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May 18, 2024 · Wilma Rudolph (born June 23, 1940, St. Bethlehem, near Clarksville, Tennessee, U.S.—died November 12, 1994, Brentwood, Tennessee) was an American sprinter, the first American woman to win three track-and-field gold medals in a single Olympics. Rudolph was inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame in 1983.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Apr 10, 2024 · Learn about the life and achievements of Wilma Rudolph, the first American woman to win three gold medals in track and field at a single Olympics. Overcome polio, pneumonia and scarlet fever as a child, she became a world-class sprinter and a source of inspiration for generations of athletes.
- editor@biography.com
- Staff Editorial Team And Contributors
Wilma Glodean Rudolph (June 23, 1940 – November 12, 1994) was an American sprinter who overcame childhood polio and went on to become a world-record-holding Olympic champion and international sports icon in track and field following her successes in the 1956 and 1960 Olympic Games.
- Wilma Rudolph Faced Poverty and Polio as A Child.
- Wilma Rudolph Originally Wanted to Play Basketball.
- Wilma Rudolph Made Her Olympic Debut as A teenager.
- Muhammad Ali Had A Crush on Wilma Rudolph.
- Wilma Rudolph Held Three World Records When She Retired.
- Wilma Rudolph Visited West African Countries as A Goodwill Ambassador.
- Denzel Washington Made His TV Debut in A Movie About Wilma Rudolph.
- Schools, Stamps, and Statues Commemorate Wilma Rudolph’s Legacy.
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When Rudolph was born prematurely on June 23, 1940, in Clarksville, Tennessee, she weighed just 4.5 pounds. Olympic dreams seemed impossible for Rudolph, whose impoverished family included 21 other siblings. Among other maladies, she had measles, mumps, and pneumonia by age 4. Most devastatingly, polio twisted her left leg, and she wore leg braces ...
At Clarksville’s Burt High School, Rudolph flourished on the basketball court. Nearly 6 feet tall, she studied the game, and ran track to keep in shape. However, while competing in the state basketball championship in Nashville, the 14-year-old speedster met a referee named Ed Temple, who doubled as the acclaimed coach of the Tennessee State Tigerb...
Rudolph hit the limelight at 16, earning a bronze medal in the 4 x 100-meter relay at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia. But that didn’t compare to the media hypewhen she won three gold medals in 1960. French journalists called her “The Black Pearl,” the Italian press hailed “The Black Gazelle,” and in America, Rudolph was “The Torna...
Ali—known as Cassius Clay when he won the 1960 Olympic light heavyweight boxing title—befriended Rudolph in Rome. That fall, the 18-year-old boxer invited Rudolph to his native Louisville, Kentucky. He drove her aroundin a pink Cadillac convertible.
Rudolph chose to go out on top and retired in 1962 at just 22 years old. Her 100-meter (11.2 seconds), 200-meter (22.9 seconds), and 4 x 100-meter relay(44.3 seconds) world records all lasted several years.
The U.S. State Department sent Rudolph to the 1963 Friendship Games in Dakar, Senegal. According to Penn State professor Amira Rose Davis, while there, Rudolph independently metwith future Ghanaian president Kwame Nkrumah’s Young Pioneers, a nationalist youth movement. She visited Mali, Guinea, and the Republic of Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso) as ...
Before his Oscar-winning performances in Glory (1989) and Training Day (2001), a 22-year-old Denzel Washington portrayed Robert Eldridge, Rudolph’s second husband, in Wilma(1977). The film also starred Cicely Tyson as Rudolph’s mother Blanche.
Berlin, Germany, has a high school named after Rudolph. Clarksville features a bronze statueby the Cumberland River, the 1000-capacity Wilma Rudolph Event Center, and Wilma Rudolph Boulevard. In Tennessee, June 23 is Wilma Rudolph Day. A version of this story originally ran in 2020; it has been updated for 2023.
Learn about the life and achievements of Wilma Rudolph, the first American woman to win three gold medals at one Olympics in 1960. Discover how she overcame polio, racism, and fame to become a track legend and a goodwill ambassador.
Wilma Rudolph overcame polio and scarlet fever to become the fastest woman in the world and win three gold medals in track and field. She also used her platform to fight for social justice and inspire future generations of athletes.
Wilma Rudolph overcame polio, segregation and injury to win three gold medals at the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome. She became a global sporting star and a role model for women's and civil rights, refusing to attend a segregated home-coming celebration.
1 B. Games Participations 2. First Olympic Games Melbourne 1956. Year of Birth 1940. Olympic Results. Biography. As a child, Wilma Rudolph overcame polio to become an Olympic sprint champion. This made her an American icon and a role model. Childhood illnesses. Wilma Rudolph was the 20th of 22 children.
