Mac Wilkins facts for kids
Wilkins in 1976
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Mac Maurice Wilkins | |||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality | American | |||||||||||||||||||
| Born | November 15, 1950 (age 74) Eugene, Oregon, U.S. |
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| Height | 1.93 m | |||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 115 kg | |||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Country |  United States |
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| Sport | athletics | |||||||||||||||||||
| Event(s) | Discus throw, shot put, hammer throw, javelin throw | |||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Pacific Coast Club, Long Beach Athletics West, Eugene Oregon Ducks, Eugene |
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| Achievements and titles | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal best(s) | DT – 70.98 m (1980) SP – 21.06 m (1977) HT – 63.65 m (1977) JT – 78.43 m (1970) |
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Medal record
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Mac Maurice Wilkins, born on November 15, 1950, is a famous American athlete. He is best known for his amazing skills in the discus throw. Mac grew up in Eugene, Oregon, and finished high school in Beaverton, Oregon, in 1969.
Contents
College Sports Career
Mac Wilkins was a talented athlete from a young age. He was recruited by Bill Bowerman, a famous distance running coach, to join the University of Oregon. When he was just 19 years old, Mac showed his strength by throwing the javelin about 78.5 meters (257 feet, 8 inches).
Later, as a senior in college, he became the NCAA champion in the discus throw. This was the first of eight national championships he would win in the discus. In 1994, Mac Wilkins was honored for his achievements by being inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame.
Olympic Games Achievements
Mac Wilkins represented the United States in the 1976 Summer Olympics held in Montreal, Canada. He competed in the discus throw and won the gold medal. His winning throw was 67.59 meters (221 feet, 5 inches), beating Wolfgang Schmidt from East Germany.
Wilkins also qualified for the 1980 U.S. Olympic team. However, he could not compete because the United States boycotted the 1980 Summer Olympics. Even though he didn't get to compete, he received a special Congressional Gold Medal created for the athletes who missed the games.
He continued his Olympic journey, winning a silver medal in the discus throw at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Four years later, he competed in the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, Korea, where he finished in 5th place.
Setting World Records
Mac Wilkins was a record-breaker! He set new world records four times during his career. On May 1, 1976, in San Jose, California, he had an incredible day. He broke the world record three times in a row with throws of 69.80 meters, 70.24 meters, and 70.86 meters.
Because of his amazing performances, Wilkins was ranked as the number one discus thrower in the world in both 1976 and 1980. In 1977, he also became the indoor national champion in the shot put, with a throw of 21.07 meters (69 feet, 1.5 inches).
Coaching Career
After his competitive career, Mac Wilkins became a coach. From 2006 to 2013, he was the throws coach at Concordia University in Portland, Oregon. Under his guidance, his throwers achieved great success. They won 26 individual national championships and earned 94 All-American honors.
When fellow Olympic champion Al Oerter passed away in 2007, Mac Wilkins became the earliest surviving Olympic champion in the men's discus. In August 2013, he left Concordia University to coach for USA Track & Field in Chula Vista, California.
See also
In Spanish: Mac Wilkins para niños
