Lee Bartlett

American javelin thrower

Lee Bartlett
Bartlett in 1936
Personal information
BornMarch 30, 1907
Hillsdale, Michigan, U.S.
DiedOctober 31, 1972 (aged 65)
Dearborn Heights, Michigan, U.S.
Height183 cm (6 ft 0 in)
Weight75 kg (165 lb)
Sport
SportAthletics
EventJavelin throw
ClubAlbion College
Achievements and titles
Personal best68.15 m (1936)[1][2]

Lee Marion Bartlett (March 30, 1907 – October 31, 1972) was an American javelin thrower. He competed at the 1928, 1932 and 1936 Olympics and placed 16th, 5th and 12th, respectively.

Albion College

Bartlett attended high school in Union City, Michigan; he did not take up the javelin until joining the track team at Albion College in 1926. Bartlett was twice Albion's team captain and four times the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association javelin champion; his 1928 MIAA Field Day record was not bettered until 1969. During his junior year – in addition to competing in the Olympic Games – Bartlett won the 1928 National Collegiate Athletic Association championship, establishing a new NCAA and American Open record in the process. The following year, Bartlett was runner-up at the United States Open (AAU) Championships.[1]

Post-collegiate years

In 1930 and 1932, Bartlett was once again the National AAU runner-up; he also placed fifth at the 1932 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. In 1933, Lee Bartlett won his first and only AAU title in the javelin throw.[3] Three years later, Bartlett took first place at the United States Olympic Trials, qualifying him for a berth to the 1936 Olympic Games.[4] Bartlett remained an active competitor in the javelin through the early 1940s; he very nearly became the first American to throw 240-feet (73.15 meters) at a 1940 exhibition in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

After hanging up his javelin boots in 1942, Bartlett embarked upon a rewarding 30-year career as a teacher and athletic coach in Dearborn, Michigan. He died on October 31, 1972, aged 65. To this day, Lee Bartlett remains the only Albion College and MIAA athlete to compete in the Olympic Games; he was honored posthumously in 1989 with induction to the Albion College Athletic Hall of Fame.[5]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Lee Bartlett". Sports-reference.com. Archived from the original on April 18, 2020. Retrieved October 31, 2012.
  2. ^ Lee Bartlett. trackfield.brinkster.net
  3. ^ "Statistics – USA Outdoor Track & Field Champions". USATF. Archived from the original on September 18, 2012. Retrieved October 31, 2012.
  4. ^ "USA Track & Field – USA Olympic Team Trials Champions – Men Javelin Throw". Usatf.org. Retrieved October 31, 2012.
  5. ^ 1989 Inductees. Albion College Hall of Fame Archived July 6, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  • v
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US National Championship winners in men's javelin throw
1909–1979
Amateur Athletic Union
1980–1992
The Athletics Congress
1993–onwards
USA Track & Field
Olympic Trials
  • 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.
Notes
  • Kenneth Churchill had the longest throw in the 1932 competition (which doubled as the Olympic Trials), ahead of Malcolm Metcalf. However, Churchill qualified for the final only due to a late rule change by the U.S. Olympic Committee, allowing eight rather than five finalists. As this rule change applied only to the Olympic Trials, Churchill is considered to have won at the Trials and Metcalf at the national championships, even though they were the same meet.
  • v
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Qualification
  • 1928 United States Olympic trials (track and field)
Men's track
and road athletes
Men's field athletes
Women's track athletes
Women's field athletes
Coaches
  • v
  • t
  • e
Qualification
  • 1932 United States Olympic trials (track and field)
Men's track
and road athletes
Men's field athletes
Women's track athletes
Women's field athletes
Non-competing relay pool members
Coaches
  • v
  • t
  • e
Qualification
  • 1936 United States Olympic trials (track and field)
Men's track
and road athletes
Men's field athletes
Women's track athletes
Women's field athletes
Non-competing relay pool members
Coaches