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Revision as of 17:23, 12 November 2008
For other uses, see Larry James (disambiguation). | This article is currently being heavily edited because its subject has recently died. Information about their death and related events may change significantly and initial news reports may be unreliable. The most recent updates to this article may not reflect the most current information. Please feel free to improve this article (but edits without reliable references may be removed) or discuss changes on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
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| Olympic medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's Athletics | ||
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1968 Mexico City | 4x400m relay |
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1968 Mexico City | 400 metres |
George Lawrence ("Larry") James (November 6, 1947 – November 6, 2008) was an American track athlete.
Biography
James was born on November 6, 1947, in Mount Pleasant, New York, and took up track in seventh grade. He attended White Plains High School, where he competed in the intermediate hurdles and the triple jump.
Athlete
A double medalist at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, James also set world records and won NCAA titles during his track career. James won the silver medal in the 400 m with his time of 43.97 seconds at the 1968 Summer Olympics, bettering the existing world record but placing him second behind teammate (and fellow Hall of Famer) Lee Evans (43.86). James added a gold medal at the Mexico City Games by running the third leg on the U.S. 4x400 m relay team, which set a world record of 2:56.16 seconds, which lasted until 1992.
James set the 400 m world record of 44.1 seconds in placing second to Evans at the 1968 Olympic Trials at Echo Summit, California, when Evans' winning time of 44.0 was disallowed by the IAAF because he wore illegal brush spike shoes. James was a double gold medalist at the 1970 World University Games, winning the 400 m hurdles and running the anchor leg on Team USA's 4x400 m relay team (3:03.33). As a collegian at Villanova University under Hall of Fame coach Jumbo Elliott, James won the NCAA 440 yd (400 m) title in 1970 and NCAA indoor crowns at that distance in 1968, 1969 and 1970. At the 1968 Penn Relays, his anchor leg of 43.9 was the fastest ever run in the history of the relay carnival and sparked Villanova's scintillating comeback victory over Rice University.
Coaching
The head manager for Team USA at the 2003 World Outdoor Championships, James was chair of USATF's budget committee and had recently retired after 28 years as the Dean of Athletics and Recreational Programs and Services at the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey. The soccer and track-and-field stadium at the College is named for him, and features a large touchstone at its entrance.
In addition to the bachelor's degree in business administration that he earned from Villanova, James received a Master of Public Policy in 1987 from Rutgers University.
In 2003, James was inducted into the National Track & Field Hall of Fame.
He died on his 61st birthday on November 6, 2008 at his home in Galloway Township, New Jersey of colon cancer.
References
- ^ Litsky, Frank. "G. Larry James, Olympic Gold Medalist, Dies at 61", The New York Times, November 7, 2008. Accessed November 8, 2008.
- ^ "Olympic Runner Larry James". Washington Post. 2008-11-09. p. C6.
External links
- MSN.FOX Sports.com November 6, 2008 announcement of James' death.
- NYTimes obituary
- sports-reference.com profile
{{subst:#if:James, Larry|}} [[Category:{{subst:#switch:{{subst:uc:1947}}
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| #default = 1947 births
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Categories:- Recent deaths
- Articles lacking sources from November 2008
- Living people
- 2008 deaths
- American sprinters
- Athletes at the 1968 Summer Olympics
- Olympic athletes of the United States
- Olympic gold medalists for the United States
- Olympic silver medalists for the United States
- People from Atlantic County, New Jersey
- Richard Stockton College of New Jersey faculty
- Rutgers University alumni
- Villanova University alumni
- Deaths from colorectal cancer
- Cancer deaths in New Jersey
- Former world record holders