Pic from the glory days.
Posted on 10/02/2007 8:29:53 AM PDT by Young Werther
Edited on 10/02/2007 8:38:16 AM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]
FORT MYERS, Fla. - Al Oerter was destined to become an athlete, although he often wondered what he might have been if not for a chance meeting with a discus.
"I could throw a baseball, a football or a golf ball a country mile," Oerter told the Associated Press in an interview last year. "It was just easy to throw anything."
The discus great who won gold medals in four straight Olympics to become one of track and field's biggest stars in the 1950s and '60s, died Monday of heart failure, less than two weeks after his 71st birthday.
RIP.
R.I.P. Rock Chalk Jayhawk.
I’m a Mizzou grad and I never say anything good about KU, but I’ll make an exception this time. I have thought that Al Oerter’s accomplishment was one of the greatest athletic achievements ever.
RIP to a true Olympic champion.
A truly great one! (And by the way, those birthdays will getcha!)
I remember I used to watch him on “Wide World of Sports”. That was such a great show. It exposed America to so many different sports from around the world.
I believe Carl Lewis won four straight long jump golds. But were it not for Lewis, Oerter would have I think the record in track and field for consecutive Olympic golds. Amazing achievement. RIP.
Oerter was the man, I remember reading about him when I was a kid. At the time he seemed like a Greek god come to life.
Pic from the glory days.
Did you ever think you’d see the day when we thought that someone who died at 71 “died young?”
was just thinking the same - what a shame
That year, our school district had changed the field of play from 90% as measured from the discus circle to 60%. I had an early release and had more out of bounds throws during my senior year. The school record was 128' and I had come close. I still scored enough wins to letter again but the sad fact was my last throw, in my last meet, was along the old 90 degree boundary but out of bounds. The measurement was 142" but.....no throw! Al was a true inspiration otherwise!
I believe that Oerter also set a new olympic record with each of his 4 golds.
Oerter was a native New Yorker and a long-time member of the NYAC.
(Just like me!)
Jim Ryun was pretty good too. Who was Jim Ryan?
Jim Ryun was also a hero of mine. I read his biography and thought that one day maybe I would beat his world mile record. (hah!) I remember the day he called us on the phone. He was responding to my younger brother’s application to his running camp. What a thrill!
Yep Bob Hoffman of York Barbell used to feature him in his S&H magazines
Bob Hoffman probably had more influence on athletes in this country than ANYONE
He was always featuring weight training for all classes of sporting events and running articles about athletes like O’ Brien—Mal Whitfield— Stan Jones—Bob Richards—Fortune Gordien etc in the early 50s when the vast majority of coaches frowned on weight training as making you muscle bound
Hoffman continued his crusade and look at where we are now
Oerter was one of the greats, long before sports, even the Olympics, were ruined by “professionals.” Pure talent, and always seemed to be a genuinely nice guy. His inspiration will be missed.
As tickmeister pointed out, Oerter set Olympic records each time. Lewis did not (no one has bested Bob Beamon's 1968 Mexico City effort).
But were it not for Lewis, Oerter would have I think the record in track and field for consecutive Olympic golds.
no one has bested Bob Beamon’s 1968 Mexico City effort”
Actually, Mike Powell currently holds the world record. He broke it in the 1992 world championships in a showdown with Lewis.
But you are correct in that Beamon’s olympic record stands, absolutely.
Actually, Mike Powell currently holds the world record.
Sorry, guess we cross-posted. Should have made my statement more clear re: Olympic record.
we are on the same page now, for sure.
In any event, Oerter, Lewis...both of these guys are amazing.
But Oerter was the original. No doubt about it.
Also...I saw Carl Lewis run in person once. It was at the 84 Olympics in LA. He was the anchor on the 4x100 that broke the world record then. All four of our guys were amazing. It was truly astonishing to see how much ground they covered in such little time.
I wish I could have seen Michael Johnson run in person.
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