Hastings Park Race Course, Vancouver, BC, Canada, July 1, 1930
The best sprinters faced each other in the second annual Dominion Day Invitational Games in Vancouver. Future Olympic champion Eddie Tolan redeemed his early-season losses by crushing George Simpson, who had risen to be the world's fastest in 1929, and Canada's reigning Olympic champion Percy Williams in the 100-meter dash. Tolan, the Michigan "Midnight Express," got an excellent start and led the entire way.
Tolan became the first fellow to clock 10.2 seconds in the 100-meter dash. However, the result was not accepted as an official world record, even though the finish line at the Hastings racetrack was 76 centimeters higher than the starting line. According to Hymans (Hymans, Richard, Progression of World Athletics Records. WA, 1924), the film clip taken of the race does not suggest excessive tailwind; instead, the footage reflects a calm and beautiful summer day.
Simpson, who finished 1.20m (four feet) behind Tolan, was estimated to have clocked 10.3 or 10.4 in various sources. Williams crossed the finish line 30cm behind Simpson, placing his estimated time at 10.4. The compilers of merit rankings had to scratch their necks when choosing the best sprinter of the 1930 season: although Williams later in the summer achieved the official world record of 10.3, the Olympic champion’s loss in Vancouver was significant.
Williams was impressed by Tolan's burst: "Eddie came back in great style," the Vancouver man commented to reporters. "It was a superhuman effort."
The 220-yard dash in Vancouver was run on an almost straight track. Simpson reversed his loss to Tolan and sprinted to victory with a time of 20.6. Tolan, who approached menacingly during the last quarter, finished 30 cm behind, and was estimated to have the same time. As is typical of racetracks, the turn was slightly curved, making the result difficult to compare with times clocked on a regular curved track.
The shot put also got a workout in Vancouver. Herman Brix, who dominated the event's market in 1930, was the second man to put the brass ball over 16 meters. The board showed a season's leading mark of 16.02 (52-6¾), falling only two centimeters short of the world record held by Emil Hirschfeld, who was in the land of shadows in 1930.
12:30 PM–4:30 PM Vancouver time