German highlghts

Suspect sprinting results

Germany also began to catch on to the athletics plot after a ten-year suspension. Most of the credit for that went to coach Josef Waitzer, whom the German Athletics Federation hired in 1925. The country's Olympic trials were held in July in Düsseldorf. Richard Corts sprinted the straight distance in 10.4, Hubert Houben came second (10.5), and Georg Lammers third (10.5). Additionally, Ernst Geerling dashed 10.4 in other competitions in July. However, the results were doubted from the beginning and were never officially accepted as records.

Helmut Körnig surged to victory in the 200 metres with a time of 21.6. Like his transatlantic colleague, Charley Paddock, Körnig also had some peculiar habits. He never competed in a new jersey because he believed he would surely lose with such gear. 

Hermann Engelhard won the 800 meters with a relatively strong time of 1:52.4. Otto Peltzer didn't impress. He missed out on medals in both the 800 and 1500 meters. He was selected for the Olympics based on past performances.

Nearly a 20-year-old shot put world record was shattered

The shot put world record held by Ralph Rose of the USA for 19 years finally fell in early May in Breslau, Germany. Emil Hirschfeld threw the mark to 15.79m (51-10). The record wasn't of the long-lasting sort, as John Kuck of America added eight more centimeters to it at the Amsterdam Olympics. In the German Olympic trials, Hirschfeld managed "only" 15.46m (50-8 1/2) as a result. However, the victory was clear.

Hannover-based graphic artist and two-meter giant Hans Hoffmeister threw 48.77 meters (160-0) in July. However, the result was not accepted as an official discus world record. Hoffmeister had a habit of drawing cartoons and portraits of his competitors. In that sense, he was akin to the Finnish high jumper Arvo Tigerstedt, who published similar drawings in Helsingin Sanomat around the same time.

Newspaper Stories

• Helsingin Sanomat, July 17, 1928 (in Finnish)

• Hufvudstadsbladet, July 18, 1928  (in Swedish)