotts, the Eastern and Western blocs were back in the
Olympic fold. And the controversy of the year clearly was
won by Ben Johnson. Carl Lewis, the American champion,
was tipped to win the 100 metres over his long-term rival
Johnson, but the seriously jacked Canadian ran a blistering
race to win. These were more innocent times, and the
world was shocked when Johnson was tested positive for
stanozolol.
Meanwhile, another American was being robbed: but partly
because of the sprinters, we forget about this one. Roy Jones
Jr. creamed South Korean Park Si-Hun up and down the
ring during the gold medal fight, landing 86 punches to 32.
He won every round. Jones was visibly shocked when the
referee hoisted the arm of Park.
Jones was a lock to win the gold. He coasted through the
qualifying round, gaining several 5-0 decisions. As for Park,
there was a case that he should have been sent home in any
number of his fights. And the final match surprised no one,
with Jones’ complete dominance. Until the 3-2 decision came
down.
It was later revealed that three of the judges had been wined
and dined by Korean officials. It would seem to be a pretty
clear case of corruption, but for reasons best known to the
IOC, Park was allowed to keep his gold. And Jones was forced
to get used to his silver.
The U.S was on a 63-game winning run when they met the
USSR for the gold medal game in the 1972 Munich Olympic
Games. In the final three seconds of the game, the U.S. was
up, 50-49. The Soviets inbounded the ball, but a referee blew
the whistle with one second remaining. It was determined
that the Soviets' coach had called a time-out. Three seconds
were put back on the clock. The Soviets again inbounded the
ball, and seconds later a horn sounded, signalling the U.S.
victory. However, the teams were ordered back on the court
when it was decided that the clock had not been properly
reset to show three seconds remaining. This time, the Soviet
Alexander Belov caught a full court pass and scored the
winning shot as the buzzer sounded. The Soviets won, after
being given three chances to score the winning basket. To
this day, the silver medals awarded to the U.S. lie unclaimed
in a vault in Switzerland.
Fencing is regarded as a chivalrous sport where fair play
is uppermost. Not so for Borys Onyshchenko. The judges
became suspicious when hits were registering against Borys
Onyshchenko's opponent, even when it was obvious he
hadn't been hit. Onyshchenko was caught using a sword
with a hidden push button circuit breaker which allowed him
to register a hit whenever he wanted.
STELLA WALSH: FASTEST WO(MAN)
THREE TRIES TO WIN…..IN BASKETBALL.
THE CHIVALROUS SPORT!
AND THE SPLIT DECISION GOES TO…THE LOSER: HOW ROY JONES JR. GOT ROBBED