Deutsches Stadion (Grunewald-Stadion), Berlin, August 4, 1929
The Olympic heroes from Amsterdam were in high demand for European invitational meets. In early August, Harri Larva faced the Olympic silver medalist, Jules Ladoumègue, in the 1500 in Berlin. The Frenchman set the pace until 300m to go, when Larva unleashed his kick—the same one that had devastated opponents the previous summer at the Amsterdam Olympics. Ladoumègue followed closely, and the battle for first place lasted during the homestretch. In the end, Larva pushed ahead, winning by two metres in 3:56.6. The world’s top miler from France was left behind.
A similar sprint duel took place in the 800. After struggling at the Amsterdam Olympics, Otto Peltzer returned to top form, defeating world record holder Séra Martin.
Olympic bronze medalist Helmut Körnig won the 200 with the season’s 16th fastest time, 21.4.
Helsingin Sanomat, August 5, 1929 (in Finnish)
Helsingin Sanomat, August 6, 1929 (in Finnish)