James Butts

James Butts ( James Aaron Butts, born May 9, 1950 in South Los Angeles ) is a retired American triple jumper.

He was starting for the University of California, Los Angeles NCAA champion in 1972.

In 1976 he won at the U.S. elimination fights for the Olympic Games in Montreal. There he won with 17,18 m silver medal behind Viktor Sanejew from the Soviet Union ( 17.29 m ) and before the Brazilian João Carlos de Oliveira ( 16.90 m).

At the Pan American Games in 1979 in San Juan, he won bronze.

In 1978 he was U.S. champion, 1976 and 1977 U.S. runner-up.

His personal best of 17.24 meters he set up in Helsinki on 29 June 1978.