Bill Toomey (original) (raw)

Starting in 1932, athletes from the U.S. won six consecutive Olympic gold medals. The string was broken in 1964, when U.S. decathletes were shut out of medals entirely.

In 1964, Bill had finished 4th at the U.S. Olympic Trials. Over the next four years, he honed his talents, and became particularly adept at the long jump and 400m. In 1968, he started his Olympic campaign by winning his only Mt. SAC title, totaling 7800 points. A few months later, he returned the Olympic gold medal to U.S. hands, winning in Mexico City with a score of 8193.

He returned to action in 1969, and won his fifth national title. He broke the World Record later that year, in the 38th decathlon of his career (and 10th that year).

Born: 1939

College: University of Colorado