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When speaking about athletics, Haiti is often forgotten and left out of the conversation. Stories and news about the country are usually dominated by the struggles it is either currently facing or has gone through in the past
Many know Haiti as the first Black republic in the world after the Haitian Revolution of 1791 -1804. Few are familiar with the almost 20 year occupation from 1915 - 1934 by the United States. And even fewer are familiar with one of the most outspoken activists and ambassadors for the nation Sylvio Cator.
While his country was under occupation by the United States, Cator won Haiti’s first, and to this day only, medal in Track and Field, broke the world record in the Long Jump, and was a pivotal figure in the effort to liberate Haiti from the United States.
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The Modern Olympic Games were first held in 1896 in Athens, Greece. 1904 saw the first Black man, George Poage win an Olympic medal, while 1908 was the first time a Black man, John Taylor, would win an Olympic Gold medal.
Women’s events in Track & Field were first introduced at the 1928 Games while 1936 was the first time an African American woman would have the chance to compete, with Tyide Pickett breaking that barrier
With both the 1940 and 1944 Olympic cancelled due to World War 2, it wasn’t until the London 1948 Games where we saw not only the first Black Woman win an Olympic medal, but also the first Black Woman to win an Olympic Gold.
Alice Coachman, with a Gold medal in the high jump, was the pioneer who stood at the top the podium for the first time in Olympic history, opening the door and paving the way for the many who would follow in the years and decades after.
Watch Full Alice Coachman Interview with Washington University of St Louis Here: http://repository.wustl.edu/concern/videos/b27740880
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Jackie Robinson and Jesse Owens are two of the greatest athletes in the history of sport. Jackie broke the color barrier in baseball becoming the first Black athlete to play in the MLB. While in Track & Field, Owens won 4 Olympic Gold medals at the 1936 Olympic Games and is credited as crushing Hitler's myth of Aryan supremacy.
But just behind both Jackie Robinson and Jessie Owens was Matthew “Mack” Robinson, Jackie’s older brother and the Olympic silver medalist in the 200m right behind Owens at the 1936 Olympics.
Throughout his life, Mack overcame various setbacks and struggles, including segregation in Pasadena, to being told he would never compete in sports due to a heart murmur. Despite that, he made huge strides both on and off the track.
In addition to winning the 1936 Olympic 200m Silver, Mack focused a significant amount of his time volunteering with youth organizations, including providing opportunities for kids in his hometown. He was also a vocal advocate for rights in the city of Pasadena.
Watch Full Mack Robinson Interview with Washington University Here: http://repository.wustl.edu/concern/videos/k0698c509
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Many of us know the story of Wilma Rudolph and what she did at the 1960 Olympic Games, overcoming various illnesses to become the first woman to win 3 Olympic Gold Medals, in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay.
But just 4 years later, fellow TSU Tigerbelle Edith McGuire, who is often forgotten, also won 3 Olympic medals at the 1964 Games in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m.
Though she earned 1 gold and 2 silvers, McGuire's accomplishments were just as impactful and deserve a bit of highlight as well.
Watch Full Edith McGuire and Wyomia Tyus Interview with Center for Sport & Social Justice: https://youtu.be/xjs6qUI6C_c
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The 10 second barrier has been a milestone for decades in the Men’s 100m Dash. A time of 9.9 seconds was seen as a right of passage into becoming an elite sprinter, and among one of the best in the world.
Though running sub 10 is commonplace today amongst the top sprinters in the world, about 50 years ago in 1968, no man had ever broken the barrier. Not until Jim Hines.
Jim Hines became the first person to break the 10 second barrier when he ran a hand-timed 9.9 second 100m dash at the 1968 AAU Championships.
Because that performance was hand-timed, and the Automatic time was actually 10.03, Hines wanted to do it again and this time at a place where it mattered.
At the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City, Mexico, Hines won the Gold medal in the 100m Dash and broke the 10 second barrier again, this time running an Automatic time of 9.95 seconds, a time that would stand as the World Record for almost 15 years.
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On August 24th 2004, Joanna Hayes won the Olympic Gold medal in the Women's 100mH in Athens, Greece. She became the first American Women to win Olympic Gold in the event since Benita Fitzgerald at the 1984 Olympics. Her winning time of 12.37 broke the Olympic Record in the event set back in Seoul 1988.
Hayes has since transitioned into coaching, now working at the University of Southern California as the Assistant Sprints and Hurdles coach. She also works with pro athletes such as Rai Benjamin, Michael Norman, Kendall Ellis, Kyra Constantine among others.
At the recent 2022 World Championships in Eugene Oregon, we sat down with Hayes to talk a bit about her history competing, perspective on the hurdles and now working as a coach. We dive into her background growing up in California, looking up to Flo-Jo, JJK and Gail Devers, and doubling in both the 100mH and 400mH. We also discuss her 2004 Olympic Gold, the current landscape of the Womens 100mH and what she loves about coaching and working with athletes now.
