Historic Heave

Bob Backus, a spindly-framed youngster, was washed out of the Army Air Corps because he was underweight. Home again to Long Island, Backus got his back up and went to work with bar bells to build muscle and weight. He also began to fool around with the 35-lb. weightthrow, a track & field event normally reserved for bulge-bellied giants--in fact, the weight men are commonly called "whales." At Tufts College, Backus, still slim but taking on weight, became a better-than-average weight-thrower, but he was always in the shadow of his roommate Tom Bane, who in 1951 set a world record with a throw of 60 ft. 11 in.

Just a year ago Backus, now a strapping giant (6 ft. 5 in., 218 Ibs.), and still doggedly heaving the 35-lb. weight, managed to throw it a new record distance, a quarter of an inch, farther than Bane's mark. Again Backus suffered a disappointing washout. On inspection, it was found that the 35-lb. weight was a few ounces underweight.

At the National A.A.U.'s 66th annual indoor track & field meet last week, 27-year-old Bob Backus stepped into the chalked circle to try his luck again. Spinning twice to gain momentum, he made a mighty heave of 64 ft. 4 3/4 in. The lead ball was the proper weight this time, but Backus was again doomed to disappointment: one of the chain links that joined the ball to the triangular-shaped handle had spread, and the overall length of the chain was 3/16 of an inch longer than the 16-inch length required by the rules.

A handy whale pounded the link back into shape, and Backus tried again. This time his heave measured 63 ft. 5 in.--and no quibbling--for a new world record.

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