Vancouver Invitational
Top Sprinters Face Off in Canada
Vancouver, BC, Canada, July 12-13, 1929
The sprinting title for 1929 was decided in Vancouver, Canada, where American champion Eddie Tolan and Olympic finalist Frank Wykoff competed against Olympic champion Percy Williams in the 100-yard dash. Like at the Amsterdam Olympics, the Canadian put on a strong final 10-yard sprint, overtaking Tolan by five centimeters. The stopwatches clocked 9.5 (equivalent to 10.4 in meters). Wykoff finished well behind.
Tolan 21.4
Williams injured his leg during the intense 100-yard contest, so he did not compete in the 220-yard race. Tolan cruised to victory with an impressive 21.4 (equivalent to 21.3 meters), a time bested only twice all season by “Midnight Express.”
World’s top 400-meter runner Reginald Bowen won the 440-yard race with a respectable time of 48.4 (48.1), one of his best marks in 1929.
Lassalette WL
New U.S. champion Henry Lassalette reached 199.4 (6-6 1/2) in the high jump, which put him at the top of the world rankings for 1929.
It seems the Americans weren’t making the trip to Vancouver for free. By the year’s end, Tolan faced the AAU in hearings, accused of accepting “under-the-table” payments for his Vancouver appearance. He received a brief suspension as a penalty. Paavo Nurmi and Ville Ritola had faced similar inquiries back in 1925.