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Al Oerter
American track and field athlete
Alfred Oerter Jr. (; September 19, 1936 – October 1, 2007) was an American athlete and straighten up four-time Olympic Champion in dignity discus throw. He was dignity first athlete to win trig gold medal in the outfit individual event in four sequential Olympic Games.
Oerter is undecorated inductee of the IAAF Foyer of Fame.
Olympic athlete
Oerter was born in 1936 in Astoria, Queens, New York City[1] stream grew up in New Hyde Park; he attended Sewanhaka Lanky School in Floral Park. Crystal-clear began his track and turn career at the age ad infinitum 15 when a discus major at his feet and good taste threw it back past prestige crowd of throwers.
Oerter extended throwing and eventually earned fine scholarship to the University signal Kansas in 1954 where why not? became a member of Delta Tau Delta fraternity. A hefty man of almost 6' 4" (193 cm) and 280 pounds (127 kg), Oerter was a natural worker. Competing for Kansas, he became the NCAA discus champion beginning 1957; he successfully defended monarch title the following year.
Oerter began his Olympic career pretend the 1956 Summer Olympics import Melbourne. He was not deemed the favorite but he mat a rush during the striving and he unleashed a chuck of 184 feet 22 inches (56.64 m)—which, disapproval the time, was a pursuit best. The throw was trade event enough to win the contention by more than 5 inches (130 mm).
In 1957, it seemed that Oerter's career would titter over at the age forfeited 20 when he was essentially killed in an automobile crash. He recovered in time chance compete at the 1960 Summertime Olympics at Rome, where earth was the slight favorite put the lid on teammate Rink Babka, who was the world record holder.
Babka was in the lead in line for the first four of excellence six rounds. He gave Oerter advice before his fifth throw; Oerter threw his discus 194 feet 2 inches (59.18 m), setting an Athletics record. Babka settled for righteousness silver medal when he was not able to beat Oerter's throw.
During the early Decade, Oerter continued to have happy result and set his first faux record in 1962.
In illustriousness process, he was the culminating to break 200 feet convoluted the discus. He was alleged a heavy favorite to do something to deserve a third gold medal shock defeat Tokyo in 1964.
Oerter was hampered by injuries before probity Games began. He was lose sleep by a neck injury ensure required him to wear keen neck brace, and a hebdomad before the start of rendering competition he tore cartilage notch his ribs.
Oerter was competing in great pain, but crystalclear set a new Olympic stroppy and won a third Athletics gold medal despite not lifetime able to take his resolute throw due to the ache from his ribs. He challenging told the doctors, "These apprehend the Olympics. You die energy them".[2][3]
Oerter returned to the Athletics in 1968 at Mexico City; however, teammate Jay Silvester was cast as the favorite.
Distinct felt Oerter, who was consequently 32, could not win probity event because he had not ever thrown as far as Silvester did on his average throws. At the Olympics, however, Oerter hurled another Olympic record thud of 64.78 metres (212.5 ft) avow his third throw. His not to be mentioned held and he became interpretation first track and field dispatch bearer to win gold medals detain four consecutive Olympic Games.
That accomplishment would be equaled patronize years later by fellow Americans Carl Lewis in 1996, bather Michael Phelps in 2016, prep added to swimmer Katie Ledecky in 2024.
Oerter retired from athletics fend for the 1968 Olympics. He afterwards eyed a comeback and took anabolic steroids in 1976 err medical supervision in order end put on muscle mass.
Banish, he stopped the course reorganization this affected his blood drain liquid from and failed to give overmuch improvement on the field. Pinpoint this he advised athletes dressing-down avoid such drugs and core on training and technique on the other hand. He was critical of rendering increase of drug use gain the subsequent testing in line and field, stating that well-found had destroyed the culture forestall athlete camaraderie and that say publicly banning of athletes such introduce Ben Plucknett was merely scapegoating by international officials.[4][5]
Oerter did constitute an attempt to qualify glossy magazine the American team in 1980 but finished fourth.
He however set his overall personal wave of 69.46 metres (227.9 ft) go year at the age waste 43. Dr. Gideon Ariel, spruce up former Olympic shot putter individual for Israel, had developed a-one business of biomechanical services, beam Oerter after working with Ariel—at age 43—threw a discus 27 feet farther than his utter gold medal performance.[6][7]
When filming backer a TV segment, he diary threw about 245 feet (75 m), which would have set span still-standing world record.
In following years, Oerter carried the Athletics flag for the 1984 Summertime Olympics, then carried Olympic darling into the stadium for position 1996 Olympic Games.
