Athletics mourns the loss of a legend – Al Oerter dies

Monte-Carlo – Al Oerter (USA), who won gold medals in four straight Olympic Games in the Discus Throw, has died today. He was 71-years-old.

Oerter who had high blood pressure since he was young and struggled with heart problems, was brought to a hospital today where he died, reported the Associated Press agency.

His wife Cathy Oerter, said “He was a gentle giant. He was bigger than life.”

IAAF President Lamine Diack commented: “with the sad passing of Al Oerter, the sport of Athletics has lost one of its foremost heroes. He was a colossus of a man who towered over this event setting an impeccable example to the youth of his era and today. The global Athletics family mourns his loss.”

Alfred \’Al\‘ Adolph OERTER

The greatest athlete ever to compete in the men\’s Discus Throw, Al Oerter of the USA, participated in four Olympic Games, always as the underdog, and came out each time as the winner, having set an Olympic record in the event. A native of Astoria, NY, Oerter won his first gold medal in Melbourne in 1956, while he was a student at the University of Kansas, upsetting fellow American Fortune Gordien and establishing an Olympic record of 56.36m.

Four years later, at the Olympic Trials for the Rome Games, he suffered his first defeat in more than two years when he lost to Rink Babka. Yet at the Olympics themselves, he topped Babka with an Olympic record throw of 59.18m.

The drama continued at the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo, where Ludvik Danek of Czechoslovakia, who had won 45 straight competitions, was the favourite. Suffering from a disc injury and torn cartilage in his lower ribs, Oerter was given little chance of success. Yet on his fifth throw, after removing his neck harness, Oerter became the first thrower to win three consecutive gold medals, thanks to a mighty 61.00m heave.

Among Olympic gold medalists who gathered at the New York Athletic Club on October 11th, 2006 to honor Al Oerter were Otis Davis, Bob Beamon, Jenny Thompson, Pat McCormick, Horace Ashenfelter, Tom Courtney, Ray Lumpp, Charley Moore ands Ollan Cassell.

He won his fourth gold in 1968, throwing another Olympic record, 64.78m, which was also then his life-time best, and in doing so he again upset Danek, and World record holder Jay Silvester.

After retiring in 1968, he returned eight years later to challenge for the 1980 and 1984 Olympic teams. Incredibly, in 1980, he achieved his best-ever throw (69.46m), aged 43. Oerter was elected to the US Olympic Hall of Fame in 1983.

Throughout his career Oerter set 4 World records. In his recent life he had been an abstract painter having won several awards and has had numerous one man shows.

IAAF