Cool Olympic Story of the Day

[midnight Target]

The Olympics are right around the corner. I will attempt to provide a cool human interest story every day until the opening ceremonies....

Rudolf Harbig won a bronze in the 4 x 400 relay in 1936 running for Germany. It was his only Olympic medal, but Harbig may have been the 2nd best runner of his day (behind Jesse Owens). He won 55 straight races at distances from 50 to 1000 meters between 1938 and 1940. He ran the 400 meters in 46.0. A world record that wasn't bettered until 1948. He also ran the 800 in 1939 in 1:46.6, a record that would last for 16 years.

Harbig was killed in March 1944 on the Russian front.

[hawker238]

I wonder if he was a Tillman-like figure for enlisting for Germany during WWII, or if he was just drafted.

Regardless, he's obviously one of the most talented runners in the world.   to Harbig.

[anonymous]

make your next one about the speed skater that fell and all the media basted him and then he came back and won gold in diff event just after his sis died of cancer.

[demaw1]

Ya ww2 was a big watse of human potental.

 looking foreward to your olympic storys

[CyranoAH]

Keep 'em coming! Thanks.

[Saurdaukar]

Originally posted by demaw1
Ya ww2 was a big watse of human potental.

 looking foreward to your olympic storys

LOL!!

[midnight Target]

Originally posted by Saurdaukar
LOL!!

hehe .....that is kinda funny.

[Curval]

Originally posted by midnight Target
Harbig was killed in March 1944 on the Russian front.

Moral of the story...it didn't matter how fast you could run if you were a German soldier in Russia in 1944.