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On August 19th 1981, Renaldo Nehemiah became the 1st person to break the 13 second barrier in the history of the 110m Hurdles. His time of 12.93 seconds improved on his previous World Record of 13.00 set back in 1979.
Nehemiah is still one of the greatest athletes in the history of the sport and has since transitioned from athlete to agent, having worked with everyone from Kirani James and Allyson Felix to Allen Johnson and Sha’Carri Richardson.
At the recent 2022 World Championships in Eugene Oregon, we sat down with Nehemiah to talk a bit about his history competing and perspective on the sport now. We dive into the origin of his nickname Skeets, his legendary 1979 season as well as discuss the Nehemiah rule which allows athletes to compete as an amateur in one sport while still being a pro in another sport
We also dive into the transition of the sport from amateur to professional in the early 80s and how we can grow the sport now to become more attractive to bring in more fans.
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3-time Olympic Gold medalist and 9-time World Champion Gail Devers joins us for a brief conversation durring the 2022 World Championships.
Gail Devers is just the 2nd woman and 3rd person, man or woman, to ever win back to back 100m titles at the Olympic Games. She also won multiple World Championship golds at 100m Hurdles, 100m and 60m hurdles, including a 100/100mh double at the 1993 World Championships.
In our conversation, we dive into her foray into commentating, working with athletes to tell their stories and highlight their lives we dont see off the track as well her history dealing with injuries and graves disease. She shares her experience of being ready to quit the sport all together, as well as the support system she had around her throughout her career.
Gail also shares her Role models and the people she looked up to, including Wilma Rudolph and Wyomia Tyus.
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Coach John Smith is a legend in every sense of the word. On the track, he not only won double gold at the 1971 Pan American Games and competed at the 1972 Olympics, but he also still holds the world record in the 440 yard dash. During his career as a coach, he has worked with a whos-who in the sport. From Steve Lewis and Kevin Young, to Carmelita Jeter and English Gardiner, he has guided a plethora of his athletes' to success at the highest levels of the sport.
In our conversation, we of course dive into his career on the track and as a coach, but we also talk about him growing up in the 50's, 60's and 70's in the height of the civil rights era and Black Power movement, how he looked up to John Carlos, Tommie Smith and Lee Evans for what they did on an off the track, his time with the Dallas Cowboys, his acting career, missing out on Olympic Gold in 1972 but guiding his athletes to golds through coaching, how track and field saved his life and the soul of the sport. John Smith even notes he could have run a sub-4 mile back in the day!
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Recently at the NYC Grand Prix, we had the chance to speak with Renaldo Nehemiah. Nehemiah is one of the greatest hurdlers in history and the first person to ever run sub-13 seconds in the 110m Hurdles.
In our conversation we dive into his history, why he chose to attend the University of Maryland, his transition to professional football durring the age of amateur track and the ways he supports athletes he currently manages as an Agent.
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Many people tend to forget about the 400m during the early 2000s between when Michael Johnson retired and when Jeremy Wariner came on the scene. But Sanjay Ayre of Jamaica was an integral part of the event during that time period.
Ayre made his first Olympic team in 2000, at just 19 years old and went on to win a silver medal as part of the 4x400m relay, and was later part of a consistent Jamaican contingent that won relay medals in 2001, 2003 and 2005.
In our conversation, we dive into his upbringing in Jamaica, migrating to New York city on his own, the landscape of the 400m when he competed as well as the opportunity for Jamaican athletes in the 400m today. We also discuss some events he's looking forward to at these upcoming world championships in Oregon and the success he has had as a coach, in his businesses and in various community programs.
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Tonja Buford-Bailey is a 3 time Olympian in the 400m Hurdles, having competed at the 1992, 1996 and 2000 Games. She won a Bronze medal at those 1996 Atlanta Games, and was also part of a legendary photo finish race with American teammate Kim Batten in 1995 where both ladies went under the previous world record. Since retiring from the track, Buford-Bailey has become one of the most successful coaches in the sport, coaching at the University of Illinois as well as the University of Texas. She now works with Pro athletes such as Gabby Thomas, Tamara Clark, Tynia Gaither and others.
In our brief conversation, we dive into her attending the University of Illinois, transitioning from college to professional, how she supports her athletes at different stages of their careers, the challenges of moving from being a college coach to pro coach as well as some of her role models.
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Aliann Pompey of Guyana is a 4 time Olympian having competed in the 400m at the 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012 Games. Her career on the track was highlighted by her longevity having not only competed at 4 Olympic Games, but also 6 World Championships, 5 World Indoor Championships and 3 Commonwealth Games all between 2000 and and 2012.
