Track and Field Black History

When speaking about athletics, Haiti is often forgotten and left out of the conversation. Stories and news about the country are usually dominated by the struggles it is either currently facing or has gone through in the past

Many know Haiti as the first Black republic in the world after the Haitian Revolution of 1791 -1804. Few are familiar with the almost 20 year occupation from 1915 - 1934 by the United States. And even fewer are familiar with one of the most outspoken activists and ambassadors for the nation Sylvio Cator.

While his country was under occupation by the United States, Cator won Haiti’s first, and to this day only, medal in Track and Field, broke the world record in the Long Jump, and was a pivotal figure in the effort to liberate Haiti from the United States.

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The Modern Olympic Games were first held in 1896 in Athens, Greece. 1904 saw the first Black man, George Poage win an Olympic medal, while 1908 was the first time a Black man, John Taylor, would win an Olympic Gold medal. 

Women’s events in Track & Field were first introduced at the 1928 Games while 1936 was the first time an African American woman would have the chance to compete, with Tyide Pickett breaking that barrier

With both the 1940 and 1944 Olympic cancelled due to World War 2, it wasn’t until the London 1948 Games where we saw not only the first Black Woman win an Olympic medal, but also the first Black Woman to win an Olympic Gold. 

Alice Coachman, with a Gold medal in the high jump, was the pioneer who stood at the top the podium for the first time in Olympic history, opening the door and paving the way for the many who would follow in the years and decades after. 

Watch Full Alice Coachman Interview with Washington University of St Louis Here: http://repository.wustl.edu/concern/videos/b27740880 

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Jackie Robinson and Jesse Owens are two of the greatest athletes in the history of sport. Jackie broke the color barrier in baseball becoming the first Black athlete to play in the MLB. While in Track & Field, Owens won 4 Olympic Gold medals at the 1936 Olympic Games and is credited as crushing Hitler's myth of Aryan supremacy.

But just behind both Jackie Robinson and Jessie Owens was Matthew “Mack” Robinson, Jackie’s older brother and the Olympic silver medalist in the 200m right behind Owens at the 1936 Olympics.

Throughout his life, Mack overcame various setbacks and struggles, including segregation in Pasadena, to being told he would never compete in sports due to a heart murmur. Despite that, he made huge strides both on and off the track.

In addition to winning the 1936 Olympic 200m Silver, Mack focused a significant amount of his time volunteering with youth organizations, including providing opportunities for kids in his hometown. He was also a vocal advocate for rights in the city of Pasadena.

Watch Full Mack Robinson Interview with Washington University Here: http://repository.wustl.edu/concern/videos/k0698c509

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Many of us know the story of Wilma Rudolph and what she did at the 1960 Olympic Games, overcoming various illnesses to become the first woman to win 3 Olympic Gold Medals, in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay.

But just 4 years later, fellow TSU Tigerbelle Edith McGuire, who is often forgotten, also won 3 Olympic medals at the 1964 Games in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m.

Though she earned 1 gold and 2 silvers, McGuire's accomplishments were just as impactful and deserve a bit of highlight as well.

Watch Full Edith McGuire and Wyomia Tyus Interview with Center for Sport & Social Justice: https://youtu.be/xjs6qUI6C_c

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The 10 second barrier has been a milestone for decades in the Men’s 100m Dash. A time of 9.9 seconds was seen as a right of passage into becoming an elite sprinter, and among one of the best in the world.

Though running sub 10 is commonplace today amongst the top sprinters in the world, about 50 years ago in 1968, no man had ever broken the barrier. Not until Jim Hines.

Jim Hines became the first person to break the 10 second barrier when he ran a hand-timed 9.9 second 100m dash at the 1968 AAU Championships. 

Because that performance was hand-timed, and the Automatic time was actually 10.03, Hines wanted to do it again and this time at a place where it mattered.

