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John Carlos
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Olympic medal record | |||
| Men's athletics | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Bronze | 1968 Mexico City | 200 metres | |
John Wesley Carlos (born June 5, 1945 in Harlem, New York) is an American former track and field athlete and professional football player. He was the bronze-medal winner of the 200-meter at the 1968 Summer Olympics.
Born in Harlem, New York, John Carlos was a gifted high school athlete and outstanding student who went on to study at East Texas State University on a full track-and-field scholarship. His athletic skills were the major reason ETSU won its first Lone Star Conference Championship. After his first year, Carlos matriculated to San Jose State College where he was trained by future National Track & Field Hall of Fame coach, Lloyd (Bud) Winter.
Carlos became a founding member of the Olympic Project for Human Rights (OPHR), initially created to organize a boycott of the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City. At the 1968 Olympic Trials, Carlos stunned the track world when he won the 200-meter dash in 19.92 seconds, beating world-record holder Tommie Smith and surpassing his record by 0.3 seconds. Though the record was never ratified because the spike formation on Carlos' shoes wasn't accepted at the time, the race reinforced his status as a world-class sprinter.
Following his third-place finish behind fellow American Smith and Australian Peter Norman in the 200 at the Mexico Olympics, Carlos and Smith made headlines around the world by raising their black-gloved fists at the medal award ceremony. Both athletes wore black socks and no shoes on the podium to represent black poverty in America. In support, Peter Norman, the silver medalist who was a white athlete from Australia, participated in the protest by wearing an OPHR badge.
IOC president Avery Brundage deemed a domestic political statement unfit for the apolitical, international forum the Olympic Games was supposed to be. In an immediate response to their actions, he ordered Smith and Carlos suspended from the U.S. team and banned from the Olympic Village. Many supporters, however, praised the men for their bravery. The men's gesture had lingering effects for both Smith and Carlos, the most serious of which were death threats against them and their families.
Carlos had his greatest year in track and field in 1969, equaling the world 100-yard record of 9.1, winning the AAU 220-yard run, and leading San Jose State to its first NCAA championship with victories in the 100 and 220 and as a member of the 4x110-yard relay. He was also the gold medalist at 200 meters at the 1967 Pan American Games in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada and set indoor world bests in the 60-yard dash (5.9) and 220-yard dash (20.2).
Following his track career, Carlos tried professional football, but a knee injury curtailed his one-year stint with the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League. He then went on to the Canadian Football League where he played one season each for the Montreal Alouettes and the Toronto Argonauts. Following his retirement from football, Carlos worked for the Puma Company, the United States Olympic Committee, and the City of Los Angeles.
In 1985, Carlos became a counselor and in-school suspension supervisor as well as the track and field coach, at Palm Springs, High School. In 2003, he was elected to the National Track & Field Hall of Fame.
In 2005, a statue showing Carlos and Smith on the medal stand was constructed by political artist Rigo 23 and dedicated on the campus of San Jose State University. [1]
In 2007, John Carlos was honored at the Trumpet Awards in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Carlos helped train former NBA player Charles Barkley for his race against NBA official Dick Bavetta on Saturday night of the 2007 NBA All Star Weekend.