End of the Dynasty

[DoubleRBar]

Happy birthday today (Monday) to an Olympic champion who was born 87 years ago and won two Olympic gold medals.

No hurdles came with this champion's medals.

This athlete was pretty good at indoor track and field.

Our birthday athlete set an Olympic record and won a second Olympic gold medal five days later.

"The average man's complacent when he has done his best to score, but the champion does his best, and then he does a little more."

You may know that the previous quote inspired our birthday person.

What do Denzel Washington, Vin Scully, and David Copperfield have in common with our birthday champion?

Stay tuned and find out soon.

Could this Olympic champion have won three Olympic gold medals at one Olympics?

Please name our birthday athlete for this third Monday of August.

Remember, no research.

[J Rorick]

Tom Courtney. Believe Vin Scully went to Fordham.

[DoubleRBar]

Happy 87th birthday today to Tom Courtney and nice going, J Rorick. Yes, Courtney, Scully, Washington, and Copperfield all attended Fordham University. Of course you know that Tom Courtney won the Olympic men's 800 in Melbourne (1956). This coming Thanksgiving (November 26) will mark 64 years since Tom won that exciting 800. He also anchored (45.7) the winning U.S. four by 400 relay team in Melbourne. Courtney had plans to run the 800, the 400, and the relay at the Melbourne Olympic Games, however he dropped out of the U.S. Olympic Trials 400 because the timing was too close to the 800. A fresh Tom Courtney certainly had a shot at winning the 400 in Melbourne, but the 800 took a lot out of him. Courtney's win in the 800 marked the fourth consecutive U.S. victory in the Olympic 800. New Zealand's Peter Snell won the 1960 Olympic 800, so Courtney's win in Melbourne marked the end of the dynasty.

[midwestfan]

Late Again, but the quote gives it away in only two choices Billy Mills or Tom Courtney. (Mills is not 87 yrs old). I recommend Courtney's short book of 45 chapters, each 1-4 pages in length )"The Inside Track", an easy one day read for many. Best story in book is when Courtney was approached and finally persuaded by a Harvard Board of Director, to coach his son, to break Harvard's school mile record. The persuasion offer never was given to Courtney years later as promised by the Board of Director and his son did get the school mile record. Probably saved Courtney's amateur status back then that he never got the agreed to offer?

[bambam1729]

But Mills didn't win 2 gold medals

[DoubleRBar]

He would have had he been 13 places higher in the marathon.

[bambam1729]

He would have had he been 13 places higher in the marathon.

And if a frog had wings he wouldn’t wamp his ass so much