Olympic Track Field

Perhaps no sporting event has told more amazing stories than the Olympic Games. Great Moments in Olympic Track and Field tells the stories of surprise and dominance, of inspiration and determination, of persistence and overcoming adversity. Title includes colorful descriptions of memorable moments old and new, a list of great Olympians in track and field, Great Moment sidebars, and frequent subheads. Aligned to Common Core standards and correlated to state standards. SportsZone is an imprint of Abdo Publishing, a division of ABDO.

This book of interviews with Olympic track and field athletes highlights those whose lives have revealed courage, persistence and decency, both on and off the field. After their great careers ended, they went on to become authors, teachers, coaches, radio and television sports commentators, consultants, congressmen, actors, businessmen, military officers, social workers and ministers. Many continued in athletics long after their days as Olympians. The Olympic track and field athletes include Glenn Cunningham (middle distances), Lee Calhoun (high hurdles), Ken Doherty (decathlon), Dick Fosbury (high jump), Bruce Jenner (decathlon), Abel Kiviat (middle distances), Bob Mathias (decathlon), Al Oerter (discus throw), Bob Richards (pole vault), Wes Santee (middle distances), Jackson Scholz (sprints), Bill Toomey (decathlon), Forrest Towns (high hurdles), Craig Virgin (long distances), Archie Williams (long sprints), John Woodruff (middle distances), and Olympic coaches Payton Jordan and Berny Wagner. They talk about the influences in their lives that helped them develop their values, their first memories of competition and participation in their sport, their educational experiences, the problems they faced when they were active competitors, the problems athletes today face, and many other topics.

Most of the time sports are seen as the height of competition, but often they also bring people together in times of cultural, social, and political upheaval. Jesse Owens explores the way the Olympic track athlete served to bring Americans (and citizens around the world) together against a common enemy. Includes ties to 21st Century themes, as well as infographics, timelines, glossary, and index.

The inspiring story of Pauline Davis, a Bahamian sprinter who fought through poverty, inequality, and racism to compete in five Olympic Games and become the first woman from the Caribbean to win Olympic gold. She would inspire an entire nation and go on to become the first Black woman elected to the international governing body of athletics.

Meet some of history's greatest Olympic track and field athletes and explore their incredible careers.