Rudolph, Wilma

Rudolph, Wilma

▪ American athlete
in full  Wilma Glodean Rudolph 
born June 23, 1940, St. Bethlehem, near Clarksville, Tennessee, U.S.
died November 12, 1994, Brentwood, Tennessee
  American sprinter, the first American woman to win three track-and-field gold medals in a single Olympics.

      Rudolph was sickly as a child and could not walk without an orthopedic shoe until she was 11 years old. Her determination to compete, however, made her a star basketball player and sprinter during high school in Clarksville, Tennessee. She attended Tennessee State University from 1957 to 1961. At age 16 she competed in the 1956 Olympic Games at Melbourne, Australia, winning a bronze medal in the 4 × 100-metre relay race. In 1960, before the Olympic Games at Rome, she set a world record of 22.9 seconds for the 200-metre race. In the Games themselves she won gold medals in the 100-metre dash (tying the world record: 11.3 seconds), in the 200-metre dash, and as a member of the 4 × 100-metre relay team, which had set a world record of 44.4 seconds in a semifinal race. She was Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) 100-yard-dash champion (1959–62).

      Her strikingly fluid style made Rudolph a particular favourite with spectators and journalists. She won the AAU's 1961 Sullivan Award as the year's outstanding amateur athlete. After retiring as a runner, Rudolph was an assistant director for a youth foundation in Chicago during the 1960s to develop girls' track-and-field teams, and thereafter she promoted running nationally. She was named to the National Track & Field Hall of Fame in 1974, the International Sports Hall of Fame in 1980, and the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame in 1983, in the first group of inductees. Her autobiography, Wilma, was published in 1977.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Rudolph, Wilma Glodean — ▪ 1995       U.S. runner (b. June 23, 1940, Clarksville, Tenn. d. Nov. 12, 1994, Brentwood, Tenn.), was a phenomenal sprinter who overcame crippling childhood illnesses to become the first American woman to capture three track and field gold… …   Universalium

  • Rudolph, Wilma (Glodean) — born June 23, 1940, St. Bethlehem, Tenn., U.S. died Nov. 12, 1994, Brentwood, Tenn. U.S. sprinter. She was a sickly child who wore an orthopedic shoe until she was 11. She matured into an excellent basketball player and sprinter in high school… …   Universalium

  • Rudolph, Wilma (Glodean) — (23 jun. 1940, St. Bethlehem, Tenn., EE.UU.–12 nov. 1994, Brentwood, Tenn.). Velocista estadounidense. Hasta los 11 años fue una niña enfermiza que usaba un zapato ortopédico. Después se convirtió en una excelente basquetbolista y velocista en la …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Rudolph,Wilma Glodean — Ru·dolph (ro͞oʹdŏlf), Wilma Glodean. 1940 1994. American athlete who won gold medals in the 1960 Olympics in the 100 meter dash, 200 meter dash, and 400 meter relay race. * * * …   Universalium

  • Wilma Rudolph — beim Zieleinlauf bei einem Wettkampf im Madison Square Garden, 1961 Wilma Rudolph (Wilma Glodean Rudolph; * 23. Juni 1940 in Saint Bethlehem, Tennessee; † 12. November 1994 in Brentwood, Tennessee) war eine US amerikanische Leichtathletin und… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Wilma Rudolph — Atletismo femenino Juegos Olímpicos Oro …   Wikipedia Español

  • Rudolph — Rudolph, Paul * * * (as used in expressions) Camerarius, Rudolph (Jacob) Rudolph Camerer Gerald Rudolph Ford, Jr. Giuliani, Rudolph W(illiam) Marcus, Rudolph A. Quinn, Anthony (Rudolph Oaxaca) Rudolph, Wilma (Glodean) Wurlitzer, (Franz) Rudolph …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Rudolph — /rooh dolf/, n. 1. Paul (Marvin), 1918 97, U.S. architect. 2. Wilma (Glodean) /gloh dee euhn/, born 1940, U.S. track and field athlete. 3. a male given name, form of Rolf. * * * (as used in expressions) Camerarius Rudolph Jacob Rudolph Camerer… …   Universalium

  • Wilma Rudolph — Wilma Glodean Rudolph (June 23, 1940 ndash; November 12, 1994) was an American athlete, and in the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, Italy, she became the first American woman to win three gold medals in track and field during a single Olympic Games …   Wikipedia

  • Wilma RUDOLPH — Discipline(s) 100, 200 mètres, relais 4 x 100 mètres …   Wikipédia en Français

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