USA (AAU)

Double Winner Paddock

Perhaps the most competitive meet of the year took place in early July in Pasadena, California, where the U.S. Championships (AAU) were held. The world's fastest man, Charley Paddock, claimed victory on his home turf in both the 100 and 220 yards, just as he had promised in his newspaper articles before the competition. In the short sprint, he matched the 100-yard world record with a time of 9.6, which is roughly equivalent to a 10.5-second performance in a 100-meter race.

However, Paddock did not keep his second promise. He had announced in the spring of 1921 that he would retire after the AAU Championship. Nevertheless, he was seen competing for several more years.

Moral World Record 

In the long hurdles, the medalists from the Antwerp Olympic Games met in a rematch. Bronze medalist August Desch narrowly edged out silver medalist John Norton. Desch's time was announced as 53.4, which according to the rules of the time was not accepted as a world record because two hurdles were knocked over during the race.

The meet record for the quarter-mile was shattered. William Stevenson, a 20-year-old representing the New York Athletic Club, stormed to victory in the 440-yard dash with a time of 48.6. Later in life, he distinguished himself in the field of foreign policy and was appointed by President John F. Kennedy as the United States Ambassador to the Philippines in the early 1960s.

In the two-lap race (880 yards), the pace was intense. Alan Helffrich exploded his kick with 150 meters to go and won with a world-leading time of 1:54.2.won with a world-leading time of 1:54.2. Three years later, this guy born in Yonkers, New York, anchored the United States to Olympic gold in the 4x400-meter relay at the Paris Olympics. The following year, Helffrich was the only one able to defeat Paavo Nurmi during his American tour.

Joie Ray followed the main group for a couple of laps in the mile. Then he got tired of their perfumes and went his own way. University champion James Connolly woke up too late and had no chance of catching the fugitive on the final lap.

The future three-time Olympic gold medalist, Bud Houser, showed that his victories at the Southern Pacific AAU championships were no fluke. Still a high schooler, he heaved the brass ball 14.32 (46-11¾) and went on to beat Patrick McDonald, a grizzled veteran in his thirties. Houser tossed the Greek platter for a result that earned him a fourth-place finish.

Johnson Prevails in Pittsburgh Cross Country

The U.S. championships were still contested in some additional events in the fall. Michael Devaney, a New Jersey native and two-time Olympian, won his third title in the 2M steeplechase in September, nearly on his home turf at Travers Island, New York.

African-American Earl "Earle" Johnson and a new face on the scene, Finnish-born carpenter Ville Ritola—who had swapped the Old Country for New York at seventeen—engaged in a fierce struggle for the 10M crown, until the Pittsburgh steel mill hand hit the gas on the final lap and shook the carpenter loose.

Johnson’s winning streak rolled on into November, when he claimed the title of the fastest cross country harrier in the Union right there in Pittsburgh. This marked the first and only time Johnson would stand tall as the U.S. National Cross Country Champion. Once again, Ritola had to settle for the runner-up spot.

Johnson had every reason to tip his hat to a stellar season. The man filled his trophy cabinet to the brim: in addition to his cross country and 10M triumphs, he had scooped up the American 5M title over the summer. Ritola, too, had a fine run of it; his streak of senior-level medals began to pile up as a byproduct of his hard graft on the construction sites.

Results

• 1-6 (Track And Field Statistics)

• 1-6 (Spalding's Athletic Almanac)

• 1-6 (Track And Field News)

Newspaper Stories

Main meet

• Great Falls Tribune 5.7.1921 

• Los Angeles Herald, July 7, 1921

• The Lewiston Daily, July 8, 1921

• Uusi Suomi 23.7.1921 (in Finnish)

• Idrottsbladet 1.8.1921 (in Swedish)