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The Incredible Hammer-Thrower
This is the story of a history teacher who himself made history in the arena of Olympic sports. His name : Harold Vincent Connolly, a resident of Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
To narrate his story in full, I will have to take you to Melbourne, Australia where the 1956 Olympic meet was held. Among other events, the hammer-throw contest in the games turned out to be the most exciting one in the history of the Olympic Games. Connolly's closest contestants were the two Russians, Mikhail Krivonosov, the former world record holder, and Anatoly Samotsvetov, almost an equally strong contender for the Olympic title that year. Harold Connolly too had set a new world record just a year before (1955). These three were to provide the most tense and exciting competition in the hammer-throw event. Hence all eyes were set on that contest.
Anatolly Samotsvetov exhibited an excellent show in the very first round by throwing the hammer at a distance of 203 ft. 9 in, nearly six feet more than the then Olympic record. Then came the European Champion Mikhail Krivonosov whose throw covered a distance of 206 ft. 9.5 in., taking the lead in the third round.
Next to follow and try his luck was the American history teacher Connolly who hurled the iron ball from a seven-foot circle to fall short by 15 inches. Finally he entered the circle for
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