Thommi Smith American track and field athlete and American football player Date of Birth: 12.06.1944 Country: USA

1. Biography of Tommy Smith
2. Achievements in Track and Field
3. 1968 Olympics and Political Protest
4. Continued Activism and Success
5. Later Life and Legacy

Biography of Tommy Smith

Tommy Smith, born on June 6, 1944, in Clarksville, Texas, was an American track and field athlete and American football player. He was the seventh of twelve children of Richard and Dora Smith. As a child, he suffered from pneumonia but still managed to develop physically. Smith displayed his immense potential in school, setting numerous records in track and field, some of which still remain unbeaten. He was named the "Most Valuable Player" in high school basketball, football, and track and field. He was also elected vice president of his senior class. His achievements helped him earn a scholarship to San Jose State University in California.

Achievements in Track and Field

On May 7, 1966, Smith set a new world record in the 200m race on a cinder track with a time of 19.5 seconds. This record was only broken 44 years later by Tyson Gay on May 16, 2010. Smith also won the national collegiate 220-yard (201.17m) race in 1967 before becoming the first in the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) championships. He represented the United States at the 1967 Summer Universiade in Japan, where he won the gold medal in the 200m race. Smith qualified for the 1968 Olympics, but his achievement was not officially recognized due to his use of non-standard spikes during the race.

1968 Olympics and Political Protest

At the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, Smith faced a hamstring injury during the final of the 200m race. Despite a slow start, he caught up with his teammate John Carlos and surpassed him to win the race. Smith set a new world record with a time of 19.38 seconds. However, the most iconic moment came during the subsequent medal ceremony. In protest against racial discrimination, Smith and Carlos raised their fists wearing black gloves, representing the "Black Power" movement. They were booed and faced severe consequences, including being removed from the Olympic Village and expelled from the U.S. team. Smith and Carlos received physical threats following the protest.

Continued Activism and Success

Peter Norman, the silver medalist from Australia, showed solidarity by wearing an Olympic Project for Human Rights (OPHR) badge on the podium. Despite the controversy, Smith continued to excel in his track and field career, setting seven individual world records and contributing to relay records for San Jose State University. He was inducted into the American Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1978 and the California Black Sports Hall of Fame in 1996. In 1999, he received the "Sportsman of the Millennium" award.

Later Life and Legacy

Smith became a track and field coach at Oberlin College in Ohio, where he also taught sociology. He later taught at Santa Monica College in California. In February 2007, his autobiography, "Silent Gesture," co-written with David Steele, was published by Temple University Press.