Background

· Born August 31, 1955 in Dayton Ohio

· Attended Morehouse College on an academic (not athletic) scholarship

· The Montreal Olympics (1976) was his first international competition, and he won the gold medal by the largest margin of victory in the history of his event

· Received MBA from Pepperdine University in 1994

· Active in the struggle against the use of performance enhancing drugs

· Vegetarian

Career Highlights

· 400 meter hurdles gold medallist in the 1976 and 1984 Olympics (the U.S. boycotted the 1980 Olympics)

· Won bronze medal in the 1988 Olympics at the age of 33

· Set world record in his event four times

· Won 107 consecutive finals (122 consecutive races) between 1977 and 1987

· 1981 recipient of USA Track and Field’s “Jesse Owens Award” as outstanding U.S. male track and field performer

· 1883 recipient of the AAU’s James E. Sullivan award as outstanding amateur athlete in the U.S.

· Named 1984 ABC’s Wide World of Sports Athlete of the Year

· Shared the 1984 Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year award with Mary Lou Retton

· Ranked #47 on ESPN’s SportsCentury 50 Greatest Athletes

· Won bronze medal in two-man world cup bobsled race in 1990 after retiring from track and field