Henry Laskau

Although born in Germany, Henry Laskau left in 1938, escaping from a concentration camp where the rest of his family was lost. He settled in the US after stops in France and Cuba, and soon joined the US Army after becoming naturalized in 1943. He served the Army as an interpreter in Europe. Laskau had been a distance runner in his youth but was encouraged to try walking after the war and became one of America’s greatest race walkers. Over various distances from the mile to 25 km., he won 42 AAU championships between 1947 and 1957. He represented the US at three Olympic Games (1948-56) and the 1951 Pan American Games, in which he won the 10 km. walk. He competed for the 92nd Street YMHA and the Maccabi AC, and retired after winning the 3K walk at the 1957 Maccabiah Games. In 2000 he died from Alzheimer disease.

Personal Bests: 10kmW – unknown; 20kmW – 1-37:04 (1952).