John Carlos
John Carlos ( born June 5, 1945 in Harlem, New York City ) is a former American track and field athlete and Olympian.
In the XIX. Summer Olympics 1968 in Mexico City, he won the bronze medal in the 200 -meter run behind the Americans Tommie Smith and Australian Peter Norman. However, even the awards ceremony, 16 October 1968, Carlos and his team-mate Smith from the Olympic committee of the USA were on the day dismissed and asked to leave the Olympic Village, as both during the presentation ceremony the schwarzbehandschuhte thumb extended upward, the former symbol of African-American civil rights movement, black power, which was directed against the discrimination of the African American population. Also, the Australian Peter Norman, an avowed opponent of the White Australia Policy, had worn a Solidarity badge.
His personal best of 19.92 s (at the Olympic excretion 1968) was never recognized because it has been achieved with so-called brush shoes. 1969 was his most successful athletic year. He set at 9.1 s a new world record over 100 yards on, won the 220 yards at the AAU Championships and won the NCAA Championships with victories over the 100 - and 220 yards and a member of the 4 x 110 yards relay. Also he won gold at the Pan American Games in 1967 in Winnipeg, Canada in the 200 -meter run, and put the indoor championships a new world record in the 60 and 220 yards on. In his other sporting career he became a professional football player for the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFL, but where his one-year contract was not renewed due to a knee injury. Then he played in the Canadian Football League for the Montreal Alouettes and the Toronto Argonauts.
After he separated from football, he worked for the sports goods manufacturer Puma, for the National Olympic Committee of the United States and for the city of Los Angeles. In 1985 he was consultant in school athletics questions and coach at the high school in Palm Springs, California. 2003 Carlos was inducted into the National Athletics Hall of Fame.
On 3 October 2006, the Australian sprinter Peter Norman died at the age of 64 years. Smith and Carlos were among his pallbearers.