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Wyomia Tyus Bio

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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