Benjamin Bangs Eastman (July 19, 1911 – October 6, 2002), alias "Blazin' Ben", was an American middle distance runner. He was born in

Burlingame, California Burlingame () is a city in San Mateo County, California, United States. It is located on the San Francisco Peninsula and has a significant shoreline on San Francisco Bay. The city is named after diplomat Anson Burlingame and is known for its ...

, and graduated from Stanford University in 1933. He competed for the United States in the

1932 Summer Olympics The 1932 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the X Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1932) were an international multi-sport event held from July 30 to August 14, 1932, in Los Angeles, California, United States. The Games were held du ...

held in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

in the 400 metres where he won the silver medal. He was the U.S. national 800 metres champion in 1934. Eastman, one of three Americans to hold the world record in both the

400 __NOTOC__ Year 400 (Roman numerals, CD) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. In the Roman Empire, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Stilicho and Aurelianus (consul 400), Aurelianus (or, less frequently, year ...

and 800 meters, was voted into the Track and Field Hall of Fame in 2006. He died in

Hotchkiss, Colorado Hotchkiss is a statutory town in Delta County, Colorado, United States. The population was 875 at the 2020 census. A post office called Hotchkiss has been in operation since 1882. The town is named after Enos T. Hotchkiss, a local pioneer. ...

, aged 91.

References

External links

* * 1911 births 2002 deaths American male middle-distance runners Athletes (track and field) at the 1932 Summer Olympics World record setters in athletics (track and field) Sportspeople from Burlingame, California People from Delta County, Colorado Olympic silver medalists for the United States in track and field Stanford Cardinal men's track and field athletes Track and field athletes from California Medalists at the 1932 Summer Olympics 20th-century American sportsmen {{US-athletics-Olympic-medalist-stub