Helen Stephens biography

 Helen Stephens biography

Helen Stephens, (born Feb. 3, 1918, Fulton, Mo., U.S.—died Jan. 17, 1994, St. Louis, Mo.), American runner who gained two gold medals on the 1936 Olympics in Berlin and was undefeated in official competitors.

Known because the Fulton Flash, Stephens had gained 9 Amateur Athletic Union track-and-field titles by the age of 18. At the 1936 Olympic Games, Stephens gained the 100-metre sprint in 11.5 sec. She was additionally a member of the U.S. 4 × 100-metre relay crew that gained a gold medal. The U.S. crew had a pair of 100-metre gold medalists, with 1928 champion Elizabeth Robinson becoming a member of Stephens, however for many of the race they trailed the Germans, who had set a world document in a qualifying spherical. The Germans dropped the baton and had been disqualified, and the U.S. squad edged out Great Britain by lower than a second. Adolf Hitler was mentioned to be so impressed by Stephens that he invited her to his personal field.

After profitable three extra U.S. nationwide titles (50 metres, shot put, and 200 metres), Stephens retired from aggressive monitor. During her 30-month profession, she competed in additional than 100 races, profitable each one. She and Jesse Owens headlined a tour earlier than Stephens moved on to briefly play skilled basketball and softball. During World War II she served with the U.S. Marine Corps. By the Nineteen Eighties Stephens returned to aggressive track-and-field in senior occasions, sustaining her good document.