John Lyman (athlete)
Lyman in 1936
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 19, 1912 |
| Died | July 29, 1989 (aged 77) |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Athletics |
| Event(s) | Shot put, discus throw |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Personal best(s) | SP – 16.70 m (1934) |
John Carnahan "Johnny" Lyman (March 19, 1912 – July 29, 1989) was an American shot putter and discus thrower who briefly held the shot put world record in 1934.
Lyman studied at Stanford University and was one of many stand-out throwers coached by Dink Templeton. As a sophomore in 1932, he placed fourth in the shot at the United States Olympic Trials with a best throw of 15.30 m (50 ft 2 3⁄8 in), one place from qualifying for the Olympic team. In 1933 he won the IC4A shot put championship with a mark of 16.06 m (52 ft 8 1⁄2 in), the second-best put in the world that year behind Jack Torrance's 16.10 m. He placed third at the national championships that year, behind Torrance and Stanford teammate Gordon Dunn.
Lyman continued to improve in 1934. The ensuing rivalry between him and Torrance was one of the highlights of the American track and field season, together with the duels of milers Glenn Cunningham and Bill Bonthron. On March 30, 1934 Lyman set two unofficial world records with non-standard shots, throwing a 24-pound shot 12.38 m (40 ft 7 3⁄4 in) and an 8-pound shot 21.53 m (70 ft 7 3⁄4 in). On April 14 he reached 16.30 m (53 ft 6 in) with the standard 16-pound shot, breaking the official world record of František Douda and equaling an unratified mark set by Torrance the previous month. A week after that he improved to 16.48 m (54 ft 1 in) in Palo Alto, claiming the record fully for himself; unlike his previous record, this mark was officially ratified by the IAAF. Only six days later, however, Torrance threw 16.80 m (55 ft 1 1⁄2 in) at the Drake Relays in Des Moines, reclaiming the record.
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