August 31 Birthdays

1878
Frank Jarvis, United States, sprinter. Frank Washington Jarvis won the 100m at the 1900 (Paris) Olympic Games, running 11.0 in the final but equalling the world record of 10.8 in the first-round heats. Historians of athletics will recall that the American team did not realize that the meet they had been competing in was the Olympic Games until after the fact, when they read it on their awards. Jarvis passed away on 2 June 1933.

1955
Edwin Moses, United States, hurdles. Edwin Corley Moses was the 1976 (Montreal) Olympic Games 400m hurdles champion. Then between 1977 and 1987, Moses won an astonishing 122 straight races, including such high-level competitions as the 1983 (Helsinki) World Championships 400m hurdles, the 1984 (Los Angeles) Olympic Games 400m hurdles, and the 1987 (Rome) World Championships 400m hurdles. He was also a bronze medalist at the 1988 (Seoul) Olympic Games in the 400m hurdles. During his career he set the world record in the 400m hurdles four times, lowering the record from 47.82 to 47.02 and reigning continuously as record holder from 1976 to 1992.

1960
Vali Ionescu, Romania, long jumper. Vali Ionescu-Constantin was the 1982 (Athens) European Champion in the women's long jump, the same year that she set a world record of 7.20m in that event. In 1984 she won the silver medal in the women's long jump at the (Los Angeles) Olympic Games, leaping 6.81m.