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Willie Davenport

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American athlete and bobsledder (1943–2002)

Willie Davenport
Davenport at the 1968 Olympics
Personal information
Full nameWilliam D. Davenport
BornJune 8, 1943 (1943-06-08)
Troy, Alabama, U.S.
DiedJune 17, 2002 (2002-06-18) (aged 59)
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Alma materSouthern University
Height6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight185 lb (84 kg)
Sport
SportSprint running
ClubBaton Rouge Track Club
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)100 yd – 9.5 (1968)
100 m – 10.3 (1969)
110 mh – 13.33 (1968)
Medal record
Representing the  United States
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1968 Mexico City 110 m hurdles
Bronze medal – third place 1976 Montréal 110 m hurdles
Pan American Games
Silver medal – second place 1967 Winnipeg 110 m hurdles

William "Willie" D. Davenport (June 8, 1943 – June 17, 2002) was an American sprint runner.

Biography

He attended Howland High School and college at Southern University and A&M College in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Davenport took part in his first Olympics in 1964, but injured his thigh and was eliminated in the semifinals. He competed in the 110 m hurdles at the 1964, 1968, 1972 and 1976 Summer Olympics, winning a gold medal in 1968 and a bronze in 1976, and finishing fourth in 1972. In 1980 he took part in the Winter Olympics as a runner for the American bobsleigh team. Because of the boycott, and the quirk of participating in the Winter Olympics, he was the only U.S. track and field athlete to participate in the 1980 Olympics. In Mexico City in 1968, he reached the final and won, later saying, "From the first step, the gun, I knew I had won the race." In 1972 he finished fourth, and in his third consecutive Olympic 110 m hurdles final, in 1976, he won a bronze medal.

Davenport was a member of the Southern Jaguars football team in college, and immediately departed the 1968 Olympics after winning the gold to join the team for the final games. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints as a wide receiver in the sixth round (138th overall) of the 1969 NFL/AFL draft, but a misunderstanding about his college eligibility prompted the Saints to withdraw the selection. When it turned out he was allowed to play, the San Diego Chargers picked him in the 16th round (408th overall) but he and the team could not agree to a contract. The Saints drafted him again in 1970 in the 12th round (296th overall) as a defensive back, though he did not join them either.

At his last Olympics in 1980, Davenport was a bobsleigh runner, ending up 12th in the four-man competition. Davenport's other achievements include five national championships in the 60 yard hurdles indoor event. By participating in the 1980 bobsleigh competition, he became one of the first two African Americans to compete in the bobsled in the Winter Olympics. Jeff Gadley, a decathlete from State University of New York at Plattsburgh, competed internationally in the four-man bobsled for the US the year before the Lake Placid Olympics, then Davenport joined Gadley's team right before the 1980 Olympics. Davenport drew much media attention, but was not the first.

In 1985, Davenport competed at the Masters Outdoor World Championship in Rome.

Davenport died of a heart attack at age 59 at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport on June 17, 2002. He was a U.S. Army private at the time of his first Olympic participation and a colonel in the United States Army National Guard at the time of his death.

Legacy

In 1977 he was inducted into the Mt. SAC Relays Hall of Fame, and in 1982 into the National Track and Field Hall of Fame.

References

  1. ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Willie Davenport". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on April 17, 2020.
  2. Hymans, Richard. "The History of the United States Olympic Trials – Track & Field" (PDF). USA Track & Field.
  3. Garner, Jim (February 13, 1969). "A Matter of Finance". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Retrieved July 25, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. "Saints Draft Track Star Davenport". Times-News. UP. January 29, 1969. Retrieved July 25, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. Florence, Mal (February 9, 1969). "'Got to Try 18 Feet to Make It,' Seagren Explains". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 25, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. Hand, Jack (February 1, 1970). "Pittsburgh, Green Bay, Browns, 49ers Get Help". Springfield News-Leader. Retrieved July 25, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. "Willie Davenport Has Olympic 'Gold Fever'". The Times. August 2, 1970. Retrieved July 25, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. National Masters News, August 1985 PDF page 25 of 44. Retrieved January 6, 2021
  9. Haskell, Bob (June 20, 2002) Five-Time Olympian Col. Willie Davenport Remembered. DefenseLink News Article.
  10. Willie Davenport. Mtsacrelays.com. Retrieved on 2015-06-14.
  11. Hall of Fame. USATF. Retrieved on 2015-06-14.

Further reading

  • Wallechinsky, David (1984). The Complete Book of the Olympics: 1896 – 1980. New York: Penguin Books. pp. 54–55, 562.

External links

Records
Preceded byUnited States Earl McCullouch Men's 110m Hurdles World Record Holder
July 4, 1969 – September 2, 1972 		Succeeded byUnited States Rodney Milburn
Sporting positions
Preceded byUnknown Men's 110m Hurdles Best Year Performance
1966 		Succeeded byUnited States Earl McCullouch
Preceded byUnited States Earl McCullouch Men's 110m Hurdles Best Year Performance
1968–1969 		Succeeded byUnited States Thomas Hill


Olympic champions in men's 110 metres hurdles
US National Championship winners in men's 110 m/120 yd hurdles
1876–1878
New York Athletic Club
1879–1888
NAAAA
1888–1979
Amateur Athletic Union
1980–1992
The Athletics Congress
1993–present
USA Track & Field
Notes
  • Note 1: In 1888 both the NAAAA and the AAU held championships
  • 120 yd hurdles 1876–1927, 1929–31, 1953–55, 1957–58, 1961–63, 1965–67 and 1969–71; 110 m hurdles otherwise.
  • First place was shared in 1969 and 1977.
  • The 1920, 1928, 1932, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016 championships incorporated the Olympic Trials, otherwise held as a discrete event.
  • 2020 OT: The 2020 Olympic Trials were delayed and held in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
USA Indoor Track and Field Championships winners in men's 60 m hurdles
(70 yards hurdles, 65 m hurdles, 60 yards hurdles, 55 m hurdles)
1927–1979
Amateur Athletic Union
1980–1992
The Athletics Congress
1993–present
USA Track & Field
Notes* Distances have varied as follows: 70 yards from 1910-32 and 1940-41, 65 m from 1933-39, 60 yards from 1942-86, 55 m from 1987-90, 60 m since 1991.
1964 USA Olympic track and field team
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1968 USA Olympic track and field team
Qualification1968 United States Olympic trials (track and field)
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1972 USA Olympic track and field team
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track and road
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1976 USA Olympic track and field team
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