Tommie Smith biography

 Tommie Smith biography

Tommie Smith, (born June 6, 1944, Clarksville, Texas, U.S.), American sprinter who held the world document for the 200-metre sprint with flip (1966–71), his greatest time being 19.83 sec—the primary time that the gap was run in lower than 20 sec. He additionally held the document for the straightaway 200-metre sprint (1965–79), his greatest time being 19.5 sec.

Smith competed for San Jose (California) State College. At the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City, he gained the gold medal for the 200-metre race, however he and a teammate, John Carlos, have been suspended by the U.S. Olympic Committee and ordered to go away Mexico for giving a black-power salute whereas receiving awards (see {photograph}).

During Smith’s school profession he set world data for the 220-yard (straightaway) sprint and for the 200-metre races (with flip and straightaway) and was a member of a 4 × 200-metre relay crew that set a world document (1967–70) of 1 min 22.1 sec.

After graduating, Smith performed skilled soccer with the Cincinnati Bengals for 3 years. He later turned a observe coach at Oberlin (Ohio) College, the place he additionally taught sociology, and at Santa Monica (California) College. He was inducted into the (U.S.) National Track & Field Hall of Fame in 1978. Smith’s autobiography, Silent Gesture (co-written with David Steele), was printed in 2007.