Renaldo Nehemiah facts for kids
Nehemiah in 1981
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| Born | March 24, 1959 Newark, New Jersey, U.S. |
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Football career |
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| No. 83 | |||||||||||||||||
| Position: | Wide receiver | ||||||||||||||||
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| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 181 lb (82 kg) | ||||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||||
| High school: | Scotch Plains (NJ) Fanwood | ||||||||||||||||
| College: | Maryland | ||||||||||||||||
| Undrafted: | 1982 | ||||||||||||||||
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| Sport | |||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Athletics | ||||||||||||||||
| Event(s) | Sprint, hurdles | ||||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | |||||||||||||||||
| Personal best(s) | 100 m – 10.24 (1979) 200 m – 20.37 (1979) 110 mH – 12.93 (1981) |
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Medal record
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Renaldo Nehemiah, born on March 24, 1959, is a famous American athlete. He was a superstar in track and field, especially in the 110 m hurdles race. Renaldo was the best in the world for four years in a row and even held the world record! He was the first person ever to run the 110-meter hurdles in less than 13 seconds.
After his amazing track career, Renaldo also played professional football. He was a wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers in the National Football League (NFL) from 1982 to 1985. He then went back to track and field from 1986 to 1991. Today, he works in sports management, helping other athletes.
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Renaldo's Track and Field Journey
Renaldo Nehemiah was so fast as a baby that his family nicknamed him "Skeets." This name stuck with him! In 1977, he became the national junior champion. This was the same year he finished high school at Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School in Scotch Plains, New Jersey.
Renaldo was incredibly fast in high school. He ran the 110-meter hurdles in 12.9 seconds and the 300-meter hurdles in 35.8 seconds. He was so much faster than others that his coach made him practice over taller hurdles. Track and Field News magazine even named him "High School Athlete of the Year" in 1977.
After high school, Renaldo went to the University of Maryland. There, he won three big titles from the NCAA. This included the 1978-79 NCAA Indoor Championships.
Breaking World Records
Renaldo's second year at the University of Maryland was a huge success. He broke the world record for the 110-meter hurdles twice in just two weeks! First, he ran it in 13.16 seconds, then in an amazing 13.00 seconds. He won gold medals at the 1979 IAAF World Cup and the Pan-American Games. He also won his second of four U.S. national titles.
At the 1979 Penn Relays, Renaldo was a key runner for the University of Maryland. He helped his team win in several relay races. He even ran a very fast 400-meter part of a relay race. He later said that he pushed himself harder and harder as the crowd cheered louder. He felt a lot of pain but kept going to win. After that, he decided he would never run another 400-meter race!
Missing the Olympics
Renaldo was expected to win the 110-meter hurdles at the 1980 Summer Olympics. However, he could not compete because 65 countries, including the U.S., boycotted the Games. Even though he couldn't compete, Renaldo received a special Congressional Gold Medal.
In 1981, at a meeting in Zürich, Switzerland, Renaldo made history. He broke the world record for the 110-meter hurdles again. He became the first person ever to run the race in less than 13 seconds! His time was 12.93 seconds. Renaldo later said that his race wasn't perfect. He started too fast but was determined to win. He knew he was technically better at hurdling, which helped him stay ahead.
Renaldo's World Records in Track
Renaldo Nehemiah set several world records during his track career. Here are some of his amazing achievements:
| No. | Event | Time | Date | Year | Place |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 50 m H | 6.36 | Feb 3 | 1979 | Edmonton |
| 2. | 55 m H | 6.89 | Jan 20 | 1979 | New York |
| 3. | 110 m H | 13.16 | Apr 14 | 1979 | San Jose |
| 4. | 110 m H | 13.00 | May 6 | 1979 | Westwood |
| 5. | 50 yd H | 5.98 | Feb 13 | 1981 | Toronto |
| 6. | 110 m H | 12.93 | Aug 19 | 1981 | Zurich |
| 7. | 50 yd H | 5.92 | Jan 29 | 1982 | Toronto |
| 8. | 60 yd H | 6.82 | Jan 30 | 1982 | Dallas |
Pat Connolly, a famous coach, helped Renaldo return to track after he played football. She believed that if Renaldo had focused only on track, he could have achieved even more. She even thought he could have run the 100-meter race in under 9.9 seconds! She also believed he might have been great at the 400-meter hurdles.
Track Records Held by Renaldo
As of September 15, 2024, Renaldo Nehemiah still holds these track records for the 110-meter hurdles in different locations:
| Location | Time | Windspeed m/s |
Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bern | 13.20 | + 1.3 | 29/08/1979 | |
| Champaign, IL. | 12.91 | + 3.5 | 01/06/1979 | |
| Düsseldorf | 13.40 | + 0.2 | 06/07/1978 | |
| Koblenz | 13.04 | 0.0 | 26/08/1981 | |
| San Juan | 13.20 | + 2.0 | 11/07/1979 | |
| Syracuse | 13.00 | + 3.5 | 26/07/1981 | |
| Västerås | 13.40 | + 0.5 | 26/06/1979 | |
| Viareggio | 13.31 | – 0.4 | 05/08/1981 | |
| Walnut, CA. | 13.19 | + 1.5 | 16/06/1979 | |
| Westwood, CA. | 13.00 | + 0.9 | 06/05/1979 | This was the world record for eight years. |
Renaldo's Football Career
Even though Renaldo never played football in college, he tried out for several NFL teams in 1982. He ended up signing with the San Francisco 49ers. He played as a wide receiver for three years. During that time, he caught 43 passes for 754 yards and scored four touchdowns.
In 1985, the 49ers drafted another great player, Jerry Rice. This meant Renaldo was no longer needed by the team. So, he decided to go back to his first love: track and field, in 1986.
The Superstars Competition
Renaldo Nehemiah was also a four-time winner of The Superstars. This was a TV show where athletes from different sports competed in various events, like a decathlon. Renaldo won the competition in 1981, 1982, 1983, and 1986.
Working in Sports Management
After retiring from competing, Renaldo Nehemiah started working in sports management. He is part of a company called Athletics Managers. This company helps athletes with their careers and marketing. Renaldo has represented many famous athletes, including Justin Gatlin, Sha'Carri Richardson, and Olympic gold medalist Kirani James.
