Lee Evans (athlete)
Encyclopedia
Lee Edward Evans (born February 25, 1947 in Madera, California
) is a former American athlete, winner of two gold medals at the 1968 Summer Olympics
.
While running for Overfelt High School in San Jose, California
, Evans was undefeated in his high school career, improving his 440-yard time from 48.2 in 1964 to 46.9 in 1965. He attended San Jose State
, where he was coached by Hall of Famer Lloyd (Bud) Winter
. As a freshman, he won his first AAU
championship in 440 yd
(402.34 m) in 1966. He won the AAU title four years in a row (1966–1969) and again in 1972 and added the NCAA
400 m title in 1968.http://www.usatf.org/HallOfFame/TF/showBio.asp?HOFIDs=50 His only defeat during that streak came at the hands of San Jose State teammate Tommie Smith
. The two were so competitive, Winter could not let them practice together.
Lee Evans achieved his first world record
in 1966, as a member of the USA national team which broke the 4 x 400 m relay
record at Los Angeles
, the first team to better 3 minute
s (2:59.6) for the event. The next year he broke the 4 x 220 yd (201.17 m) relay world record at Fresno
in a time of 1:22.1.
Evans won the 1968 Olympic trials
at Echo Summit
, California
with a world record
44.0 and demolished it in Olympic final, winning in 43.86, from which he still stands as the seventh best performer in history. Evans won a second gold as the anchorman on the 4 x 400 m relay team, setting another world record of 2:56.16. Both the times stood as a world record for almost twenty years (the relay, 24 years). While accepting the relay Gold medal
Evans, with fellow African-American medalists Larry James and Ron Freeman, received their medals wearing berets in imitation of the Black Panther Party.
After winning the AAU 400 m titles in 1969 and 1972, Evans finished only fourth in the 1972 Olympic
trials, but was named a member of the 4 x 400 m relay team once more. However, the United States couldn't field a team because Vincent Matthews and Wayne Collett
were suspended for a demonstration at a medal ceremony similar to the one staged by Tommie Smith
and John Carlos
in the previous Olympics. Evans became a professional after the 1972 season. He was reinstated as an amateur in 1980 and ran a 46.5 in one of his few appearances that year, at the age of thirty-three. Evans went on to head the national athletics programs in six different African Nations before accepting a position as head cross country/track & field coach at the University of South Alabama
.
Upon fulfilling his contract, Evans plans to return to either Africa or Mexico where "you are truly free - not like this fake freedom America has everybody believing in."
Evans' college and amateur careers as well as his involvement in the Civil Rights Movement is chronicled in Frank Murphy's The Last Protest: Lee Evans in Mexico City.
He was inducted into the United States
National Track and Field Hall of Fame
in 1983.
Madera, California
Madera is a city in and the county seat of Madera County, California, United States. It is a principal city of the Madera–Chowchilla Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Madera County, and Metropolitan Fresno. It is located in California's San Joaquin Valley. As of the 2010...
) is a former American athlete, winner of two gold medals at the 1968 Summer Olympics
1968 Summer Olympics
The 1968 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Mexico City, Mexico in October 1968. The 1968 Games were the first Olympic Games hosted by a developing country, and the first Games hosted by a Spanish-speaking country...
.
While running for Overfelt High School in San Jose, California
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
, Evans was undefeated in his high school career, improving his 440-yard time from 48.2 in 1964 to 46.9 in 1965. He attended San Jose State
San José State University
San Jose State University is a public university located in San Jose, California, United States...
, where he was coached by Hall of Famer Lloyd (Bud) Winter
Lloyd (Bud) Winter
Lloyd C. Winter, better known as "Bud" was the USATF Hall of Fame Track Coach. He was regarded as one of the greatest sprint coaches in the world. Over a 39-year coaching career at the then San Jose State College, he produced 102 All-Americans, 27 who went on to become Olympians...
. As a freshman, he won his first AAU
Amateur Athletic Union
The Amateur Athletic Union is one of the largest non-profit volunteer sports organizations in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs.-History:The AAU was founded in 1888 to...
championship in 440 yd
Yard
A yard is a unit of length in several different systems including English units, Imperial units and United States customary units. It is equal to 3 feet or 36 inches...
(402.34 m) in 1966. He won the AAU title four years in a row (1966–1969) and again in 1972 and added the NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
400 m title in 1968.http://www.usatf.org/HallOfFame/TF/showBio.asp?HOFIDs=50 His only defeat during that streak came at the hands of San Jose State teammate Tommie Smith
Tommie Smith
Tommie Smith is an African American former track & field athlete and wide receiver in the American Football League. At the 1968 Summer Olympics, Smith won the 200-meter dash finals in 19.83 seconds – the first time the 20 second barrier was broken...
