Bernard Wefers
Appearance
Personal information | |
---|---|
Full name | Bernard Joseph Wefers Sr. |
Born | February 19, 1873 Lawrence, Massachusetts, U.S. |
Died | April 18, 1957 (aged 84) New York City, U.S. |
Sport | |
Sport | Athletics |
Event | 100–400 m |
Achievements and titles | |
Personal best(s) | 100 m – 10.6 (1897) 200 m – 21.7 (1896) 400 m – 48.9 (1896)[1] |
Bernard Joseph Wefers Sr. (February 19, 1873 – April 18, 1957) was an American sprint runner.
He was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts and attended Boston College before transferring to study medicine at Georgetown University.[2] During the 1890s he won numerous sprint records and was dubbed the "World's Fastest human".[3] In 1896 he set a world record in the 220 yards (200 metres) dash with a time of 21.2 seconds. This record stood until 1921, although it was tied by five other athletes. After retiring, Wefers coached track and field at NYAC for 45 years.[4]
Wefers died in 1957 in New York City.[5]
References
[edit]- ^ Bernard Wefers. trackfield.brinkster.net
- ^ American Council of Learned Societies; Garraty, John Arthur; Carnes, Mark Christopher (1999), Garraty, John Arthur; Carnes, Mark Christopher (eds.), American National Biography: Tunnicliff-Welk, vol. 22, Oxford University Press, p. 893, ISBN 0-19-512801-X
- ^ "People", St. Petersburg Times, April 19, 1957
- ^ Sears, Edward Seldon (2001). Running through the ages. McFarland. p. 96. ISBN 0-7864-0971-1.
- ^ (19 April 1957). Bernie Wefers, Track Star, Dies, The New York Times, p. 21, col. 1 (paywall)
External links
[edit]- Bernard Wefers at the USATF Hall of Fame (archived)
- Bernard Wefers at www.USATF.org
- Bernard Wefers, track star at QueenCityMA
- "American amateur athletes in 1896", Outing: sport, adventure, travel, fiction, vol. 29, W. B. Holland, 1897