Alvah Meyer

American athletics competitor

Alvah Meyer

Alvah Meyer in 1912

Personal information

Born

July 18, 1888
New York City, United States

Died

December 19, 1939 (aged 51)
Tucson, Arizona, United States

Height

1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)

Weight

65 kg (143 lb)

Sport

Track sprinter

Event(s)

100m, 200m

Club

I-AAC, Queens

Achievements and titles

Personal best(s)

100m – 10.7 seconds (1912)
200 – 21.7 seconds (1912)

Medal record

Representing the United States

Olympic Games
	1912 Stockholm	100 metres

Alvah T. Meyer (July 18, 1888 – December 19, 1939) was an American sprint runner. He was a Jewish^[1] member of the Irish American Athletic Club, which also included Abel Kiviat and Myer Prinstein.

He was born in New York City on July 18, 1888. Showing great promise prior to the 1912 Olympics, he won the AAU indoor 60y in 1911 and the 220 y outdoor in 1912.^[2]

Olympic silver medalist

Meyer underperformed at the 1912 Olympic Trials and was only selected for the US Olympic team on the condition he pay his travel, which was eventually covered by his parents. He won the silver medal in the 100 meters, but though he was the reigning American champion at the time, he was eliminated in the semi-finals of the 200 m event.^[3]

In 1914 he set a world indoor record at 60 yards, and in 1915 he set a world record at 330 yards.^[2]

References

^ Paul Taylor (2004). Jews and the Olympic Games: The Clash Between Sport and Politics : with a Complete Review of Jewish Olympic Medallists. Sussex Academic Press. pp. 236–. ISBN 978-1-903900-87-1.
^ ^a ^b Alvah Meyer. olympedia.org
^ Alvah Meyer. sports-reference.com

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Alvah Meyer.

Greenberg, Stan (1987). Olympic Games: The Records. London: Guinness Books. ISBN 0-85112-896-3.
Kieran, John (1977). The Story of the Olympic Games; 776 B.C. to 1976. Philadelphia and New York: J.B. Lippincott Company. ISBN 0-397-01168-7.