Greyhounds

[DoubleRBar]

Happy birthday today (Friday) to an Olympic champion who won Olympic gold in a country that speaks the same language as the nation where this athlete was born.

Our birthday individual was born 86 years ago today, but died at the age of 84.

No hurdles were involved with this champion's Olympic events.

Another Olympian, from the same country and sharing the same initials as our birthday person, won Olympic gold about eight years after our birthday athlete won Olympic gold.

This other Olympic champion (with the same initials) was born about 2 1/2 years after our birthday athlete and was born approximately 1,358 miles (2,185 kms) from the place where our birthday person was born.

Except for a couple of zeros, both people (birthday champion and the athlete with the same initials) competed in the same Olympic event.

The younger champion (with the same initials) and our birthday champion won a total of four Olympic gold medals at two Olympic Games.

Please give it your best and name our birthday athlete on this third Friday of October.

[Olli]

Born 1935 in a large country (with 2,185 km distances) suggests it might be an American winning in Melbourne.

Couple of zeros suggests 100m and 10,000m. Billy Mills won in Tokyo. So who won the 100m in Melbourne? Was he (supposing it's he) American with the initials B. M. (or W. M.). Frankly, I don't remember.

[DoubleRBar]

Olli, you are correct with Billy Mills (10,000 in Tokyo, 1964). I'll bet there are a few fans out there who might know who the "B.M." from Melbourne is.

[lonewolf]

Bobby Morrow

[Olli]

Yea, I had a gap there... (never been so interested in sprinters:-)

[dukehjsteve]

Olli you should be ashamed ! Talk about a slam dunk after you said Mills ! You handed this one to lonewolf on a silver platter !

[DoubleRBar]

Bobby Morrow was born in Texas 86 years ago today. Very good, lonewolf. I'm very happy to say that to you.

Bobby Morrow, of course won three Olympic gold medals in Melbourne in 1956 (two were won in November and one in December).

Morrow won the 100 and three days later he won the 200, equaling the world record (20.6). On the first day of December in 1956, Bobby Morrow anchored the U.S. four by 100 relay team to another gold medal. They ran 39.5, even though Morrow ran with a thigh injury. Bobby Morrow was 21 when he won those three gold medals.

Sports Illustrated named Bobby Morrow as their "Sportsman of the Year" after the Melbourne Games.

Morrow graduated from San Benito High School in Texas (Home of the Greyhounds), went to Abilene Christian University in Texas, and died in Texas on the last Saturday of May in 2020. He was 84 years old.

His 1956 season was one of those years a lot of us might dream about when thinking about the Olympic Games.

Thank you, lonewolf, Olli, and dukehjsteve.

[Olli]

Olli you should be ashamed ! Talk about a slam dunk after you said Mills ! You handed this one to lonewolf on a silver platter !

So what? I have nothing against lonewolf or being kind to him. Sprints are too short to raise my interest.