At the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City, Mexico, Hines won the Gold medal in the 100m Dash and broke the 10 second barrier again, this time running an Automatic time of 9.95 seconds, a time that would stand as the World Record for almost 15 years.

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On August 24th 2004, Joanna Hayes won the Olympic Gold medal in the Women's 100mH in Athens, Greece. She became the first American Women to win Olympic Gold in the event since Benita Fitzgerald at the 1984 Olympics. Her winning time of 12.37 broke the Olympic Record in the event set back in Seoul 1988.

Hayes has since transitioned into coaching, now working at the University of Southern California as the Assistant Sprints and Hurdles coach. She also works with pro athletes such as Rai Benjamin, Michael Norman, Kendall Ellis, Kyra Constantine among others.

At the recent 2022 World Championships in Eugene Oregon, we sat down with Hayes to talk a bit about her history competing, perspective on the hurdles and now working as a coach. We dive into her background growing up in California, looking up to Flo-Jo, JJK and Gail Devers, and doubling in both the 100mH and 400mH. We also discuss her 2004 Olympic Gold, the current landscape of the Womens 100mH and what she loves about coaching and working with athletes now.

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On August 19th 1981, Renaldo Nehemiah became the 1st person to break the 13 second barrier in the history of the 110m Hurdles. His time of 12.93 seconds improved on his previous World Record of 13.00 set back in 1979. 

Nehemiah is still one of the greatest athletes in the history of the sport and has since transitioned from athlete to agent, having worked with everyone from Kirani James and Allyson Felix to Allen Johnson and Sha’Carri Richardson.

At the recent 2022 World Championships in Eugene Oregon, we sat down with Nehemiah to talk a bit about his history competing and perspective on the sport now. We dive into the origin of his nickname Skeets, his legendary 1979 season as well as discuss the Nehemiah rule which allows athletes to compete as an amateur in one sport while still being a pro in another sport

We also dive into the transition of the sport from amateur to professional in the early 80s and how we can grow the sport now to become more attractive to bring in more fans.

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3-time Olympic Gold medalist and 9-time World Champion Gail Devers joins us for a brief conversation durring the 2022 World Championships.

Gail Devers is just the 2nd woman and 3rd person, man or woman, to ever win back to back 100m titles at the Olympic Games. She also won multiple World Championship golds at 100m Hurdles, 100m and 60m hurdles, including a 100/100mh double at the 1993 World Championships.

In our conversation, we dive into her foray into commentating, working with athletes to tell their stories and highlight their lives we dont see off the track as well her history dealing with injuries and graves disease. She shares her experience of being ready to quit the sport all together, as well as the support system she had around her throughout her career.

Gail also shares her Role models and the people she looked up to, including Wilma Rudolph and Wyomia Tyus.

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Coach John Smith is a legend in every sense of the word. On the track, he not only won double gold at the 1971 Pan American Games and competed at the 1972 Olympics, but he also still holds the world record in the 440 yard dash. During his career as a coach, he has worked with a whos-who in the sport. From Steve Lewis and Kevin Young, to Carmelita Jeter and English Gardiner, he has guided a plethora of his athletes' to success at the highest levels of the sport.

In our conversation, we of course dive into his career on the track and as a coach, but we also talk about him growing up in the 50's, 60's and 70's in the height of the civil rights era and Black Power movement, how he looked up to John Carlos, Tommie Smith and Lee Evans for what they did on an off the track, his time with the Dallas Cowboys, his acting career, missing out on Olympic Gold in 1972 but guiding his athletes to golds through coaching, how track and field saved his life and the soul of the sport. John Smith even notes he could have run a sub-4 mile back in the day!

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Recently at the NYC Grand Prix, we had the chance to speak with Renaldo Nehemiah. Nehemiah is one of the greatest hurdlers in history and the first person to ever run sub-13 seconds in the 110m Hurdles. 

In our conversation we dive into his history, why he chose to attend the University of Maryland, his transition to professional football durring the age of amateur track and the ways he supports athletes he currently manages as an Agent.

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