Barney Ewell

Harold Norwood "Barney " Ewell ( born February 25, 1918 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, † April 4, 1996 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania) was an American track and field athlete and Olympic champion.

Mid-1930s, as a student at Pennsylvania State University until the early 1940s was Ewell 's strongest runners and an outstanding long jumper of the United States. He won twelve gold medals in the 100 and 200 meters at the national championships and eleven gold medals at national AAU championships 1939-1948. In the long jump in 1942 he reached a length of 7.42 m. 1941 to 1945 he served in the military and after his return, he finished his studies first. In 1948, he surprised the public by saying that he wanted to participate in the next Olympic Games. At the national AAU championships, which were the qualifiers for the Olympic team at the same time, he put together a world record 10.2 s over 100 meters.

At the XIV Summer Olympic Games in London in 1948 he won the silver medal in the 100 -meter run behind the American Harrison Dillard ( gold ) and before the Panamanians Lloyd LaBeach (Bronze ) and the silver medal in the 200 - meter dash, behind the American Mel Patton ( gold ) and before the Panamanians Lloyd LaBeach (bronze). In the 4 x 100 - meter relay, he won the team gold medal along with his teammates Lorenzo Wright, Harrison Dillard and Mel Patton, before the teams from Great Britain ( silver) and from Italy ( bronze).