George Varoff
Personal information | |
---|---|
Nationality | American |
Born | (1914-03-25)March 25, 1914 Hawaii, U.S. |
Died | January 10, 2002(2002-01-10) (aged 87) San Antonio, Texas, U.S. |
Sport | |
Sport | Athletics |
Event | Pole vault |
George Dimitri Varoff (March 25, 1914 – January 10, 2002) was an American pole vaulter.
Early life
Varoff was born in Hawaii to Ukrainian immigrants and grew up in San Francisco, where he competed for Balboa High School.[1][2] After high school, he attended the University of Oregon to train under track coach Bill Hayward.[3]
World record
On July 4, 1936, Varoff vaulted 14 ft 6+1⁄2 in (4.43 m) at the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU)'s national championship meet, setting a new world record. However, the Olympic Trials were held separately the following week; at the Trials, Varoff only placed fourth and failed to qualify for the United States team for the 1936 Olympics.[4] Varoff won the AAU championship again in 1939; he set his personal best, 14 ft 7+5⁄8 in (4.46 m), at the 1937 AAU meet, but lost on countback as three other men also cleared the same height.[5][6] With the cancellation of the 1940 and 1944 Olympics due to World War II, he never competed in the Olympics.
World War II
Varoff joined the United States Army Air Forces during World War II and achieved the rank of captain. His B-29 was shot down over China and reported as missing in action on December 7, 1944. He returned safely to his base six weeks later.[7] He later reported that he and his crew had been on a bombing mission.[8]
Legacy
Following the war, Varoff returned to San Francisco. He was inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 1982.[9] He died in San Antonio, Texas, on January 10, 2002.[3]
See also
- List of solved missing person cases[clarification needed]
References
- ^ "Records at Princeton". Time. July 13, 1936. Archived from the original on December 15, 2008. Retrieved October 10, 2007.
- ^ "San Francisco (AAA) Finals - 1915 thru 2002". Dystatcal.com. Archived from the original on October 13, 2007. Retrieved October 10, 2007.
- ^ a b "Ex-pole vaulter Varoff dead at 87". CNNSI.com. Retrieved October 10, 2007.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Hymans, Richard (2008). "The History of the United States Olympic Trials – Track & Field" (PDF). USA Track & Field. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 20, 2012. Retrieved October 20, 2015.
- ^ "George Varoff". Track and Field Statistics. Retrieved November 8, 2015.
- ^ Mallon, Bill; Buchanan, Ian. "A History Of The Results Of The National Track & Field Championships Of The USA From 1876 Through 2015". Track & Field News. Archived from the original on December 22, 2015. Retrieved November 8, 2015.
- ^ "Capt. George Varoff safe". The New York Times. January 17, 1945. Retrieved October 10, 2007.
- ^ "Card Farm Pitcher Cited". The New York Times. April 6, 1945. Retrieved October 10, 2007.
- ^ "Inductees: Track and Field". Oregon Sports Hall of Fame and Museum. Archived from the original on September 26, 2007. Retrieved October 10, 2007.
- v
- t
- e
New York Athletic Club
- 1877: George McNichol
- 1878: Alfred Ing
NAAAA
- 1879–81: William Van Houten
- 1882: B.F. Richardson
- 1883–86: Hugh Baxter
- 1887: Tom Ray (GBR) & Hugh Baxter
- 1888Note 1: G.B. Quinn
Amateur Athletic Union
- 1888Note 1: Lincoln Godshall
- 1889: Lat Stones (GBR) & D.F. O'Brien
- 1890: Walter Rodenbaugh
- 1891–92: Theodore Luce
- 1893–94: Christian Buchholz
- 1895: Hermann Thomas
- 1896: Franklin Allis
- 1897: Jesse Hurlburt
- 1898: Raymond Clapp
- 1899: Irving Baxter
- 1900: Bascom Johnson
- 1901: Charles Dvorak
- 1902: August Anderson
- 1903: Charles Dvorak
- 1904: H.L. Gardner
- 1905: Roy Heater
- 1906: LeRoy Samse
- 1907: Ed Cook
- 1908: William Halpenny (CAN) & Claude Allen
- 1909: Roy Paulding
- 1910: Harry Babcock
- 1911: Ed Cook, Frank Coyle & Sam Bellah
- 1912: Harry Babcock
- 1913: Stanley Wagoner
- 1914: Ken Curtis
- 1915: Sam Bellah
- 1916: Sherman Landers
- 1917: Edward Knourek
- 1918: Carl Buck
- 1919–20: Frank Foss
- 1921–22: Edward Knourek
- 1923–24: Edwin Myers
- 1925: Harry Smith
- 1926: Paul Harrington
- 1927–28: Lee Barnes
- 1929–30: Fred Sturdy
- 1931: Jack Wool
- 1932: Bill Graber
- 1933: Keith Brown & Matt Gordy
- 1934: Keith Brown, Bill Graber & Wirt Thompson
- 1935: Earle Meadows & Bill Sefton
- 1936: George Varoff
- 1937: Bill Sefton
- 1938: Cornelius Warmerdam
- 1939: George Varoff
- 1940–44: Cornelius Warmerdam
- 1945: Boo Morcom & Robert Phelps
- 1946: Irving Moore
- 1947: Boo Morcom
- 1948: Boo Morcom & Bob Richards
- 1949–51: Bob Richards
- 1952: Bob Richards & Don Laz
- 1953: Don Laz & George Mattos
- 1954–57: Bob Richards
- 1958: Ron Morris
- 1959: Don Bragg
- 1960: Aubrey Dooley
- 1961–62: Ron Morris
- 1963: Brian Sternberg
- 1964: Fred Hansen
- 1965: John Pennel
- 1966: Bob Seagren
- 1967: Paul Wilson
- 1968: Dick Railsback
- 1969–70: Bob Seagren
- 1971: Jan Johnson
- 1972: Dave Roberts
- 1973: Mike Cotton
- 1974: Dave Roberts
- 1975: Don Baird (AUS) * Terry Porter
- 1976: Earl Bell
- 1977: Mike Tully
- 1978: Dan Ripley
- 1979: Mike Tully
The Athletics Congress
- 1980: Tom Hintnaus
- 1981: Billy Olson
- 1982: Dan Ripley & Billy Olson
- 1983: Jeff Buckingham
- 1984: Earl Bell
- 1985: Joe Dial
- 1986: Mike Tully
- 1987: Joe Dial
- 1988–89: Kory Tarpenning
- 1990: Earl Bell
- 1991–92: Tim Bright
USA Track & Field
- 1993–95: Scott Huffman
- 1996–97: Lawrence Johnson
- 1998–99: Jeff Hartwig
- 2000–01: Lawrence Johnson
- 2002–03: Jeff Hartwig
- 2004: Tim Mack
- 2005: Brad Walker
- 2006: Russ Buller
- 2007: Brad Walker
- 2008: Derek Miles
- 2009: Brad Walker
- 2010: Mark Hollis
- 2011: Derek Miles
- 2012–13: Brad Walker
- 2014–19: Sam Kendricks
- 2020 not held
- 20212020 OT: Chris Nilsen
- Note 1: In 1888 both the NAAAA and the AAU held championships
- OT: The 1920, 1928, 1932, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016 championships incorporated the Olympic Trials, otherwise held as a discrete event.
- 2020 OT: The 2020 Olympic Trials were delayed and held in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.