RIP-U.S. Olympian and Two-Time Gold Medalist Bob Mathias Passes Away

A great Olympian, one who did not need any drugs to win a medal.



U.S. Olympian and Two-Time Gold Medalist Bob Mathias Passes Away

by Jeff Howard - U.S. Olympic Committee (719-866-2501)

For Immediate Release
September 2, 2006

U.S. Olympian and Two-Time Gold Medalist Bob Mathias Passes Away

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The United States Olympic Committee learned
earlier today of the passing of Olympic champion Bob Mathias. He was a
two-time Olympic gold medalist, competing in the sport of decathlon at
the 1948 and 1952 Olympic Games. Mathias passed away today at his home
in Fresno, Calif., at the age of 75.


Mathias' positive impact on the Olympic Movement started at the 1948
Olympic Games in London, England, where at the age of 17 he became the
youngest Olympic gold medalist in a track and field event. Mathias'
feat was even more remarkable and legendary considering that it was
only his third decathlon competition, having qualified for the Olympic
Games by winning two earlier events in the United States. Mathias
cemented his Olympic legacy four years later at the 1952 Olympic Games
in Helsinki, Finland. He again took gold in the decathlon, becoming the
first athlete to repeat as Olympic champion in the event.


An incredible athlete, Mathias played full-back in Stanford
University's Rose Bowl appearance just a few months before the 1952
Games. He was drafted by the Washington Red Skins, but never signed.
Mathias also won the 1948 Sullivan Award as the nation's top amateur
athlete.

Mathias transitioned from Olympic and collegiate sport to the political
arena, serving as a U.S. Congressman from 1967-1974. He served four
terms on Capitol Hill, representing the state of California.

Following his political career, Mathias returned to the U.S. Olympic
Movement and served as the first director of the U.S. Olympic Training
Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The site he managed in Colorado
Springs is the headquarters for the U.S. Olympic Committee, and his
legacy has helped spawn two additional Olympic Training Centers and
numerous Olympic Training sites.

Mathias is a member of the U.S. Olympic and National Track and Field
Halls of Fame. He received numerous awards in his lifetime, as a
pioneer and inspiration both on and off the fields of play.

Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 6, at the
Tulare United Methodist Church in Tulare, Calif., with graveside
services to follow at Tulare District Cemetery.