The Magic City

[DoubleRBar]

Happy 55th birthday today (Friday) to an Olympic champion who was born on a Saturday and won Olympic gold on a Saturday.

This champion was born five months after another Olympic champion from the same birth city. Both won Olympic gold medals at the same Olympics.

Neither of the two athletes mentioned above won Olympic gold in the hurdles. In fact, they did not compete in the same events at the Olympic Games.

The older of the two (five months older) was 23 when winning Olympic gold while our birthday athlete was only 22 when winning the Olympic gold medal.

I'll bet you know both of these athletes, but for right now, just name our birthday athlete who was born 55 years ago today.

[Karl]

Sunder Nix.

Trick question! Relays, indeed!

[DoubleRBar]

No trick question. Sunder Nix won Olympic gold in Los Angeles fair and square (first leg of the four by 400 relay team). He also won the bronze medal in the 1983 World Championships in Helsinki at 400 meters. By the way, he was fifth in the 400 final in Los Angeles (1984). Happy birthday today to Sunder Nix. How did you figure his name, Karl?

[BillVol]

Birmingham, Alabama!

[Karl]

No trick question. Sunder Nix won Olympic gold in Los Angeles fair and square......How did you figure his name, Karl?

I'm kidding. I just meant that as he did not win an individual gold, his name has been mostly buried in the books. The relay winners don't stand out as much. It just so happens I remember his name from the early 80's. Can't really give any great secret to it, he's just one of those miscellaneous facts in my head that don't earn me money and tend to make people stay away from me.

[DoubleRBar]

I've always loved his name. Sort of like Ed Red, the shortest name in track and field or one of the shortest names in track and field.

[Karl]

Sounds like another trivia question coming! Problem is, you have to find the answer first. Good luck!

[bambam1729]

I've always loved his name. Sort of like Ed Red, the shortest name in track and field or one of the shortest names in track and field.

Shortest athlete name ever has to be the North Korean Olympic table tennis player:

O Il

[DoubleRBar]

Male or Female?

[bambam1729]

Female - couldn't you tell by the name?

[DoubleRBar]

No.

[Cahaba]

Frederick "Carl" Lewis (b 7/1/1961) is the other Magic City born athlete in this 2-part question.

And I am sure the question could have been twisted to include a third 1984 Olympian born in the same Magic City.

[DoubleRBar]

An answer that might fit your "third 1984 Olympian born in the same Magic City" would include the hurdles and an Olympic medal. Nix, Lewis, and this third Birmingham born Olympic medalist were all born in 1961.