Mamie Rallins facts for kids
Ralph Boston and Mamie Rallins at the 1972 Olympics
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Quick facts for kids Personal information |
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| Born | July 8, 1941 Chicago, U.S. |
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| Died | May 16, 2016 (aged 74) | ||||||||||
| Height | 168 cm | ||||||||||
| Weight | 61 kg | ||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||
| Sport | Athletics | ||||||||||
| Event(s) | Sprint, hurdles | ||||||||||
| Club | TSU Tigers, Nashville | ||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | |||||||||||
| Personal best(s) | 100 m – 12.1 (1968) 200 m – 24.4 (1972) 80 mH – 10.69 (1968) 100 mH – 13.2 (1972) |
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Medal record
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Mamie Annette Rallins (July 8, 1941 – May 16, 2016) was an American hurdler. She was a talented athlete who ran in the 1968 and 1972 Summer Olympics. After her running career, she became a successful coach for many future Olympians.
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Mamie Rallins' Early Life
Mamie Rallins started running track when she was 15 years old. In the 1950s, high schools often did not have track and field teams. So, she joined a track club instead. She later ran for the Mayor Daley Youth Foundation in Chicago.
Mamie quickly realized that running was more than just a fun hobby. She knew it would be a big part of her future. She graduated from Tennessee State University in 1976. There, she joined their track and field team and started running hurdles.
She also became part of the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU). With the AAU, she won four outdoor high hurdle championships. She won the 80-meter high hurdles in 1967 and 1968. She also won the 100-meter hurdles in 1970 and 1972. In 1967, Mamie won a silver medal in the 80-meter hurdles at the Pan American Games.
Mamie Rallins at the 1968 Olympics
The United States had a very strong women's track and field team at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. Many people thought it was the best team the U.S. had ever had. Mamie Rallins and her teammates were coached by Ed Temple.
This was Mamie's first time competing in the Olympics. She was 27 years old. She ran in the 80-meter hurdles event. Mamie won her first race, called a heat, finishing in 10.6 seconds. In the next round, the semi-finals, she placed fifth with a time of 10.7 seconds.
Sports Illustrated magazine wrote about Mamie during these Olympics. They described her as someone who always handled hurdles well, even though she looked small. They noted how she would start quickly and pass other runners easily. Even though she came in fifth in the 80-meter hurdles, she was ranked the top hurdler in the world in 1969.
Mamie Rallins at the 1972 Olympics
Mamie Rallins also competed in the 1972 Munich, Germany, Olympics. She was 31 years old this time. She ran the 100-meter hurdles for the United States. In the first round, she finished third with a time of 13.51 seconds.
In the semi-finals, her time was 13.75 seconds, putting her in seventh place. She just barely missed making it to the finals. She lost by only one-thousandth of a second in a photo-finish! Mamie later said that her starting blocks didn't work, and she couldn't hear the commands. This made her start late, and she couldn't catch up at the finish line.
Even though this was very disappointing, Mamie stayed involved with the Olympics. She went on to coach many athletes who would later compete in the Olympics themselves.
Mamie Rallins' Coaching Career
Mamie Rallins was just as successful as a coach as she was a runner. She coached at both national and international levels. In 1987, she was the head coach of the U.S. Indoor World Championship team.
She also worked as an assistant coach for the USA Olympic Games in 1996. She was an assistant coach for the World University Games in 1995 and 1979. She also coached at a USA vs. USSR Meet in 1981.
Mamie was the Head Coach for the Women's Track and Field and Cross Country team at Ohio State University. She held this position for 18 years, from 1976 to 1994. She was also the first Black woman to ever coach at Ohio State University. During her time there, she coached 60 Big Ten champions. She also coached 24 All-Americans, nine Olympic trial qualifiers, and one Olympian. She also served as an assistant athletic director for three years.
After coaching at Ohio State University, she became the Olympic head manager for the USA women's track team in 2000. This was for the Olympics held in Sydney, Australia. Mamie Rallins passed away on May 16, 2016, after a car accident in Fremont, Ohio.
