A smiling Mal Whitfield (USA) Proudly shows his
first Olympic gold medal while still wearing his
rain-drenched sweat suit after having won the finals
of the 800 meters event at Wembley British Empire
Stadium during one of London's rain storms. Mal
commented, "the Olympic medal alone will keep a
winner warm for a lifetime. Winning the gold for my
country as well as for myself was a thrill I shall
never forget!" |
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A year before the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, 1951, in between
bombing missions over North Korea, he trained at nights on
the runways, preparing for the 1st Pan American Games to be
staged in Buenos Aires, Argentina, South America. This was
his second attempt for an Olympics. Additionally, he
conducted track-and-field coaching clinics in Tokyo for
Japanese coaches and athletes. In Buenos Aires Pan American
Games 400, 800 and 1,600 meters he won three (3) gold
medals.
In the 1948 London Olympic Games, and the 1951 Pan American
Games he was the first U.S. military serviceman on active
duty to have won gold medals in such prestigious
international competitions.
The new Atlanta Olympic stadium was filled to
capacity Wednesday night July 31. The crowd sat
while anticipating the running of the 800 meters.
Prior to the race, at about 8:30 PM, most eyes
shifted to the giant projection screen at the north
end of the stadium. They watched a 1948
retrospective of the 800 meters, which took place in
London during the 14th Olympic Games.
During the final 100 meters, a twenty-three year
old American from Watts, California, and on a rain
soaked track in Wembley Stadium, that particular
August 2nd, Mal Whitfield, took the lead, won the gold
medal, and set an Olympic record of 1:49.2 minutes.
By the end of the 1948 Games, "Marvelous Mal" had been
summoned to the awards ceremony three times: twice to
receive Gold medals, the other as a member of the 4 x 400
meters relay for a Bronze after placing third in the 400
meters. From 1946 to 1955, Whitfield won 66 of 69 major
middle-distance races throughout the world and reigned as
the dominant force in the 800 meters. |
