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 Wyomia Tyus
was the first Olympic athlete ever to successfully defend her
sprint title in a subsequent Olympiad.
At the 1964 games in Tokyo, Tyus ran the 100-meter dash in
11.2 seconds in the preliminary heats, tying Wilma Rudolph's
world record, and went on to win the gold medal. That year she
also was a member of the American 4 x lOO-meter relay team,
which won a silver medal.
In 1965 and 1966, Tyus took the outdoor 100-meter AAU
championship. In 1966, she also won the 220-yard dash.
Indoors, she won the 60-meter dash three years in a row
(1965-1967), setting new world records each time.
At the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, Tyus again took the
gold in the 100-meter dash and again set a new world record.
That year, she also anchored the gold medal-winning 4 x 100
meter relay team, again setting a new world record time.
Today, Tyus lives in Los Angeles, where she
has worked as a teacher, public relations specialist and TV
commentator for track events. Additionally, she works with the
U.S. Olympic Committee and the Black Studies Center at UCLA.
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