Otis Davis

Otis Davis ( Otis Crandall Davis, born July 12, 1932 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama ) is a former American sprinter and Olympic gold medalist.

Davis was initially active as a basketball player. Only at the age of 26 years, as a student at the University of Oregon in Eugene, he started running training over 400 meters.

Two years later he was in top form and won at the Summer Olympic Games in Rome in 1960 the gold medal in the 400 -meter run, before the same time the German Carl Kaufmann ( silver) and the South African Malcolm Spence (bronze). With this run he was the first man under 45 seconds, and presented with 44.9 seconds set a new world record. In the 4 x 400 - meter relay team, he won together with his teammates Jack Yerman, Earl Young and Glenn Davis, the team gold medal for the teams from Germany ( silver ), and British West Indies ( bronze).

Currently, Otis Davis is president of the Tri - States Olympic Alumni Association, whose founders he belonged.