John Woodruff, 92; 1st black athlete to win gold at 1936 Olympics in Berlin

[underpants]

Source: LA Times

John Woodruff, the black American runner who won the 800 meters in the 1936 Berlin Olympics in the face of Adolf Hitler and his "master race" agenda, has died. He was 92.

Woodruff, the last surviving gold medalist from that U.S. team that included the legendary runner Jesse Owens, died Tuesday at an assisted living center near Phoenix, said Rose Woodruff, his wife of 37 years.

Nicknamed "Long John" for his nearly 10-foot stride, Woodruff was a lanky 21-year-old freshman at the University of Pittsburgh with just three years of competitive running under his belt when he sailed to the racially charged scene in Berlin.

On Aug. 4, 1936, he won the 800 meters using one of the most astonishing tactics in Olympic history. Boxed in by the pack of runners, he literally stopped in his tracks, then moved to the third lane and passed everyone to win the race in 1:52.9.


Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/california/la-me-woodruff2nov02,1,3857864.story?coll=la-headlines-pe-california

[Virginia Dare]

1. Mr. Woodruff, a great American, rest in peace...n/t

[Ishoutandscream2]

2. 1.52 in the 800 meters in 1936

Cinder track - damn good time. RIP, John. You were a helluva runner.

[underpants]

3. Good point

that is just flat out haulin'

He just stopped :wow: and then he won :wow:

[Blue_Tires]

4. r.i.p.

the olympics today are a shallow mockery of the honor and ideal of a few decades back

[erpowers]

6. Explain

Would you please explain what you mean by your post? I am interested in seeing why you have your opinion.

[Blue_Tires]

8. personally, i just think

a lot of the olympics has fallen victim to curruption of the ioc, drug use (which they have been cleaning up), politics and grudges that are supposed to be absent during the games, and of course, the rampant commercialism with the introduction of the pro athlete (NHL, NBA)

[bunkerbuster1]

5. What a great story. What a man.

Jesse Owens was a boyhood hero of mine, but I didn't realize that Woodruff was actually the first man to figuratively spit in der Fuhrer's face in '36.

RIP, bro.

[MADem]

7. You learn something new every day.

Mr. Woodruff was overshadowed by Mr. Owens all these years, I guess because of the numbers count. And what a great story about how he got away from that pack-o-slowpokes:

I didn't panic," Woodruff told the New York Times in 2005. "I just figured if I had only one opportunity to win, this was it. I've heard people say that I slowed down and almost stopped. I didn't almost stop. I stopped, and everyone else went around me."

He was the first black athlete to win a gold medal at the Berlin Games. His teammate Owens won four.

[pitohui]

9. holy moly sorry to hear it and rest in peace

i guess i didn't know he was still around

[Kurovski]

10. K&R.

The greatest triumph in Olympic history, IMO.

Rest in Peace.

[NorthernSpy]

11. a long, good life...

Rest in peace, Long John.