Gaston Strobino
Strobino Gaston ( Gaston Maurice "Gal" Strobino; born August 23, 1891 in Bueren an der Aare, Canton Bern, Switzerland, † March 30, 1969 in Downers Grove ( Illinois), United States) was an American long-distance runner.
Gaston Strobinos parents were Italian citizens who were staying at the time of his birth in Switzerland. Still in its first year the family emigrated to the United States, where they settled in Paterson, New Jersey.
Strobino was a member of the South Paterson Athletic Club when he runs driven being exhibited for the first time. 1911 directed The Evening Mail, a New York-based newspaper, one of the first runs through the streets of New York, which is regarded as a predecessor of today's popular city marathons and runs City. The relay went about 12 miles ( 19.2 kilometers ) from the Bronx to City Hall and had 1014 participants. According to newspaper reports from that time around 1,000,000 spectators were present. The until then completely unknown Strobino reached the fourth place with a running time of 1:11:20 hours. The winner was Lewis Tewanima, which was therefore appointed to the U.S. Olympic team for the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm.
In May of 1912 Strobino also launched in the second edition of what has become known as The Evening Mail Modified marathon, finishing in second place with a running time of 1:09:20 hours, only beaten by his team mate Louis Scott. Scott also was considered for the U.S. Olympic team.
Strobinos opportunities for participating in the Games in 1912 were bad, for he was otherwise involved in any of the knockouts, the U.S. Trials. After all, you put him still on a supplementary list, which contained athletes that would be added to the U.S. Olympic team when they wore their own travel expenses. Many friends of Strobino and his club collected and donated money, and they managed actually to raise the required sum.
The team leaders had decided to leave Strobino at the Olympic Games in 1912 only start in the marathon, and even though he had never run such a long distance. He was also with the end 20 of the youngest runners in the field. At the very high temperatures, the tactics of the U.S. runners consisted in the first half of the race to run restrained. Strobino based on Lewis Tewanima, who seemed perfectly implement these tactics. Together, the two constantly fought from far behind slow. After 25 km, it was on the eighth or ninth place. Surprisingly it was Tewanima, the pace could no longer hold while Strobino rushed forward undeterred. 5 km from the finish he had slid down to third place and was just 30 seconds behind the leaders. Eventually, though, he also had to bend the previous hardships. Face contorted with pain and bleeding feet, he was able to defend his third place to the finish.
The rankings at the Olympic Games for Gaston Strobino:
- V. Summer Olympic Games in 1912, Stockholm Marathon - Bronze with 2:38:42,4 hrs (Gold on Ken McArthur from South Africa with 2:36:54,8 hours; silver to Christopher Gitsham from South Africa with 2:37:52,0 hours)
Gaston Strobinos third place in the marathon was one of the biggest surprises at the Olympic Games in 1912. Moreover Strobino went down in the history of the Olympic Games. The torments suffered during his run led him never again to complete a pass over such a distance. So Strobino was the only participant in an Olympic marathon, who won a medal at the Olympic Games with a single ever over this distance completed running.
Back in the USA Strobino was suddenly a noted runner, who was regarded by the public as the savior of American honor in the Olympic marathon. He knew his popularity to use and participated in numerous running events in which he was quite successful. Mainly on lines of three or ten miles, he won 1912-1914 several victories, but what he lacked, was a national title.
1915 moved to Strobino prestigious New York Athletic Club and the same year he was finally national champion in cross-country running over six miles.
In 1918 he was called up for use in the First World War to the military, but was not sent to Europe and was eliminated soon again.
Strobino had no depth professional training and worked as a mechanic 's assistant. However, he had obviously a great technical skill and understanding of mechanical connections. 1920 Strobino developed a machine for forming oval objects to which he received his first patent. There followed a number of other patented inventions, including a substantially improved the sound phonograph.
After 1928 he moved to the Chicago area, where he made himself a name as an inventor further. His last patent dates back to 1953. All patents are available for free, but technologically obsolete and hence. Of only minor interest