Forrest Towns facts for kids
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Quick facts for kids Personal information |
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| Born | February 6, 1914 Fitzgerald, Georgia, U.S. |
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| Died | April 9, 1991 (aged 77) Athens, Georgia, U.S. |
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| Height | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||||||||||
| Weight | 75 kg (165 lb) | ||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||
| Sport | Athletics | ||||||||||
| Event(s) | 110 m hurdles | ||||||||||
| Club | Georgia Bulldogs, Athens | ||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | |||||||||||
| Personal best(s) | 110 mH – 13.7 (1936) | ||||||||||
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Medal record
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Forrest Grady "Spec" Towns was an amazing American track and field athlete. He was born on February 6, 1914, and passed away on April 9, 1991. Spec Towns became an Olympic champion in 1936, winning the 110-meter hurdles race. He also broke the world record for this event three times!
Early Life and College
Forrest Towns was born in Fitzgerald, Georgia. He grew up in Augusta, Georgia, where he played football in high school. In 1933, he received a football scholarship to the University of Georgia (UGA). This happened after a sports journalist saw him high jumping in his backyard!
Instead of high jumping, Towns became a specialist in the high hurdles. He won important titles in the 120-yard hurdles event in 1935. These wins were from the NCAA and the AAU. This was the start of an amazing winning streak of 60 races. His winning streak lasted until 1937.
Olympic Gold and World Records
In 1936, Spec Towns was chosen for the American Olympic team. He was the first person from Georgia to achieve this honor. During the Olympics in Berlin, Germany, Towns set a new world record of 14.1 seconds. He then won the Olympic gold medal in 14.2 seconds. He was also the first Georgian to win an Olympic gold medal.
Soon after the Olympic Games, he became the first hurdler to finish the race in under 14 seconds. At a race in Oslo, he made the world record even better. He ran the race in an incredible 13.7 seconds. This record stood for a very long time, until 1950!
After His Racing Career
After finishing college, Towns became the head track and field coach at the University of Georgia. This was his old college, also known as his alma mater. He held this important coaching position until 1975.
Spec Towns passed away from a heart attack in Athens, Georgia, in 1991. He was 77 years old. The University of Georgia honored him by naming their track the Spec Towns Track. They also hold an annual track meet called the Spec Towns Invitational.
In 1970, Spec Towns was the official starter for the very first Peachtree Road Race. This famous race takes place every year on July 4th.
