Floyd Simmons

Floyd Simmons ( Floyd Macon Simmons, Jr., born April 10, 1923 in Charlotte, North Carolina, † April 1, 2008 ) was an American track and field athlete and two -time Olympic gold medalist in the decathlon.

Simmons attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. As a football player he acquired there the nickname " Chunk " (Eng.: chunks ). It became famous for versatile athlete, however, primarily as a decathlete. At the Olympic Games in London in 1948, he won the bronze medal with 6950 points behind compatriot Bob Mathias ( 7139 points) and the Frenchman Ignace Heinrich ( 6974 points). Four years later at the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki, he repeated his position with 6788 points. Bob Mathias towered above the competition with 7887 points and won again. Milt Campbell completed in second with 6975 points, the U.S. triple triumph.

After his performance sporting career Simmons played from 1956 some mostly minor roles in several Hollywood films, including the film version of the musical South Pacific (1958) and most recently the horror film The Gift of Evil ( 1963). During this time he became friends with the young Clint Eastwood. Later, Simmons settled in his hometown of Charlotte, where he worked as a photographer. He was also active as a Senior athlete until 2005.