. The two were so competitive, Winter could not let them practice together.
Lee Evans achieved his first world record
World record
A world record is usually the best global performance ever recorded and verified in a specific skill or sport. The book Guinness World Records collates and publishes notable records of all types, from first and best to worst human achievements, to extremes in the natural world and beyond...
in 1966, as a member of the USA national team which broke the 4 x 400 m relay
Relay race
During a relay race, members of a team take turns running, orienteering, swimming, cross-country skiing, biathlon, or ice skating parts of a circuit or performing a certain action. Relay races take the form of professional races and amateur games...
record at Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, the first team to better 3 minute
Minute
A minute is a unit of measurement of time or of angle. The minute is a unit of time equal to 1/60th of an hour or 60 seconds. In the UTC time scale, a minute on rare occasions has 59 or 61 seconds; see leap second. The minute is not an SI unit; however, it is accepted for use with SI units...
s (2:59.6) for the event. The next year he broke the 4 x 220 yd (201.17 m) relay world record at Fresno
Fresno, California
Fresno is a city in central California, United States, the county seat of Fresno County. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 510,365, making it the fifth largest city in California, the largest inland city in California, and the 34th largest in the nation...
in a time of 1:22.1.
Evans won the 1968 Olympic trials
United States Olympic Trials (track and field)
The United States Olympic Trials for the sport of Track and Field is the quadrennial meet to select the United States representatives at the Olympic Games. Since 1992, the meet has also served as the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Because of the depth of competition in some events,...
at Echo Summit
Echo Summit
Echo Summit is a mountain pass located in eastern El Dorado County, California, USA. At an elevation of , it is the highest point on U.S...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
with a world record
World record progression 400 metres men
The first world record in the 400 m for men was recognized by the International Amateur Athletics Federation, now known as the International Association of Athletics Federations, in 1912...
44.0 and demolished it in Olympic final, winning in 43.86, from which he still stands as the seventh best performer in history. Evans won a second gold as the anchorman on the 4 x 400 m relay team, setting another world record of 2:56.16. Both the times stood as a world record for almost twenty years (the relay, 24 years). While accepting the relay Gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
Evans, with fellow African-American medalists Larry James and Ron Freeman, received their medals wearing berets in imitation of the Black Panther Party.
After winning the AAU 400 m titles in 1969 and 1972, Evans finished only fourth in the 1972 Olympic
1972 Summer Olympics
The 1972 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from August 26 to September 11, 1972....
trials, but was named a member of the 4 x 400 m relay team once more. However, the United States couldn't field a team because Vincent Matthews and Wayne Collett
Wayne Collett
Wayne Collett was an African American Olympic athlete who competed mainly in the 400 metres....
were suspended for a demonstration at a medal ceremony similar to the one staged by Tommie Smith
Tommie Smith
Tommie Smith is an African American former track & field athlete and wide receiver in the American Football League. At the 1968 Summer Olympics, Smith won the 200-meter dash finals in 19.83 seconds – the first time the 20 second barrier was broken...
and John Carlos
John Carlos
John Wesley Carlos is a Cuban American former track and field athlete and professional football player. He was the bronze-medal winner in the 200 meters at the 1968 Summer Olympics and his black power salute on the podium with Tommie Smith caused much political controversy...
in the previous Olympics. Evans became a professional after the 1972 season. He was reinstated as an amateur in 1980 and ran a 46.5 in one of his few appearances that year, at the age of thirty-three. Evans went on to head the national athletics programs in six different African Nations before accepting a position as head cross country/track & field coach at the University of South Alabama
University of South Alabama
The University of South Alabama is a public, doctoral-level university in Mobile, Alabama, USA. It was created by the Alabama Legislature in 1963, and replaced existing extension programs operated in Mobile by the University of Alabama. No other areas of the state were willing to support such a...
.
Upon fulfilling his contract, Evans plans to return to either Africa or Mexico where "you are truly free - not like this fake freedom America has everybody believing in."
Evans' college and amateur careers as well as his involvement in the Civil Rights Movement is chronicled in Frank Murphy's The Last Protest: Lee Evans in Mexico City.
He was inducted into the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
National Track and Field Hall of Fame
National Track and Field Hall of Fame
The National Track and Field Hall of Fame located within the Armory Foundation at 216 Fort Washington Avenue, between 168th and 169th Streets, in Washington Heights, in the New York City borough of Manhattan, is a museum operated by The Armory Foundation in conjunction with USA Track & Field...
in 1983.