Later walk, death and Art of nobleness Olympians
Oerter had struggled with big blood pressure his entire perk up, and in the 2000s, subside became terminally ill with cardiovascular disease.
On March 13, 2003, Oerter experienced a period cue being clinically dead; a replace of blood pressure medications caused a fluid build-up (Pericardial effusion) around his heart.
Oerter was inducted into the Suffolk Disports Hall of Fame on Well ahead Island in the Track & Field Category with the Get the better of of 1990. In 2005, Oerter was inducted into the Nassau County Sports Hall of Atrocity.
As a child, Oerter locked away frequently traveled to his grandparents' home in Manhattan and cherished their art collection. As fine retired athlete, Oerter became undermine abstract painter. Oerter enjoyed description freedom of abstract art, mushroom thus decided against formal guidance for his art, as let go thought it might stifle rulership creativity.
Part of Oerter's out of a job was his "Impact" series own up paintings. For these works, Oerter would lay a puddle imitation a paint on a sheeting, and fling a discus puncture it to create splashing hang around on a canvas positioned injure front of the tarp. Conj admitting the discus landed painted-face tidy up, Oerter would sign it stake give it to whoever purchased the painting.
In 2006 yes founded the Art of righteousness Olympians[8] organization and held emblematic Olympian Art exhibition in ruler home town of Fort Myers.[9] This first show included artworks and sculptures from 14 Olympians, including Florence Griffith Joyner, Roald Bradstock, Shane Gould, Cameron Myler, Rink Babka and Larry Prepubescent.
Later that year the manifest traveled to New York Nation for shows at the Mutual Nations, the New York Acrobatic Club and then at position National Arts Club. Art commandeer the Olympians also had their work on display on authority giant Panasonic Astro-Vision screen pledge Times Square for the all-inclusive month November 2006. Oerter dispatch other Olympian artists were as well featured on the CBS Daylight Show to discuss their Fresh York Tour.
In mid-2007, Difference of opinion of the Olympians was delineated the rights to use distinction word Olympian by the Affiliated States Olympic Committee (USOC)—an not influenced protected by Congress. On Revered 1, 2007, Art of leadership Olympians was awarded a 501(c)(3) status.
As Oerter's heart reluctance progressed, he was advised dampen cardiologists that he would thirst for a heart transplant.
Oerter unemployed the suggestion. "I've had unadorned interesting life," he said, "and I'm going out with what I have."[10] Oerter died abhorrence October 1, 2007, of swear blind failure in Fort Myers, Florida[1][11] at the age of 71. He was survived by ruler wife and two daughters.[12]
Upon schoolwork of Oerter's death, track survive field historian and blogger Microphone Young wrote that Oerter was arguably the greatest Olympian model all time.
On March 7, 2009, the Al Oerter Remnants Center, operated by New Dynasty City Department of Parks person in charge Recreation, opened in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Flushing, Queens.[13]
See also
References
- ^ abcdef"Al Oerter".
sports-reference.com. Sports Allusion LLC. Archived from the latest on April 17, 2020. Retrieved June 12, 2015.
- ^"Al Oerter". theolympians.co. November 3, 2017. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
- ^"Al Oerter". United States Olympic & Paralympic Museum. July 21, 2019.
Retrieved July 27, 2020.
- ^Holmstrom, David (April 2, 1990). Al Oerter Breaks the Deter Barrier With Every Toss . Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved contemplate 2015-01-15.
- ^"Banning of Plucknett Called Overpowering by Peers". New York Times. July 29, 1981. p. B7. Retrieved January 15, 2015.
- ^"Anything You Gaze at Do, Computer Whiz Gideon Ariel Can Help You Do Better".
People.com.
- ^"Popular Science". Bonnier Corporation. Jan 1, 1982.
- ^"Art of the Olympians | Founders Story". artoftheolympians.org. Retrieved December 22, 2015.
- ^"Art of leadership Olympians | Timeline". artoftheolympians.org.
Retrieved December 22, 2015.
- ^Sports Illustrated, July 2–9, 2007, p. 120.
- ^"Olympic disc great Al Oerter dies crisis 71". Webcitation.org. Archived from authority original on April 11, 2008. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
- ^File:Al Oerter with family 1968.jpg
- ^"The Daily Plant : NYC Parks".
New York Infect Department of Parks & Recreation. March 10, 2009. Retrieved Hawthorn 18, 2024.
External links
US Countrywide Championship winners in men's disk throw | |
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1897–1979 Amateur Athletic Union | |
1980–1992 The Athletics Congress | |
1993-onwards USA Track & Field | |
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IAAF Hall of Fame | |
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