John Taylor (athlete)

John Taylor ( John Baxter Taylor, born November 11, 1882 in Washington, DC; † December 2, 1908 in Philadelphia ) was an American athlete who was successful as a runner over 440 y at the beginning of the 20th century. He was the first African-American athlete who won an Olympic gold medal.

The launching of the Penn track team Taylor won four times at American championships:

• AAU: 1907 ( 51.0 s )
• IC4A: 1904 ( 49.2 s ), 1907 ( 48.8 s ), and 1908 ( 52.2 s )

He participated in the Olympic Games in London 1908. After about 400 meters the flow at 50.8 s and the intermediate run with 49.8 obtained in the individual race s, he was in the finals, where three Americans and the British Wyndham neck shaft participated, Fourth and Last. Since he was under awaiting a second chance: The race was for breaking a rule - John Carpenter had the British deliberately trying to push from the web - canceled and scheduled a repeat. In protest against the disqualification Carpenters However, both Taylor and the three Americans, William Robbins came to the repeat race no longer and left neck shaft without a fight the gold medal.

To keep the game Taylor had not yet been terminated because he was nominated along with William Hamilton, Nate Cartmell and Mel Sheppard for the London discharged only at the Games Olympic relay (200 m/200 m/400 m/800 m). Taylor graduated as the third leg of the 400 meter distance, with its direct competitor of the German Otto Trieloff was. The team won in 3:29,4 min before Germany in 3:32,4 min and Hungary in 3:32,5 min.

In Olympic 1908 Taylor joined the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, graduated from veterinary medicine. However, he was never able to practice his profession: Shortly after his return from London, he died of typhoid fever.