Otto Anderson Explained

Otto Anderson
Sport:Athletics
Event:Decathlon
Birth Date:28 October 1900
Birth Place:Guthrie, Oklahoma Territory, U.S.
Death Place:Pasadena, California, U.S

Otto Anderson (October 28, 1900  - November 15, 1963) was an American athlete.[1] He competed at the 1920 Antwerp Olympics and the 1924 Paris Olympics,.[2] [3]

Anderson was born in Guthrie, Oklahoma on October 28, 1900. He started his athletics career with the hurdles while still a student at Pomona High School. Still at school, he qualified for the 1920 Antwerp Olympics team in the hop, skip and jump (now called the triple jump).[4] He competed at that event, but the results are proving difficult to find.[2] [5]

After leaving school, he attended the University of Southern California (U.S.C.) where he added more track events and football to his activities.[4] In the 1922 AAU Championship he finished second in the 220 yard hurdles.[2] In March 1923 at the annual games between Stanford University and U.S.C., he equalled the world record for the 220 yard "low hurdles" event, in 24.8 seconds.[6]

Anderson qualified for the fourth of four places to compete in the men's decathlon at the 1924 Olympics.[7] Once in Paris, he was injured in a bad landing in the sawdust pit during pole vault practice. His Achilles tendon was torn loose among other injuries, and he was unable to complete the competition.[3] [8]

1925 was his final year at U.S.C. and he was captain of their track team, and captain of the Intercollegiate Association of Amateur Athletes of America (I.C.A.A.A.A.) champions.[9] After graduating from U.S.C., he competed for Los Angeles AC and Hollywood AC. At the national AAU Championship he finished second in the decathlon.[2] [9]

Later he took a coaching role at Fremont High School in Los Angeles, where he coached Anne Vrana-O’Brien, who went on to represent the USA at the Olympics in 1928 and 1936.[10] [11]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Otto Anderson . Olympedia . October 2, 2021.
  2. Otto Anderson Olympic Results . https://web.archive.org/web/20200418051955/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/an/otto-anderson-1.html . dead . April 18, 2020 . January 24, 2018.
  3. News: June 12, 1924 . Anderson Wins Trip To Paris . 14 . Los Angeles Evening Post-Record . March 9, 2022.
  4. News: Famous Athletes Home Grown . March 9, 2022 . The Bulletin . December 14, 1923 . Pomona, California . 3.
  5. News: April 10, 1925 . He Leads The Trojan Troupe . 37 . The Los Angeles Times .
  6. News: New Hurdling Phenom Shares Spotlight With Sir Charles . March 9, 2022 . Los Angeles Evening Post-Record . March 24, 1923 . Los Angeles, California . 19.
  7. Web site: A History of the US Olympic Decathlon Trials . DECA The Decathlon Association . March 9, 2022.
  8. News: July 31, 1924 . Otto Anderson Returns Home From Olympics; Injures Self in Practice . 7 . The Bulletin . March 9, 2022.
  9. News: July 11, 1925 . Pononan Seeks National Title . 9 . The Pomona Progress Bulletin . March 9, 2022.
  10. Web site: USA Births and Death on this Day at the Olympics . TeamUSA . March 9, 2022 . 4 . July 30, 2012.
  11. Web site: Anne Vrana-O'Brien . www.olympedia.org . Olympedia . March 9, 2022.