George Rhoden facts for kids
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| Full name | George Vincent Rhoden | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 13 December 1926 Kingston, Jamaica |
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| Died | 24 August 2024 (aged 97) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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George Vincent Rhoden (born 13 December 1926 – died 24 August 2024) was a famous Jamaican athlete. He won two Olympic gold medals in 1952.
Contents
Early Life and Athletics Journey
George Rhoden was born in Kingston, Jamaica, on 13 December 1926. He later moved to San Francisco, California, in the United States. He became one of Jamaica's best long-distance sprinters. He ran alongside other great athletes like Arthur Wint and Herb McKenley.
Competing in the 1948 Olympics
George Rhoden took part in the 1948 Summer Olympics held in London. He competed in the 100-meter and 400-meter races. He did not win any medals at these Games. He was also part of Jamaica's 4 × 400-meter relay team. This team was expected to win a medal. However, his teammate Arthur Wint got injured during the final race. This meant their chance at a medal was lost.
Setting a World Record
On 22 August 1950, George Rhoden set a new world record in the 400-meter race. He achieved this amazing time of 45.8 seconds in Eskilstuna, Sweden. This showed how fast and talented he was.
College and National Wins
George Rhoden was a very successful college athlete. He won the AAU championships in the 400-meter race three times, from 1949 to 1951. While studying at Morgan State University, he also won several NCAA championships. He won the 220-yard race in 1951. He also won the 440-yard race from 1950 to 1952. He was also a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.
Olympic Glory in 1952
George Rhoden's biggest success came at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, Finland. As a world record holder, he was one of the top athletes expected to win.
Winning the 400-meter Race
In the 400-meter race, George Rhoden had a very close competition. He raced against his fellow Jamaican teammate, Herb McKenley. Rhoden managed to win the gold medal. McKenley had also finished second in the 400-meter race at the 1948 Olympics.
Relay Team Gold and New World Record
George Rhoden was the final runner, or "anchor," for the Jamaican 4 × 400-meter relay team. He helped his team win a second Olympic gold medal. They beat the United States team by a tiny amount, just one-tenth of a second. In this race, the Jamaican team also set a new world record with a time of 3 minutes and 3.9 seconds.
Later Life
George Rhoden passed away on 24 August 2024, at the age of 97. He is remembered as a true Olympic champion and a pioneer in Jamaican athletics.
See also
In Spanish: George Rhoden para niños
