October 8 Birthdays

1939
Elvīra Ozoliņa, Soviet Union, javelin thrower. Competing for the Soviet Union, Latvian Elvīra Ozoliņa won a gold medal in the women's javelin throw at the 1960 (Rome) Olympic Games.

1947
Emiel Puttemans, Belgium, distance runner. Puttemans set a world record of 8:17.8 in the two mile in 1971, which he followed up with world records of 7:37.6 for 3,000m and 13:13.0 in 1972. At the 1972 (Munich) Olympic Games he finished second in the men's 10,000m behind the great Lasse Virén, running 27:39.58. He also place fifth in the 5,000m (13:30.8) at Munich.

1948
Benjamin Cheever, United States, writer. Benjamin Hale Cheever is a novelist who has written a book about running--Strides: Running Through History With an Unlikely Athlete--which I hope to finish reading one day.

1974
Koji Murofushi, Japan, hammer thrower. After many regional successes, Koji Alexander Murofushi won a silver medal in the men's hammer throw at the 2001 (Edmonton) World Championships with a toss of 82.92m. He threw 80.12 to win bronze at the 2003 (Paris) World Championships, and then won gold with a throw of 82.91m at the 2004 (Athens) Olympic Games. Returning to Olympic competition in 2008 (Beijing), he threw 80.71m for the bronze medal.

1975
Tatiana Grigorieva, Australia, pole vaulter. Born in Russia, Tatiana Grigorieva emigrated to Australia in 1997, where she took up pole vaulting. She quickly gained international prominence, winning a bronze medal in the women's pole vault at the 1999 (Seville) World Championships with a vault of 4.45m. Back in her own country, she vaulted 4.55m to win a silver medal at the 2000 (Sydney) Olympic Games. At the 2002 (Manchester) Commonwealth Games she won a gold medal in the pole vault, and won a silver medal in an unsuccessful bid to defend her title at the 2006 (Melbourne) Commonwealth Games.

1977
Reese Hoffa, United States, shot put. Reese Hoffa won the men's shot put at the 2007 (Osaka) World Championships with a mark of 72' 3-3/4" (22.04m).