Bill Green (sprinter)
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birth name | William Ernest Green | ||||||||||||||
| Nationality |  American | ||||||||||||||
| Born | May 10, 1961 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | ||||||||||||||
| Died | March 4, 2012 (aged 50) Spokane, Washington | ||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Weight | 175 lb (79 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||
| Sport | Running | ||||||||||||||
| Event | Sprints | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
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William Ernest Green (May 10, 1961 – March 4, 2012) was an American sprinter.[1]
Green came on the scene at Cubberley High School in Palo Alto, California.[2] As a junior, he won the 1978 CIF California State Meet in the 440 yard dash. The following year he won the 100 yard dash[3] while leading Cubberley team to its only CCS title,[4] just days before the high school was to close forever.[5] While technically still a high schooler, a few weeks later he took third overall at the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in 45.51, setting the National High School record in the 400 metres.[4] The record lasted two years until it was surpassed in the same meet by Darrell Robinson.[6] Three days later he found himself running in Europe with the big boys. That season culminated in him winning a gold medal with the United States 4x400 metres relay team at the World Cup.
Green then went to the University of Southern California. He still ranks #5 all time in the 400 metres and is tied for 10th in the 200 meters. He joined with James Sanford to be the core of the top relay teams of the 1980s.[7] In 1980 Green won the United States Olympic Trials (while not winning a single preliminary race), to qualify for the Olympic team that never participated, due to the 1980 Summer Olympics boycott.[8] He did however receive one of 461 Congressional Gold Medals created especially for the spurned athletes.[9]
References
[edit]- ^ "Profile". all-athletics.com. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved May 23, 2012.
- ^ "Bill Green was more than just a remarkable sprinter". Retrieved June 29, 2017.
- ^ "California State Meet Results - 1915 to present". Hank Lawson. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved December 25, 2012.
- ^ a b "Bill Green was more than just a remarkable sprinter". Palo Alto Online. Retrieved October 5, 2012.
- ^ "Bill Green Obituary: View Bill Green's Obituary by San Jose Mercury News". Legacy.com. May 1, 1961. Retrieved October 5, 2012.
- ^ Lawrence Journal-World - June 21, 1982 P7
- ^ "USC Men's Track and Field Top 10 List 4/30/05" (PDF). usctrackandfield.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 25, 2014. Retrieved October 5, 2012.
- ^ Hymans, Richard (2008). "The history of the United States Olympic Trails - Track & Field" (PDF). USA Track & Field.
- ^ Caroccioli, Tom; Caroccioli, Jerry (2008). Boycott: Stolen Dreams of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games. Highland Park, IL: New Chapter Press. pp. 243–253. ISBN 978-0942257403.
External links
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- 1961 births
- 2012 deaths
- American male sprinters
- Deaths from cancer in Washington (state)
- Track and field athletes from California
- Sportspeople from Pittsburgh
- Sportspeople from Palo Alto, California
- Congressional Gold Medal recipients
- NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships winners
- USC Trojans men's track and field athletes
- 20th-century American sportsmen
- American sprinter stubs