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Categories: 1909 births | 1966 deaths | American track and field athletes | Olympic medalists | People from Arkansas
Bill Carr
William Arthur "Bill" Carr (October 24, 1909 – January 14, 1966) was an American athlete, a double Olympic champion in 1932.
Born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, Carr studied at the University of Pennsylvania, where he was coached by 1904 Olympian Lawson Robertson. Carr favourite events were the 440 y (or 400 m), the 880 y and the long jump, but he had never managed to win a major race until 1932. At the IC4A championships of that year, he caused an enormous upset by beating world record holder Ben Eastman in the 440 y. He repeated this feat some weeks later at the Olympic Trials.
Now Carr was a favourite for the 400 m gold at the 1932 Summer Olympics, which were held in Los Angeles. He cruised through the heats, as did Eastman. In the final, Eastman lead for most of the race, but with less than 100 m to go, Carr pulled up next to the Stanford athlete, and sprinted to victory in 46,2, a new world record, with Eastman taking the silver.
Bill Carr won another gold medal as a member of the American 4 x 400 m relay team, which did not include Eastman. The team nevertheless won easily, setting a new world record as well (3.08,2).
On March 17, 1933, Carr's athletic career was cut short when he was involved in a car accident. He broke both his ankles and his pelvis, and never competed again.
Carr died while on holiday in Tokyo, Japan.
Olympic medalists in athletics (men) | Olympic Champions in Men's 400 m |
Tom Burke | Maxey Long | Harry Hillman | Paul Pilgrim | Wyndham Halswelle | Charles Reidpath | Bevil Rudd | Eric Liddell | Ray Barbuti | Bill Carr | Archie Williams | Arthur Wint | George Rhoden | Charlie Jenkins | Otis Davis | Michael Larrabee | Lee Evans | Vincent Matthews | Alberto Juantorena | Viktor Markin | Alonzo Babers | Steve Lewis | Quincy Watts | Michael Johnson (twice) | Jeremy Wariner |
Olympic medalists in athletics (men) | Olympic Champions in Men's 4x400 m relay
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1912 United States Mel Sheppard, Edward Lindberg, Ted Meredith, Charles Reidpath 1920 Great Britain Cecil Griffiths, Robert Lindsay, John Ainsworth-Davies, Guy Butler 1924 United States Commodore Cochran, Alan Helffrich, Oliver MacDonald, William Stevenson 1928 United States George Baird, Emerson Spencer, Frederick Alderman, Ray Barbuti 1932 United States Ivan Fuqua, Edgar Ablowich, Karl Warner, Bill Carr 1936 Great Britain Frederick Wolff , Godfrey Rampling, William Roberts , Godfrey Brown 1948 United States Arthur Harnden , Clifford Bourland , Roy Cochran, Mal Whitfield 1952 Jamaica Arthur Wint, Leslie Laing , Herb McKenley , George Rhoden 1956 United States Charlie Jenkins, Louis Jones , James Mashburn , Tom Courtney 1960 United States Jack Yerman , Earl Young , Glenn Davis, Otis Davis 1964 United States Ollan Cassell , Michael Larrabee, Ulis Williams , Henry Carr 1968 United States Vincent Matthews, Ron Freeman , Larry James, Lee Evans 1972 Kenya Charles Asati , Hezahiah Nyamau , Robert Ouko , Julius Sang 1976 United States Herman Frazier , Benjamin Brown , Fred Newhouse , Maxie Parks |
Categories: 1909 births | 1966 deaths | American track and field athletes | Olympic medalists | People from Arkansas