The 1944 AYF Olympics: When a Win Was a Loss

This article by Varoujan Karentz was published in the September 5 Special Edition issue of the Armenian Weekly honoring the AYF Olympics.

King Varoujan Karentz (Photo: Mark Gavoor)

The period was in the middle of World War II in 1944. Why the Olympic games were even scheduled is beyond reason, perhaps to promote the endurance and continuity of binding chapters together. Every AYF chapter had men in the service and most were overseas fighting for their lives and country. Regardless, Dean Academy’s athletic field in Franklin, Massachusetts was chosen as the location of the 1944 games. It had also hosted the Olympics the previous year (1943) when Providence won. However, in 1944 those athletes who were in the 1943 games were now in military service and not available; those who did participate in the 1944 games would enter the military during the next few months. I believe it may have been the first year that women were allowed to compete in AYF track events since only a few men were available.

The Providence Varantian team was made up primarily of women and young under military age young men (boys). Two Providence athletes were home on leave and did participate. Officials back then were AYF seniors, not certified field judges, track judges, timekeepers or starters, nor experienced athletes.  For that matter neither were many of us. High school athletics was our introduction into track and field events. 

I recollect both “Uncle Bozo” (Merton Bozoian) and “Hal Avedesian” who organized and managed the event. Also, the Dean Academy athletic field did not have a quarter mile track. It had a straight run track of 220 yards in addition to a high jump pit and long jump run. I don’t think that during the 1943 games any long distance events were run, but that year (1944) someone had the “brilliant” idea to pace off a quarter mile out on the football field using the odometer of a car which drove around in an approximate oval. An “official” followed the slow moving vehicle on foot and created an erratic white line sprinkling baking flour out of a sack outlining the inside quarter mile circumference of the track. Here and there were blotches of white where the flour was distributed and walked upon by the person spreading the flour. There was no outside line nor was the quarter mile measured other than by the vehicle’s odometer. 

The last event of the day was the men’s quarter mile baton relay race. Providence and Watertown were

neck and neck in points and whoever won the relay would be the team winner and take home the famed Olympic trophy. Providence had won the two previous Olympics in 1942 and 1943. 

I was a member of that 1944 relay team running the second leg. The Providence four-man relay team came in first as an exuberant winner by at least 10 yards. A so-called “observer” yelled across the field claiming my foot had stepped on a white line smudge and after a debate by officials, the Providence team was disqualified.

For the past 76 years that white smudge comes to mind each Labor Day. 

The author is a former president of the Providence AYF Chapter and founding member of the Armenian Youth Foundation.

Guest Contributor

Guest Contributor

Guest contributions to the Armenian Weekly are informative articles or press releases written and submitted by members of the community.

3 Comments

  1. When reading article by Varoujan Karentz it reminded me that Varoujan and myself were
    members of the U.S. Coast Guard stationed at Manhattan Beach in Brooklyn,NY in 1945
    and were training for the AYF Olympics. Varoujan practicing high jump and me for the
    100 yd. dash. Imagine 75 years have gone by
    Albert D. Parseghian (Watertown Gaidzag AYF)

  2. Thankfully after that “observation” , you went on to raise a fine family with your wife …. and continue to make important contributions to the Armenian community. My parents met two years earlier at the Lawrence Olympics. Thank you for sharing this interesting story that’s part of the 86 year history.

  3. Isn’t it interesting that our human mind often obsesses on those “white smudges” in our lives? What could have been… If only I had… Why didn’t I say something? Why didn’t I do something? Why didn’t I talk to that pretty girl at the Olympics dance? What was I so afraid of? Why didn’t I study harder? Why didn’t I see that coming? Why didn’t I buy Microsoft/Nike/Amazon stock at the IPO? If only I had nice thick Armenian hair like most of the Armenian women have. If only I had been there during the Genocide to punch those damn turks in the nose. If only I had Bezos/Gates/Buffett/Musk/Zuckerberg money so I could unite the Armenian churches.

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