The 1959 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships were organized by the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) and served as the national championships in indoor track and field for the United States.
| 1959 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships | |
|---|---|
| Dates | February 21 (men) January 24 (women) |
| Host city | New York City, New York, United States (men) Washington, D.C., United States (women) |
| Venue | Madison Square Garden (men) D.C. Armory (women) |
  | |
| Level | Senior |
| Type | Indoor |
| Events | 20 (12 men's + 8 women's) |
← 1958 1960 → | |
The men's edition was held at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York, and it took place February 21. The women's meet was held separately at the D.C. Armory in Washington, D.C., taking place January 24.[1]
At the men's championships, five world records were set including a mark of 4:02.5 in the indoor mile by Ron Delany. 15,789 spectators attended the men's edition.[2][3]
After two exhibition races the prior year, it was the first time that the women's 440 yards and 880 yards were contested, and the first time that any distance longer than 220 yards was added.[4][5]
Medal summary
editMen
edit| Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60 yards | Paul Winder | 6.1 | ||||
| 600 yards | Josh Culbreath | 1:11.1 | ||||
| 1000 yards |  Zbigniew Orywal (POL) |
2:12.6 |  Paul Schmidt (GER) |
Arnold Sowell | ||
| Mile run[a] |  Ron Delany (IRL) |
4:02.5 |  Istvan Rozsavolgyi (HUN) |
Lazlo Taboi (HUN) |
||
| 3 miles | Bill Dellinger | 13:37.0 | ||||
| 60 yards hurdles | Elias Gilbert | 7.3 | ||||
| High jump | John Thomas | 2.16 m | ||||
| Pole vault | Don Bragg | 4.60 m | ||||
| Long jump | Mike Herman | 7.64 m | ||||
| Shot put | Parry O'Brien | 18.94 m | ||||
| Weight throw | Bob Backus | 20.18 m | ||||
| 1 mile walk | John Humcke | 6:42.2 | ||||
Women
edit| Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 yards | Wilma Rudolph | 6.2 | ||||
| 100 yards | Martha Hudson | 11.4 | ||||
| 220 yards | Lucinda Williams | 26.6 | ||||
| 440 yards | Lillian Greene | 63.4 | ||||
| 880 yards | Harriet Douthitt | 2:36.3 | ||||
| 70 yards hurdles | Jo Ann Terry | 9.7 | ||||
| High jump | Ann Marie Flynn | 1.54 m | ||||
| Standing long jump | Jo Ann Terry | 2.71 m | ||||
| Shot put | Marjorie Larney | 12.07 m | ||||
| Basketball throw | Amelia Wood | 101 ft 81⁄2 in (31 m) | ||||
References
edit- ^ "UNITED STATES INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS (MEN)". GBR Athletics. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
- ^ "Delany's 4:02.5 Sets Mile Mark". The Philadelphia Inquirer. 22 Feb 1959. p. 97. Retrieved 23 Aug 2024.
- ^ "Delany, Thomas Pace AAU Record Parade". The Philadelphia Inquirer. 22 Feb 1959. p. 104. Retrieved 23 Aug 2024.
- ^ "UNITED STATES INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS (WOMEN)". GBR Athletics. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
- ^ "Cleveland Girls Run 1-2 in National AAU 880". The Plain Dealer. 25 Jan 1959. p. 52. Retrieved 4 Sep 2024.
- Results
- "UNITED STATES INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS (MEN)". GBR Athletics. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
- "UNITED STATES INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS (WOMEN)". GBR Athletics. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
Notes
edit- ^ The top American and U.S. champion was Pete Close in 4th place.