| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nationality |  United States | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | August 10, 1959 Brunswick, Georgia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 8+3⁄4 in (1.75 m) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 173 lb (78 kg) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Running | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Event(s) | 100 metres, 200 metres | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal best | 100 m: 9.96 s (Athens 1984) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Melvin Lattany (born August 10, 1959) is a former American track athlete. He was one of the world's dominating sprinters in the early 1980s.
Lattany attended Glynn Academy, where he was a standout sprinter in track. He also practiced football, where although he was primarily a wide receiver, he also played as a safety, cornerback, punt returner, kickoff returner and was the backup placekicker. [1]
He accepted a track scholarship from the University of Georgia, where he established a new Men's World Junior Record over 100 metres on July 30, 1978.
Lattany qualified for the 1980 US Olympic team as a 100 metres sprinter and a member of the 4 × 400 metres relay team, but was unable to compete due to the 1980 Summer Olympics boycott. He did however receive one of 461 Congressional Gold Medals awarded to those athletes affected by the boycott. [2]
He won a gold medal in the 100 metres at the 1981 Summer Universiade, and in the 200 metres at the 1981 IAAF World Cup, with a 20.21 seconds finish. On May 5, 1984, Lattany became the fifth man (third at sea level and fourth man from USA) to break the 10-second barrier when he clocked 9.96 seconds in Athens, Georgia. [1]
Lattany retired from track in 1985 and signed as a free agent with the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League on June 20, looking to become an NFL wide receiver as a 25-year-old rookie. [3] [4] At the time, he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.29 seconds. He was released on August 19. [5]
In 1987, he was reinstated by the International Amateur Athletics Federation to run track again. [6]
In 2009, Lattany was honored as one of the 20 Athletes of the Century at the Drake Relays (he was never beaten in the 100 m, finals and preliminary races, in the four years he competed there, 1978 to 1981; in addition being named outstanding performer in 1981). [7]
In 2013, Lattany was inducted into the Glynn County Sports Hall of Fame. [8]
Lattany was ranked among the best in the US and the world in both the 100 and 200 m sprint events from 1979 to 1984, according to the votes of the experts of Track and Field News . [9]
|
|
Allan Wipper Wells is a British former track and field sprinter who became the 100 metres Olympic champion at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. In 1981, he was both the IAAF Golden Sprints and IAAF World Cup gold medallist. He is also a three-time European Cup gold medallist.
Evelyn Ashford is an American retired track and field athlete, the 1984 Olympic champion in the 100-meter dash, and the world record-holder in the 60-yard dash. She ran under the 11-second barrier over 30 times and was the first woman to run under 11 seconds in an Olympic Games. Ashford has the distinction of owning the longest unbroken athletics record.
Edwin Corley Moses is an American former hurdler who won gold medals in the 400 m hurdles at the 1976 and 1984 Olympics. Between 1977 and 1987, Moses won 107 consecutive finals and set the world record in the event four times. In addition to his running achievements, Moses was also an innovative reformer in the areas of Olympic eligibility and drug testing. In 2000, he was elected the first Chairman of the Laureus World Sports Academy, an international service organization of world-class athletes.
Harvey Edward Glance was an American sprint runner. He won gold medals in tandem with his teammates at the 4 × 100 m relay at the 1976 Summer Olympics, 1979 and 1987 Pan American Games, and 1987 World Championships.
John Wesley "Lam" Jones was an American athlete who won a gold medal in the 4×100 meter relay at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal and played professional football in the National Football League (NFL) as a wide receiver for the New York Jets and Dallas Cowboys. Prior to that, he played college football and ran track at the University of Texas.
Renaldo "Skeets" Nehemiah is a retired American track and field athlete who specialized in the 110 m hurdles. He was ranked number one in the world for four straight years, and is a former world record holder. Nehemiah is the first man to run the event in under 13 seconds. Nehemiah also played pro football in the National Football League (NFL) as a wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers from 1982 to 1985, before returning to track and field athletics from 1986 to 1991. After retiring from competition, he has worked in sports management.
Chandra Danette Cheeseborough is a retired American sprinter. She won two gold medals and a silver at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
Angela Bailey was a Canadian track and field athlete. She was the Canadian record holder in the 100 metres with her personal best of 10.98 seconds in 1987. She also holds the 200 metres indoor national record with 23.32 seconds in 1984. She won an Olympic silver medal in the 4×100 metres relay in 1984, three relay silver medals at the Commonwealth Games, and a bronze medal in the 60 metres at the 1987 World Indoor Championships.
Willie James Gault is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons with the Chicago Bears and Los Angeles Raiders. Considered one of the fastest NFL players of all time, Gault was a member of the Bears team that won Super Bowl XX. He was also a member of the U.S. Olympic team that boycotted the 1980 Olympics.
Silas Edward Southern was an American sprinter and hurdler who won a silver medal in the 400 metres hurdles at 1956 Olympics. He won another silver medal in the 4 × 400 m relay at the 1959 Pan American Games.
Alice Regina Brown is a retired American sprinter. Competing at the 1984 and 1988 Olympics she won two relay gold medals and an individual silver medal. She attended John Muir High School and California State University, Northridge.
Pamela Ann Spencer-Marquez is a retired high jumper from the United States, who set her personal best on 1981-08-28, jumping 1.97 metres at a meet in Brussels, Belgium. She competed for her native country at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California, finishing in eleventh place.
Stanley Floyd is a retired track and field sprinter from the United States. He was a 1979 graduate of Dougherty High School in Albany, Georgia. In 1980, he was considered one of the favorites for the 100m title but was denied his chance due to the United States boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics.
Barton Williams is an American former hurdler. He attended California Polytechnic State University from 1975 to 1979. Williams is one of Cal Poly's all-time greatest track and field athletes.
Frances Anne "Francie" Larrieu Smith is an American track and field athlete. She was the flagbearer at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona for the United States of America. Larrieu Smith was the third female American athlete to make five American Olympic teams, behind the six of fencer Jan York-Romary and Track and Field's Willye White. The feat was later equaled by basketball player Teresa Edwards, track and field's Gail Devers, cyclist/speedskater Chris Witty and swimmer Dara Torres. After one of the longest elite careers on record, she retired from that level of competition.
Willie James Smith III was an American athlete who was the national champion 400 metres runner in 1979-80, and a gold medal winner at the 1984 Olympics in the 4 × 400 m relay.
William Ernest Green was an American sprinter.
Sharon Dabney is a retired American track and field athlete.
James Butler is an American former track and field sprinter who specialized in the 200-meter dash. He was an NCAA champion and winner at the Liberty Bell Classic Olympic boycott event. He represented the United States at the 1987 IAAF World Indoor Championships and placed fifth. He set a 200 m best of 20.23 seconds in 1982.
Brenda Morehead is an American sprinter.
World University Games champions in men's 100 metres | |
|---|---|
|
