Alonzo Babers

Alonzo C. Babers ( born October 30, 1961 in Montgomery, Alabama ) is a former American track and field athlete and Olympic champion.

Life

Baber was from 1979 coached at the United States Air Force Academy, where he played football and a season for athletics until 1983. His best time was in 1982 at 45.9 s in the 400 -meter run. It increased in 1983 to a best time of 45.07 s, but at the World Championships in Helsinki he could reach only a sixth place with the team in the 4 x 400 - meter relay. Baber improved his time on and in the U.S. qualification races for the Olympics he reached the semi-finals, a new personal best of 44.95 s Later, in the final stretch he has again improved to 44.75 s and he qualified for the Olympic team.

At the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, he ran 44.75 s in the quarter-finals and won the gold medal in a time of 44.27 s, before the as Cote d' Ivoire Gabriel Tiacoh ( silver ) and the American Antonio McKay ( bronze). He also won the team gold medal in the 4 x 400 - meter relay, along with his teammates Sunder Nix, Ray Armstead and Antonio McKay, before the teams from Great Britain ( silver ) and Nigeria ( Bronze).

Even while training for the Olympic Games Baber was promoted to Second Lieutenant in the United States Air Force. A month after his double gold medal he was given the opportunity to attend a flight school. He gave up the sport and began his career as a pilot, and remained in the U.S. Air Force until 1991. Today he is a member of the reserve. Since 1992 he is flying in civil aviation for United Airlines.