1920
Athletics, 100-Meter Hurdles (Competed but did not qualify for event finals)
Athletics, 400-Meter Hurdles (Competed but did not qualify for event finals)
1920 Olympic Games
Antwerp, Belgium
John M. Watt grew up at the Outrigger and competed in track at Punahou. After graduation, he went to Cornell University where he was on the men’s track and field team. He set a world record in the 50-yard hurdles of 6.8 seconds in 1917 at the Penn Relays and, in the 440-yard hurdles in 1920, breaking the previous mark that was set in 1904. He placed second in both the high and low hurdles at the outdoor intercollegiate championships in 1919.
The Hawaii Chamber of Commerce and AAU Committee raised funds to send Watt to the Mainland for the Olympic trials and he was selected to the U.S. Athletics team (Men’s Track and Field) for the 1920 Olympics in Antwerp but was injured during the preliminary heats. He ran 15.2 seconds twice in the trials but failed to make it to the Olympic finals due to the injury. He competed in the 110-meter hurdles.
Between 1920 and 1924 Watt competed in local track and field meets and set many local records in the hurdles, as well as in running events. Although the Chamber of Commerce had offered to pay Watt’s way to the 1924 Olympic track and field trials he declined and did not compete. He continued to compete in local track meets for a number of years under the Outrigger banner.
World Records
1917 Penn Relays, Philadelphia, PA
50-Yard Hurdles 6.8 seconds
April 30,1920 Penn Relays, Philadelphia, PA
440-Yard Hurdles 54.2 seconds