Alan Helffrich of Penn State was primarily a half-miler and was an alternate on the 1920 Olympic team in the 800m. The following year he won his first AAU 880y title and was again champion in 1922 and 1925. He won the NCAA 880y in 1922 and again in 1923, and at the IC4A he was the 880y champion in 1923 and won the 440y in 1924. Inexplicably he lost his form in the 1924 Olympic Trials and after running 1:54.8 in the heats, failed to place in the first six in the final. However, he did place sixth in the 400m, which earned him a place on the relay team in Paris and he broke the tape for the U.S. in a new world record of 3:16.0. The previous year at the Penn Relays, he had run the anchor stage in another world record effort, this one the 4 x 880y relay as Penn State defeated visiting Oxford.
Personal Bests: 400 - 48.3y (1923).
United States