In addition to her accolades on the track, Pompey has served on various athlete commissions and committees and has created the AP Invitational in Guyana which has been part of the World Athletics Continental Tour.
Currently, she serves as the Director of Track & Field/Cross Country at St Johns. University In our brief conversation, we chat about some of the things she has been doing for athletes in Guyana, her transition from college to pro and how she helps her athletes transition into the world post college as well as some of her role models and the benefits of Title IX.
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Judi Brown Clarke is the 1984 Olympic silver medalist in the 400mH at a time when the Women's event was still in its infancy on the international stage, so she was one of the pioneers in the event. She also won the 400mH at the Pan-American games in 1983 and 1987. But even more than an Athlete, Judi Brown Clarke has been an integral part of politics, education, science, technology, and has been focused on leadership and equity in the many years since her career on the track.
In our conversation, we dive into all of that and more, including her background growing up in the Midwest, the effects of title IX on her career and other women as well as the intersection of politics and sports. We really dive into the importance of travel and the global experiences she has had from being in Venezuela and experiencing a country of Black and Brown people for the first time, to crossing Checkpoint Charlie at the Berlin Wall in the 1980s.
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Joetta is a 4-time Olympian in the 800m, having made every team between 1988-2000, and one of the most consistent athletes in the sport, having ranked 22 consecutive years in the US top-10. More than just an athlete, Joetta is an Entrepreneur, Author, Motivational Speaker and mother of NCAA Champion Talitha Diggs. We recorded this conversation a week before Talitha went on to win the 400m at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
In our conversation, we dive into various topics including growing up in New Jersey, the impact of Title IX on her life, the legendary Clark sisters 1-2-3 at the 2000 Olympic Trials, the differences between professional track for women then vs now as well as her daughter Talitha Diggs.
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At the 2022 Prefontaine Classic, we had the chance to speak with multiple coaches who were legends in their own right before they transitioned into coaching:
Dennis Mitchell
3-time Olympian in the 100m in the 80s and 90sCurrently leads Star Athletics and coaches the likes of Sha'carri Richardson and Kenny BednarekAlleyne Francique
2-time 400m World indoor gold medalist for Granada's in 2004 and 2006 Coaches Fred Kerley among other athletesRandall Cunningham
Former NFL legend, on the Philadelphia Eagles during the 80s and 90sFather and current coach for Vashti CunninghamJohn Smith
440 yard world record holder and 1971 Pan American Games Gold medalistLegendary coach for UCLA, HSI and currently coaches Michael CherryFollow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trackandfieldblackhistory/
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Wallace Spearmon is a 4-time World Championship medalist, and still one of the fastest 200m runners in the history of the sport.
He talks with us about recently transitioning into his post track career and now having the opportunity to work with current athletes to help fix some of the problems he experienced while he was competing as an athlete. We also dive into his personality on the track, role models and his support system while competing as well as a discussion on if more prominent sprint clubs and rivalries are needed in Track & Field now.
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Lawrence Boogie Johnson, also known as the Hurdle Mechanic, talks with us about his career, not only as a coach but also as an athlete at the University of Arkansas where he ran the 400m for the Razorbacks. He went on to have one of the greatest coaching careers in history, working with athletes from Queen Harrison-Claye and Brianna Rollins McNeal, to Dalilah Muhammad and Gianna Woodruff. In addition to hurdles, he works with sprinters such as Bryce Deadmon and Brittany Brown.
In our conversation, Coach Johnson discusses his time at Arkansas, his role models growing up as well as provides insight on how athletes could prepare themselves for life after track.
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Steve Lewis is a 3-time Olympic Gold medalist in the 400m and 4x400m and still holds the World Junior record in the 400m at 43.87, the only U20 athlete to ever break 44 seconds.
In our conversation, we dive into Lewis background growing up in Los Angeles as well as the support he received from his family and community. He also talks about his family who served in the military and the work he does now to support the Veteran community.
Lewis also talks about the competitive training environment both at UCLA and in the Santa Monica Track Club and how having sprint clubs and teams now would likely be a positive for the sport. He also provides insight into how he overcame multiple injuries and setbacks to not only be ready when it came time for the Olympics, but also transition into life after track.
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Terrence Trammell is a 2-time Olympic medalist, 2-time World Champion, 3-time World Silver medalist and arguably the greatest sprint-hurdle combo athlete in history.
In our conversation, we talk about his upbringing in Atlanta and how. After watching the 1996 Olympics in his hometown at just 18 years old, he made it a goal to be at the next Games. He not only made it to the Olympics, but won silver in 2000 and would go on to win medals at various championships through 2010. We also discuss the importance of storytelling through the use of social media and the work he does now as a coach, mentor and leader through Trammell Athletics.
Finally, as one of the greatest sprint/hurdler combo athletes in history, we discuss how he made his way onto the 4x100m relay that ran at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin
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