World Record Breakers in Track & Field Athletics

About the Product

Michael Johnson’s sensational 200-meter performance in the ’96 Olympics left those who watched in awe. Johnson graces the cover of World Record Breakers in Track & Field Athletics as but one example of what men and women around the globe can do when challenged in competition to go faster, higher, and farther than ever before.

This one-of-a-kind book is a collector’s item, encyclopedia, and wish book all in one. Athletes, coaches, and fans will enjoy how the book:

• provides a complete and captivating look at those who have set new world records in the sport,
• selects the three greatest performers for each event, and
• projects future world record marks for the year 2015.

Bannister’s mile, Beamon’s long jump, and Joyner-Kersee’s heptathlon are but a few of the outstanding performers remembered so vividly through stories and hundreds of accompanying photographs. You’ll find the details of more than 600 record setting performances organized in chronological order by event for men and women.

World Record Breakers in Track & Field Athletics is much more than a listing of dates and statistics; it’s a captivating look at the men and women who had the talent, training, skills, and will to make their mark in the sport.

About the Author

Gerald Lawson is a medical practitioner in Australia. Born in Melbourne, he was taken as a small boy by his father to the 1956 Olympics in that city and there developed an abiding interest in athletics. Lawson graduated from the medical school at the University of Melbourne in 1972 and went on to complete his MD Thesis in Oxford. In 1983 he completed specialist qualifications in Obstetrics and Gynecology, which he practices in Newcastle, a coastal city 100 miles north of Sydney.

A self-described "long distance observer of world records" and "old-fashioned athletic fan," Lawson has met only five of the 640 track and field world record holders and witnessed only three of the 1182 world records described in this book.

Married with two daughters, Dr. Lawson is president of the local Obstetric and Gynecological Society. His other interests include U.S. politics, writing filmscripts, and staying married. His wife, Lynne, is a psychologist.

Table of Contents

Introduction: A Short History of Track and Field Athletics

Part I: Men’s Track and Field Athletics
Chapter 1. 100 Meters
Chapter 2. 200 Meters
Chapter 3. 400 Meters
Chapter 4. 800 Meters
Chapter 5. 1500 Meters
Chapter 6. The Mile
Chapter 7. 5000 Meters
Chapter 8. 10,000 Meters
Chapter 9. The Marathon
Chapter 10. 110-Meter Hurdles
Chapter 11. 400-Meter Hurdles
Chapter 12. 3000-Meter Steeplechase
Chapter 13. High Jump
Chapter 14. Pole Vault
Chapter 15. Long Jump
Chapter 16. Triple Jump
Chapter 17. Shot Put
Chapter 18. Discus
Chapter 19. Hammer Throw
Chapter 20. Javelin
Chapter 21. Decathlon

Part II: Women’s Track and Field Athletics
Chapter 22. 100 Meters
Chapter 23. 200 Meters
Chapter 24. 400 Meters
Chapter 25. 800 Meters
Chapter 26. 1500 Meters
Chapter 27. 3000 Meters
Chapter 28. 5000 Meters
Chapter 29. 10,000 Meters
Chapter 30. The Marathon
Chapter 31. 80-Meter and 100-Meter Hurdles
Chapter 32. 400-Meter Hurdles
Chapter 33. High Jump
Chapter 34. Long Jump
Chapter 35. Triple Jump
Chapter 36. Shot Put
Chapter 37. Discus
Chapter 38. Javelin
Chapter 39. Pentathlon and Heptathlon
Chapter 40. Other Events

Epilogue: Predicting World Records

Words of Praise

"A cornucopia of information about track & field’s superstars. Interesting reading and a useful reference for any fan."
Ed Fox
Publisher
Track & Field News

"I am proud and grateful that Dr. Lawson has dedicated so much time and effort into compiling a record book that finally recognizes these sometimes obscure performances. Fortunately, there is finally an accounting capturing the struggles for recognition and some great performances you’ll wish you hadn’t missed."
Cherrie (Bridges) Treworgy
Women’s World Record Holder in the Marathon
1971-1973