One And Done

[DoubleRBar]

Happy 60th birthday today (Sunday) to an Olympic champion who competed in only one Olympic Games and won a total of one Olympic gold medal.

You probably already know that our birthday athlete did not win Olympic gold in the hurdles.

This champion won that Olympic gold medal approximately 1,589 miles (2,558 km) from the place where this athlete was born.

Red wolves may not really be red, but when the sun hits their fur, these animals may appear to be reddish in color.

Our birthday athlete may be 60 years old, but this champion has spent most of this athlete's career in track and field.

I'm sure you know the name of our birthday athlete for this third Sunday of 2020, so go ahead and name our birthday champion.

[Olli]

Hmm, there seem to be rather few clues (and hard to understand what the wolves have to do with this). However, often I make guesses in any case, so I'll make one now, too: Joan Benoit.

[DoubleRBar]

I'll admit, the wolves are a bit tricky, but your guess of Joan Benoit isn't too bad, Olli. Joan Benoit is about three years older than our birthday athlete, however she did win her Olympic gold medal the day after our birthday champion won the gold medal.

[tandfman]

All I know about red wolves is that for some reason, that's the nickname of Arkansas State's teams. Hello, Al Joyner.

[DoubleRBar]

Happy birthday today to Al Joyner, winner of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic men's triple jump. Al turns 60 today and Los Angeles was his only Olympics (just like Joan Benoit). Nice work, tandfman.

Al Joyner won that Olympic gold medal on his first jump which is not that uncommon at the Olympics. Some others who won their Olympic triple jump gold medals on the first jump were Vilho Tuulos (1920), Arne Ahman (1948), Viktor Saneyev (1972), and Khristo Markov (1988) to name a few.

You may remember that Carl Lewis won the Los Angeles Olympic long jump in 1984 on his first jump. He did it again in Barcelona in 1992. Randy Williams won the Munich (1972) long jump on his first jump as did Arnie Robinson in Montreal (1976). Of course, one of the most famous first jumps in Olympic history went to Bob Beamon in Mexico City (1968).

There are more, but you get the picture.

[user4]

All I know about red wolves is that for some reason, that's the nickname of Arkansas State's teams. Hello, Al Joyner.

I actually met Al Joyner in a hotel parking lot in San Diego, I was a young guy and it must have been about 1987-89 time frame. What a great guy, a genuine caring, considerate and thoughtful individual. I have never met an athlete that nice.

[DoubleRBar]

You are right, user4. Al Joyner is one of the very good people in our sport. He is truly a genuine and caring person.

[lonewolf]

I only know Joyner from officiating many of his competitions and I agree, he is one of the nicest, most cooperative elite athletes I have ever worked with.
JJK gets the gold among female athletes... nice family

[DoubleRBar]

Good parents.

[user4]

Good parents.

I was thinking the very same thing!