94 Years Ago Today

[Double R Bar]

Our birthday athlete today (Friday) was born 94 years ago this day. This athlete won an Olympic gold medal and later became a pilot in the U.S. Air Force. A big hint: This athlete graduated from the University of California at Berkeley. Who is this Olympic champion with a May first birthday?

I should give extra hints: He set a world record when he won the NCAA championships in 1935. When he won his gold medal in the Olympic Games he defeated Godfrey Brown of Great Britain. Does that help?

[Mighty Favog]

Archie Williams? I could look it up but that rather defeats the point of trivia.

[Double R Bar]

Very good, Mighty Favog. It is Archie Williams who was born 94 years ago today. You even got it with my bad clues. Archie won the 1936 NCAA 400 meters and it was not a world record. I think he ran 47.0 to win the NCAA meet in 1936, but he did go on to win the Olympic gold medal in that event and I'm not sure why he wasn't on the 4 by 400 relay that took the silver medal to Great Britain in Berlin. Archie is no longer alive, but we still remember his fantastic year in 1936 (even if we weren't there). Happy birthday Archie Williams.

[paulthefan]

A truely great individual, a national treasure, a man among men. Archie Williams, we salute you.

[Double R Bar]

Archie Williams set a world record of 46.1 in the 1936 NCAA meet prelims. He won the final in 47.0. A few weeks later he won the Olympic gold medal in Berlin. I wonder who will win the 400 final this August in Berlin (men and women).