July 16, 2014

Alice Coachman, the first African American woman to win a gold medal in the Olympic Games, has died at age 90. Coachman won the women’s high jump at the 1948 summer games in London, setting an Olympic record of 5 feet 6 1/8 inches (1.68 meters). She succeeded despite facing racism and sex discrimination. During the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Coachman was honored as one of the 100 greatest Olympic athletes in history.

Coachman was born on November 9, 1923, in Albany, Georgia. She showed athletic ability as a child, but because of the racial segregation of the time, she was barred from using public sports facilities. She also faced prejudice against women participating in organized sports. Her father sometimes beat her for refusing to quit playing sports. However, she received encouragement from her fifth-grade teacher and from her aunt.

Coachman enrolled in Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee University) in 1939, where she broke both the collegiate and national women’s high jump records. She also ran on the 4×100–meter relay team that won the national championship in 1941 and 1942. Coachman won the national 50–meter dash five times and the 100–meter dash three times. During her career, she held 25 national titles. She also played on the Tuskegee women’s basketball team that won three national championships.

The official flag of the International Olympic Committee displays the Olympic symbol. The symbol consists of five interlocking rings that represent Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, and the Americas. (World Book illustration)

Because of World War II (1939–1945), the Olympic Games were canceled in 1940 and 1944, so Coachman could not compete in the Olympics until 1948. On her return home after the Games, Coachman rode in a celebratory motorcade for nearly 200 miles (322 kilometers) through Georgia. However, at her official welcoming ceremony in Albany, African Americans were required to sit apart from white attendees. The mayor of Albany also refused to shake her hand.

Coachman retired as a competitor after the 1948 Olympics and became a teacher and coach. She also formed the Alice Coachman Track and Field Foundation to provide assistance to former Olympic athletes.

Additional World Book articles:

• Jackie Joyner-Kersee
• Wilma Rudolph
• Olympic Games (1948) (a Back in Time article)

Aug. 7, 2012

A lanky swimmer and a tiny gymnast from the United States have grabbed headlines as well as gold at the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London. Michael Phelps, at age 27, solidified his position as the greatest swimmer and, arguably, the greatest individual athlete in Olympic history. At the same time, 16-year old Gabby Douglas won the hearts of fans by doing what no other American gymnast had ever accomplished in the Olympics.

Michael Phelps (© Cameron Spencer, Getty Images)

Phelps ended the Summer Games with a career total of 22 medals, 18 of them gold. Phelps built his medal count over three Olympics, in 2004, 2008, and 2012. He started slowly at the 2012 games in London, failing to collect a medal in his first race and finishing second in the next two races. But he earned gold medals in his final four events. He won the 100-meter butterfly and the 200-meter individual medley, his third consecutive victories in both events dating back to the 2004 Olympics, an unprecedented accomplishment.  After Phelps helped the U.S. team win the 4×100-meter relay, the final event on the swimming program, he announced his retirement as a competitive swimmer.

Gabby Douglas built her own legacy in the 2012 games with a pair of impressive firsts. The 16-year-old, who stands only 4 feet 11 inches (1.5 meters) tall, won gold medals in both the individual and team all-around competition. With her twin triumphs, Douglas became the first African American in Olympic history to win the individual all-around championship. She was also the first American gymnast to win a gold medal in both the all-around and team competitions at the same Olympics. Her bubbly personality combined with her grace and athleticism made her an instant darling of the crowds.

Usain Bolt (© Kyodo/Landov)

The third headline grabber at the Summer Games was Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt. The flamboyant Bolt was out to defend his Olympic 100-meter dash title and status as the world’s premiere sprinter. With the rise of a group of young world-class athletes ready to challenge Bolt’s supremacy, the 100-meter race was perhaps the most anticipated event of the 2012 games. Bolt did not disappoint. He won the sprint in 9.63 seconds, the second-fastest time in track history. Only one person has run the event in a faster time–Bolt himself. Bolt is also the defending Olympic champion in the 200-meter sprint, scheduled for later in the week.

Additional World Book articles:

• International Olympic Committee
• Special Olympics
• The Winning Edge (a Special Report)