Jack Torrance (athlete)
Tackle | |
Personal information | |
---|---|
Born: | Oak Grove, Louisiana, U.S. | June 20, 1912
Died: | November 10, 1969 Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S. | (aged 57)
Height: | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
Weight: | 285 lb (129 kg) |
Career information | |
High school: | Oak Grove (LA) |
College: | LSU |
Career history | |
Career highlights and awards | |
Career NFL statistics | |
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR |
John Torrance (June 20, 1912 – November 10, 1969)[1] was an American shot putter and American football player. Torrance broke the shot put world record several times in 1934, his eventual best mark of 17.40 m remaining unbeaten until 1948. At the 1936 Summer Olympics he placed fifth.
Biography
Torrance studied at
Torrance reached his peak in 1934, becoming the world's leading shot putter.[9] His main rival that year was John Lyman.[9][11] Torrance broke Douda's world record in Lafayette on March 24, throwing 16.30 m (53 ft 6 in).[11][12] Lyman tied that mark on April 14[11][13] and then threw 16.48 m (54 ft 3⁄4 in) on April 21, setting a new world record.[10][14][15] However, that record lasted for only six days as Torrance improved to 16.80 m (55 ft 1+1⁄2 in) at the Drake Relays.[10][14] In May, he reached 17.19 m (56 ft 5 in) in an unofficial exhibition.[9][11]
Torrance successfully defended both his NCAA title and his national title. At the 1934 NCAA championships he won with a put of 16.62 m (54 ft 6+9⁄16 in), defeating Lyman by almost a foot.[3][11][16] However, he failed to qualify for the discus final.[17] At the June 30 national championships in Milwaukee, Lyman improved to 16.70 m (54 ft 9+1⁄2 in), better than Torrance's NCAA mark; however, Torrance won with 16.89 m (55 ft 5+1⁄4 in), breaking his own world record.[7]
Torrance then went on a European tour. He set his final world record at
While Torrance did not improve his record in 1935, he remained the world's leading shot putter.[9] He was national champion both in the indoors and outdoors event[1] and topped the world list at 16.60 m (54 ft 5+1⁄2 in), ahead of Germany's Hans Woellke and Lyman.[8] With the Olympic Games in Berlin less than a year away, he was considered not only a clear favorite for the Olympic shot put,[9] but one of America's top prospects in any event.[21]
Torrance, though, was badly overweight by the summer of 1936, weighing 325 pounds in July.
After the Olympics, Torrance turned his attention to other sports. He debuted as a
He subsequently worked briefly as a
Torrance's shot put world record outlasted his sports career, remaining in the books until
References
- ^ a b c Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Jack Torrance". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on June 13, 2013. Retrieved June 17, 2013.
- St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved June 17, 2013.
- ^ a b Hill, E. Garry. "A History of the NCAA Championships: Shot Put" (PDF). Track & Field News. Retrieved June 17, 2013.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Hill, E. Garry. "A History of the NCAA Championships: Discus Throw" (PDF). Track & Field News. Retrieved June 17, 2013.
- The Montreal Gazette. June 19, 1933. Retrieved June 17, 2013.
- Prescott Evening Courier. June 15, 1933. Retrieved June 17, 2013.
- ^ a b Mallon, Bill; Buchanan, Ian; Track & Field News. "A History Of The Results Of The National Track & Field Championships Of The USA From 1876 Through 2011". Track & Field News. Archived from the original on May 23, 2013. Retrieved June 17, 2013.
- ^ a b "Track and Field Statistics". trackfield.brinkster.net. Retrieved June 17, 2013.
- ^ Werner Söderström Osakeyhtiö.
- ^ International Association of Athletics Federations
- ^ a b c d e "Mile-Runners and Shot-Putters Dominate 1934 Track And Field; Cunningham, Torrance Set New Marks". The Pittsburgh Press. December 19, 1934. Retrieved June 17, 2013.
- The Milwaukee Journal. March 24, 1934. Retrieved June 17, 2013.
- ^ "Lyman Breaks Shot Record". The Milwaukee Journal. April 15, 2013. Retrieved June 17, 2013.
- ^ a b "Torrance Cracks Shot Record; Lyman Out to Regain Laurels". Lodi News-Sentinel. April 28, 1934. Retrieved June 17, 2013.
- ^ "Lyman Sets 'Shot' Mark". The Milwaukee Journal. April 22, 1934. Retrieved June 17, 2013.
- ^ "Torrance Gets Shotput Record". Spokane Daily Chronicle. June 23, 1934. Retrieved June 17, 2013.
- St. Petersburg Times.
- ^ "Torrance Cracks Shot Put Record". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. August 6, 1934. Retrieved June 17, 2013.
- The Spartanburg Herald. August 7, 1934. Retrieved June 17, 2013.
- ^ a b c Hymans, Richard. "The History of the United States Olympic Trials – Track & Field". Track & Field News. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 26, 2017. Retrieved May 5, 2013.
- Eugene Register-Guard. January 20, 1936. Retrieved June 17, 2013.
- The Spartanburg Herald. Retrieved June 17, 2013.
- The Evening Independent. Retrieved June 17, 2013.
- ^ "Athletics at the 1936 Berlin Summer Games: Men's Shot Put". Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on June 13, 2013. Retrieved June 17, 2013.
- The Spartanburg Herald. December 7, 1936. Retrieved June 17, 2013.
- ^ "Jack Torrance Scores Kayo In Debut Match". The Tuscaloosa News. December 8, 1936. Retrieved June 17, 2013.
- ^ "Jack Torrance to Box In New Orleans Tonight". The Miami News. January 11, 1937. Retrieved June 17, 2013.[permanent dead link]
- The Milwaukee Journal. February 2, 1937. Retrieved June 17, 2013.
- ^ a b "Fines Assessed in Fight Run-Out". The Tuscaloosa News. February 14, 1937. Retrieved June 17, 2013.
- ^ "Jack Torrance Loses In Bout to Simon". Lodi News-Sentinel. April 29, 1937. Retrieved June 17, 2013.
- ^ "Big Jack Torrance Takes a Beating in Fight Ring". Lawrence Journal-World. April 29, 1937. Retrieved June 17, 2013.
- The Afro-American. Retrieved June 17, 2013.
- ^ "Paul Richards Boast Active Eleven Years". The Palm Beach Post. March 28, 1938.
- The Evening Independent. July 31, 1939. Retrieved June 17, 2013.
- The Milwaukee Sentinel. August 15, 1939. Retrieved June 17, 2013.
- ^ "Jack Torrance NFL Football Statistics". Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 17, 2013.
- ^ Mayhew, John F. (May 7, 1948). "Answer Question Why Charley Fonville Is Greatest Shot Putter in History". Ludington Daily News. Retrieved June 17, 2013.
- ^ a b "Jack Torrance". Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved June 17, 2013.
External links
- Jack Torrance at the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame
- Jack Torrance at www.USATF.org
- Jack Torrance at Olympics.com
- Jack Torrance at Olympedia
- Jack Torrance at Find a Grave