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![]() Poynter, circa 1962 | ||||||||||||
Personal information | ||||||||||||
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Nationality | American | |||||||||||
Born | December 5, 1937 | |||||||||||
Sport | ||||||||||||
Sport | Sprint running | |||||||||||
College team | San Jose State University | |||||||||||
Medal record
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Robert Addison "Bobby" Poynter (born December 5, 1937) is an American retired sprinter. [1] [2] He ran collegiately for San Jose State College, where he was coached by Bud Winter. He was the runner up at the 1959 NCAA Championships in the 100 yard dash and 220 yard dash. In the 220, he lost to San Jose State teammate Ray Norton. [3] That same year he won a gold medal at the Pan American Games as a member of the American 4x100 meters relay. During that 1959 season he was ranked #3 in the world in both the 100 meters [4] and the 200 meters. [5]
While at Pasadena High School, he won the 220 at the CIF California State Meet in 1955 and 56. His 21.0 in 1956 was the state record. Those same years he placed third and second in the 100, beaten by Ken Dennis in 1955 (later defeating Dennis in the 220). [6] He was the 1956 CIF Southern Section Athlete of the Year. In 1957, running for Pasadena City College, he won the California Community College title in the 220 and 100 runner up. [7]
After getting his master's degree at Cal Poly, he coached at Silver Creek High School and also San Jose City College, taking his protégé Millard Hampton to a 1976 Olympic gold medal and individual silver medal. He had a similar arrangement taking Andre Phillips to eventually achieving a 1988 gold medal. He was also decathlete Bruce Jenner's sprint coach. [8] More recently, he is sprint coach at West Valley College. [9]
After USA failed to put an athlete into the final of the 2012 Olympics 400 meters, Poynter was asked for analysis:
"I believe that we do not provide room for younger 400 runners to develop and just rely on retreads. It takes hard work, discipline, and support from our educational system. Physical education and track has been cutback or eliminated in many schools. If we do not increase and develop runners in our community I can only see the problem getting worse." [10]
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 to run under 11 seconds in an Olympic Games. Ashford has the distinction of owning the longest unbroken athletics record.
George Vincent Rhoden is a Jamaican retired athlete, winner of two Olympic gold medals in 1952.
John Wesley Carlos is an American former track and field athlete and professional American football player. He was the bronze-medal winner in the 200 meters at the 1968 Summer Olympics, where he displayed the Black Power salute on the podium with Tommie Smith. He went on to tie the world record in the 100-yard dash and beat the 200 meters world record. After his track career, he enjoyed a brief stint in the Canadian Football League but retired due to injury.
Charles Edward "Charlie" Greene was an American track and field sprinter and winner of the gold medal in the 4 × 100 metres relay at the 1968 Summer Olympics.
Ronald Ray Smith was an American athlete, winner of the gold medal in the 4 × 100 m relay at the 1968 Summer Olympics. He attended San Jose State College during the "Speed City" era, coached by Lloyd (Bud) Winter and graduating in sociology.
Millard Frank Hampton Jr. is an American former athlete, winner of gold medal in 4 × 100 m relay and the individual silver medal in the 200 meters at the 1976 Summer Olympics.
Emerson Lane "Bud" Spencer was an American sprint runner who won a gold medal in the 4 × 400 m relay at the 1928 Summer Olympics, breaking the world record in the process. A week later he helped to set another world record, at 3.13.4 in the 4×440 yard relay in London.
Andrew Rock is an American sprinter who specializes in the 400 meter dash.
Steve Williams is a retired track and field sprinter from the United States. He equalled the men's world records for the 100 m and 200 m with hand-timed runs of 9.9 seconds and 19.8 seconds, respectively, and was also a member of a team that set a world record in the 4 × 100 m relay.
Otis Ray Norton is a former American sprinter who competed in the 1960 Olympics in Rome.
Roy Chester Martin Jr. is a former American sprinter. He is considered one of the greatest high school sprinters in American history, and at the height of his career, he competed for the United States at the 1988 Summer Olympics.
John Walton Smith is a former American athlete, who competed in the sprints events during his career. He is best known for winning the 400 m event at the 1971 Pan American Games. He remains the world record holder for the 440 yard dash at 44.5 seconds. He set the record while winning the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships on June 26, 1971 while running for the Southern California Striders. The record has stood since then due to metrification in the sport. Contemporary athletes rarely run or are timed officially for the extra 2.34 meters to equal 440 yards.
Lloyd C. Winter, better known as Bud Winter was an American track and field coach who is regarded as one of the greatest sprint coaches in the world. Over a 29-year coaching career (1941–1970) at the then San Jose State College, he produced 102 All-Americans, 27 who went on to become Olympians.
The Michigan Wolverines men's track and field team is the intercollegiate track and field program representing the University of Michigan. The school competes in the Big Ten Conference in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
Jenna Elizabeth Prandini is an American track and field athlete who has competed in both sprinting and long jump. She is a two-time national champion at 200 meters, and a two-time Olympian in 2016 and 2020. She won a silver medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics as part of the United States 4x100 m relay team, and won a gold medal with the US 4x100 m relay at the 2022 World Athletics Championships.
Kendall Baisden is an American track and field sprinter who specializes in the 400-meter dash. She holds a personal record of 50.46 seconds for the distance, set in 2014.
Michael Arthur Norman Jr. is an American sprinter. He previously held the world best time in the indoor 400 meters at 44.52 seconds. Outdoors, his 43.45, set at the 2019 Mt. SAC Relays, is tied as the #4 on the all time list. In 2016, he became the world junior champion in both the 200 meters and 4×100 meter relay. In 2022, he became the world champion in both the 400 meters and 4x400 meter relay.
D'Andre "DeeDee" Hill is an American track and field coach and former athlete. She competed in sprint events, mainly in 100-meter dash. Her personal record in the event was 10.92 seconds. She represented her country over 100 m at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and shared in a gold medal in the 4×100-meter relay at the 1995 World Championships in Athletics, having run in the heats only.
Suziann Reid is an American-Jamaican former track and field sprinter who specialized in the 400-meter dash. She set a personal record of 50.74 seconds for the distance in 1999. She was a silver medalist with the American women's 4 × 400-meter relay team at the 1999 World Championships in Athletics. She was part of the World Championship team twice more, in 2001 and 2005, and helped the United States to silver at the 2002 IAAF World Cup and gold at the 2001 Goodwill Games.
Fredrick Lee Kerley is an American professional track and field sprinter who started his career competing in the 400 meters until 2020, when he transitioned to the 100 meters and 200 meters. He has earned several medals at the World Championships in the 400 m and 4 × 400 m relay including an individual bronze and a relay gold at the 2019 edition. Kerley claimed 100 m gold in the 2022 edition.