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Finding the joy of running
Louis began competitive running for Torrance high school. At first it was his brother Pete that forced him to run, but after his second race, hearing the intoxicating applause of the crowd, he was hooked. His sophomore year, after training for a year,Louis was excited to see if the hard work had paid off, and it had. By the end of sophomore year he had broken the state mile record by about 8 seconds, and the national record by over 2 seconds . This began the reign of the "Torrance Tornado". -
Graduation
Louis graduates from Torrance high school in California. http://ths.tusd.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=yQ%2bJ9p6l0ZY%3d&tabid=3729 -
Can his legs handle the longer distance?
Louis realized that making the Olympic team as a miler was impossible, but with Pete's encouragement Louis trained for two weeks. He was to race in the Compton Open where, Norman Bright, the second fastest 5,000-meter man in America, and Don Lash, as the fastest would be competing. All Pete told Louis he needed to do was "stay with bright and you make the Olympic team". Louis lost to bright by a fraction of a second, but was invited to compete in the other two Olympic qualifiers. -
Running in College
Louis competed in a track meet at the University of Southern California Coliseum, and finished 2nd place in the 5000 meter. -
Olympic bound
Louis left Torrance for the Olympic trials in New York. He would race Lash and Bright again for 1 of 3 spots on the Olympic team. The day of the race it was over 100 degrees in the stadium. Louis began the race by staying in the middle with the pack, until the last lap, the leader, Lash, had eased up a bit, and that was Louis' chance. He began gunning for Lash, managing to catch him on the last curve. They were in a dead heat, reporters said Louis won first, then recanted and named Lash winner. -
FREE FOOD!
Growing up in a poorer family, when you saw food you ate it, and this was Louis' mentality on the boat ride to the Olympics. Louis gorged himself on all the FREE food, leading to him gaining 12 pounds in nine days. -
The Run of His Life
He ran in the 1936 Berlin Olympics, and while there met Aldolf Hitler. He finished in 8th place for the 5000 meter run, and ran the fastest final lap ever recorded, he clocked a flat 56 second lap, while a major feat for 5,000 meter-men is a 70 second final lap. http://youtu.be/5D_CHIZuckE -
Draft Day
Louis became an Army Airman.
