George Saling
Encyclopedia
George J. Saling was an American
athlete
, winner of 110 m hurdles at the 1932 Summer Olympics
.
Saling was born in Memphis, Missouri
, but the family moved to Corydon, Iowa
when George was three months old. He graduated from Corydon High School in 1927 and was the captain of the basketball team. At the University of Iowa
established himself as a world class hurdler during his senior year in 1932, winning the NCAA
Championships in 110 m hurdles, equaling the Percy Beard
's world record
of 14.4. At the AAU
Championships, Saling lost in 110 m hurdles final to Jack Keller by 4 feet (1.2 m), but won the 200 m hurdles title, thus earning a place in the Olympic team.
At the Los Angeles
Olympic Games
, Saling beat his main rival Beard at first in semi-final by 0.2 second
s and then again in the final by 0.1 seconds.
That would remain his last victory on the track, because George Saling was killed in a car accident in Missouri
six months after the Olympic Games, aged only 23.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
athlete
Athletics (track and field)
Athletics is an exclusive collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking. The most common types of athletics competitions are track and field, road running, cross country running, and race walking...
, winner of 110 m hurdles at the 1932 Summer Olympics
1932 Summer Olympics
The 1932 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the X Olympiad, was a major world wide multi-athletic event which was celebrated in 1932 in Los Angeles, California, United States. No other cities made a bid to host these Olympics. Held during the worldwide Great Depression, many nations...
.
Saling was born in Memphis, Missouri
Memphis, Missouri
Memphis is a city in Scotland County, Missouri, United States. The population was 1,822 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Scotland County. Memphis is located southeast of Pulaski, Iowa, north of Baring, east of Lancaster, and west of Kahoka....
, but the family moved to Corydon, Iowa
Corydon, Iowa
Corydon is a city in Wayne County, Iowa, United States. The population was 1,585 in the 2010 census, a decline from 1,591 in the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Wayne County....
when George was three months old. He graduated from Corydon High School in 1927 and was the captain of the basketball team. At the University of Iowa
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
established himself as a world class hurdler during his senior year in 1932, winning the NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
Championships in 110 m hurdles, equaling the Percy Beard
Percy Beard
Percy Morris Beard was an American college and international track and field athlete who specialized in the high hurdles event, and won an Olympic silver medal. Beard later became a nationally prominent college track and field coach at the University of Florida.- Athletic career :Percy Beard was...
's world record
World record
A world record is usually the best global performance ever recorded and verified in a specific skill or sport. The book Guinness World Records collates and publishes notable records of all types, from first and best to worst human achievements, to extremes in the natural world and beyond...
of 14.4. At the AAU
Amateur Athletic Union
The Amateur Athletic Union is one of the largest non-profit volunteer sports organizations in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs.-History:The AAU was founded in 1888 to...
Championships, Saling lost in 110 m hurdles final to Jack Keller by 4 feet (1.2 m), but won the 200 m hurdles title, thus earning a place in the Olympic team.
At the Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
, Saling beat his main rival Beard at first in semi-final by 0.2 second
Second
The second is a unit of measurement of time, and is the International System of Units base unit of time. It may be measured using a clock....
s and then again in the final by 0.1 seconds.
That would remain his last victory on the track, because George Saling was killed in a car accident in Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
six months after the Olympic Games, aged only 23.