Mac Wilkins facts for kids
Wilkins in 1976
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Maurice Malcolm 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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Maurice Malcolm "Mac" Wilkins, born on November 15, 1950, is an American athlete. He is famous for competing mainly in the discus throw. Mac was born in Eugene, Oregon. He finished high school in 1969 at Beaverton High School in Beaverton, Oregon.
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College Sports Career
Mac Wilkins was recruited by Bill Bowerman to the University of Oregon. As a 19-year-old freshman, he threw the javelin 78.43 meters (257 feet, 8 inches). Later, as a senior, he became the NCAA champion in the discus throw. He also won the first of his eight U.S. national championships in the discus. In 1994, he was honored by being added to the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame.
Olympic Games Achievements
Mac Wilkins competed for the United States in the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Canada. He won the gold medal in the discus throw. His winning throw was 67.59 meters (221 feet, 5 inches). He beat Wolfgang Schmidt from East Germany by about 1.2 meters (four feet).
Wilkins also qualified for the 1980 U.S. Olympic team. However, he could not compete because of the 1980 Summer Olympics boycott. Even so, he received a special Congressional Gold Medal. This medal was created for the athletes who missed out on the games.
At the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, Wilkins won a silver medal in the discus throw. He continued to compete and placed 5th in the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, Korea.
Setting World Records
Mac Wilkins broke the world record in the discus throw four times during his career. On May 1, 1976, in San Jose, California, he set three new world records in a row. His throws were 69.80 m, 70.24 m, and 70.86 m.
In both 1976 and 1980, Wilkins was ranked as the number one discus thrower in the world. In 1977, he also became the indoor national champion in the shot put. His throw was 21.06 meters (69 feet, 1.5 inches).
Coaching and Legacy
From 2006 to 2013, Mac Wilkins worked as a throws coach. He coached at Concordia University in Portland, Oregon. His athletes won 26 individual national championships. They also earned 94 All-American honors.
When Olympic champion Al Oerter passed away in 2007, Wilkins became the earliest surviving Olympic champion in men's discus. He is not the oldest living champion, as Viktor Rashchupkin, the 1980 champion, is slightly older. In August 2013, Wilkins left Concordia University. He then began coaching for USA Track & Field in Chula Vista, California.
Images for kids
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Olympic rings symbol
See also
