History Lesson: 85 years ago, Rockford track great comes up just short

In honor of this year's Summer Olympics, being held a year late, the NIC-10 History Book dug up the story on Bob Packard, the Rockford great who advanced to compete in the charged atmosphere of the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin.

Rockford Register Republic, August 6, 1936

Packard Rated Highly Despite Olympic Defeat

Rockford Boy Hailed-Among World's Best 200-Meter Sprinters

By DICK RAMEY

Rockford's sports fans were ready today to hail a home-bred athlete among the world's greatest 200-meter sprinters, despite his elimination yesterday in the semi-finals of the Olympic games in Berlin, Germany.

As more than one already has aptly expressed, "Rockford needn't be ashamed of Bob Packard's showing." And, for that matter, neither does Bob himself, though, true enough, he encountered a poorer clocking yesterday than in two previous tests Tuesday.

The fact remains, by a mere survey of the summaries, that Bob Packard ranks among the seven best 200-meter runners on earth. And that is no mean accomplishment for a lad who has just attained his twentieth birthday, and is only one semester removed from high school. Just last February he completed his prep studies at Athens, Ga., after two and one-half years at Rockford high school and a freshman term at Roosevelt junior high school here.

1940 Olympics Ahead

Son of Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Packard, 1339 Blaisdell Street, Packard will be only a second-semester freshman at the University of Georgia this fall. Barring unforseen developments, he faces varsity track competition in 1937, 1938 and 1939. There's still a possibility that he'll be a contender in the 1940 Olympic games in Tokyo, Japan.

Perhaps he'll become too heavy for 200-meter service within the next four years, but, who knows, he may develop into a great American quarter-miler and perform in international 400-meter competition.

That Bob Packard became Rockford's first Olympic track and field representative was honor enough, for in qualifying for the U.S. team in New York last month, he accomplished what no other local boy ever had done.

There were thrills enough for many of his followers that he defeated. Foy Draper, University of Southern California captain, and the veteran Ralph Metcalfe, five times national champion, in the final American tryouts.

But he did even more than that - actually winning one race in Berlin's Olympic stadium before more than 70,000 spectators in a morning preliminary Tuesday. And further survived in the quarter-finals in the same day.

Among Twelve Leaders

By qualifying in the second of three trial procedures, Packard was among the twelve survivors of the world to reach the semi-finals of the 200-meter dash. And, remember, more than 65 contestants started in the eight preliminary heats Tuesday. Twenty-four of these advanced to the second stage, and only a dozen to the third or semi-final stage.

Furthermore, Bob missed the final round by less than a stride. He was nosed out of third position in the first semi-final heat yesterday by Mijnand Beveren of Holland. He took fourth place in 21.6 seconds, whereas Paul Haenni of Switzerland won third place in the second semi-final with the same clocking. Thus Bob ranked, at least, among the leading seven runners in the semi-final field.

Packard's best showing in Berlin was in the first preliminary stage when he won the seventh of eight heats Tuesday in 21.2 seconds, equalling the previous Olympic record, and beating Grimbeck of South Africa, Steinmetz of Germany and Whiteside of India.

In the quarter-finals Tuesday, he was third to Lee Orr of Canada and Paul Haenni of Switzerland. Orr was times in :21.2 while Haenni and Packard were close together and both were clocked in :21.3. Following Packard were Sir of Hungary, Scheur of Germany and Beswick of Argentina - all three being eliminated.

Packard's elimination took place Tuesday when he trailed Mack Robinson of the United States, Orr of Canada and Beveren of Holland - the latter beating him to the tape in the last 10 yards. While Bob was fourth, he had the consolation of whipping Neckermann of Germany and Grimbeck of South Africa. Robinson's time was :21.1; Orr's :21.3 and Beveren's :21.5.

Jesse Owens won the other semifinal in :21.3, with Martin Osendarp of Holland second at :21.5 and Haenni of Switzerland third at :21.6. Those eliminated were Theunissen of South African, Humber of Canada and McPhee of Canada.

Owens came on to win the finals yesterday afternoon, as expected, but the startling surprise was his time of 20.7 seconds. Never before had a human run 220 meters around a curve in less than 21 seconds - Owens himself having done it in 21 flat for a new world record in the final U.S. tryouts last month. His best previous time in Tuesday's heats at Berlin had been 21.1 seconds, whereas the accepted world record was :21.2 made by Eddie Tolan in 1932.

Following Owens, in order, were Robinson of the United States, Osendarp of Holland, Haenni of Switzerland, Orr of Canada and Beveren of Holland.