With great sadness, Shore Athletic Club of New Jersey announces the passing of Dave Romansky, its distinguished teammate and USA Olympian, National Champion, USA internationalist, and Hall of Famer.
Romansky, who was born on April 8, 1938, passed away on October 31, 2024, at the age of 86.
“Dave was surely one of the greatest racewalkers in American history; he was a tough competitor who you know would battle you every step of the way, every step of every race,” said Ron Laird of Buchanan, Michigan, Romansky’s teammate on the 1968 Olympic team in Mexico City and on several other American track and field teams competing in major international events.
“It didn’t matter what the distance of the race was, anything as short as one mile or as long as 50 kilometers (31.1 miles), you always knew that Dave was always going to be right up there,” said Elliott Denman, former Shore AC president and 1956 50K Olympian.
Well remembered was Romansky, violently ill with the flu-induced effects of “Montezuma’s Revenge,” gamely fought on to finish 26th in the 1968 Olympic 50K.
Born in the South New Jersey town of Penns Grove (also the home of 1960 Olympic pole vault champion Don Bragg), Romansky and his family lived much of life in nearby Pennsville.
The 1970 season was one of Romansky’s best. He won National AAU titles at 10K, 15K, 20K, 25K, 45K, and 40K and placed eighth in the IAAF Racewalk Cup 20K in Eschborn, Germany.
He initially represented the Delaware Track Club and Penn Athletic Club before achieving other significant successes for the Shore Athletic Club.
As a competitor in the Masters Division (40 and up), he smashed records at the 5K, 10K, 20K, 25K, and 30 K.
For all these – and more – he was inducted into the National Masters Hall of Fame.
He was a member of the Shore Athletic Club, Penns Grove High School, Delaware Track and Field Coaches, and Salem County Hall of Fame.
Arrangements will be announced later, said a family spokesman.
