"Only for potential winners..." they said.

[79]

A sponsor of the US team refused to lend a pair of shoes before a surprise gold medallist's triumph in the 1964 Tokyo OG.
Who was this athlete?

[dukehjsteve]

Mills ?

[79]

Exactly, dukehjsteve 🙂🏆👏🏻
The first (and only) US olympic10000m gold medallist in history.

[DoubleRBar]

If you look in the dictionary for "surprise", the first thing you will see is the example of Billy Mills at the Tokyo Olympics.

[79]

If you look in the dictionary for "surprise", the first thing you will see is the example of Billy Mills at the Tokyo Olympics.

A HUGE surprise, sure 😉
I wonder if he is the last Amerindian to have won an individual olympic T&F gold medal.