The greatest Olympic athlete from every U.S. state
New York: Al Oerter
Sport: Discus
Olympics: Helsinki 1956, Rome 1960, Tokyo 1964, and Mexico City 1968
When you hold the same company as Carl Lewis and Michael Phelps, you clearly have done something spectacular in sports and that’s the case for Al Oerter. He will forever hold the distinction of being the first person to win four consecutive gold medals in the same event. Lewis and Phelps both equaled that mark later in history. Oerter is another case proving preconceptions of who should win an event don’t truly matter as he was never the favorite in any year he competed.
Oerter started his Olympic career in 1956 when he set a personal best throw of 184 feet and 22 inches. That was easily the longest throw of the competition and Oerter had taken his first step towards making history. The following year, he survived an automobile accident that nearly took his life. Undeterred by that obstacle, he returned to the 1960 Games and set an Olympic record with a throw of 194 feet and 2 inches. Oerter became the first person to break 200 feet in the discus throw before the 1964 Games in Tokyo and would have been the favorite to win had he not been suffering from various injuries. Still, he slightly bettered his record even though he could not take his final throw due to pain from his neck and ribs. For his fourth and final gold, Oerter managed a throw of over 212 feet.
The itch to compete returned for Oerter when he tried to qualify for the 1980 Olympics but fell short, finishing fourth. Even at the age of 43, he set his personal best in a competition setting with a throw of over 225 feet. What is truly interesting is that Oerter actually has a discus throw that would be a world record of 245 feet if it had been in competition. He achieved this while filming a TV segment so it is not recognized as official. Oerter’s involvement with the Olympics also includes carrying the flag in 1984 and the torch in 1996.
Honorable Mention: Bob Beamon, long jump in Mexico City 1968