Toward a Golden Age?

By general agreement, the golden age of sport occurred somewhere back in the 19205, and the titans of those days--Red Grange, Babe Ruth, Bill Tilden, Charley Paddock, Man o' War--have seldom, if ever, been matched. Last week, however, it was clearer than ever that--for track and field sports--another golden age may be just around the comer.

In Dayton last week, 7,500 fans turned out to watch records fall in the National A.A.U. championships. Among the featured performers: California's Parry O'Brien, 21, who had established two successive world records for shot-putting in the past few weeks with heaves of 59 ft. 3/4 in. and 59 ft. 2 3/8 in.; California's Sim Iness, 22, who broke the world discus record a fortnight ago with a toss of 190 ft. | in.; Kansas' Wes Santee, 21, who last month ran the fastest mile in U.S. history (4:02.4)* None of these heroes bettered his own best last week, but just as the crowd started to drift away, it got a new hero and a new world record.

At the high jumping pit, Texas' towering (6 ft. 8 in.) Olympic Champion Walter ("Buddy") Davis, 22, sternly eyed a bar set at 6 ft. 11 1/2 in.--half an inch above the world record. Twice he rushed the bar with seven-league strides, then floated his 210 Ibs. upward with unbelievable buoyancy. But each time the bar quivered, then fell. On his third and last try, Davis sailed over. The bar quivered, stayed put. For an instant he sprawled in the pit, then bounded back to his feet and flung sawdust for joy. The crowd pressed in while the bar height was rechecked. It was actually 6 ft. 11 5/8 if in., but, because the A.A.U. does not reckon with eighths of inches, the new mark was set down at 6 ft. 1/2 in. Next goal for Davis, a onetime polio victim who took ballet lessons last winter to improve his body control: 7 ft.

At Motspur Park, England, with the help of quartermile pace setters, lanky Roger Bannister, 24, ran the third-fastest mile in history: 4:02.

* Best mile ever run by Joie Ray, U.S. distance champion in the golden '203: 4:12.

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