Discover the legends of athletics in our monthly feature On the Shoulders of Giants.
Wilma Rudolph
The 1960 Olympic Games in Rome were the first to be televised in the United States and through the snowy black and white pictures a shining star emerged. This star was a young Tennessee athlete named Wilma Rudolph who would win the hearts and minds of her nation with a series of blistering performances on the track.
Wilma Rudolph’s story reads like the script of a far-fetched Hollywood movie. Born prematurely as the 20th of 22 children, Rudolph suffered with ill health throughout her early years. At the age of 5, she contracted infantile paralysis caused by polio and lost the use of her left leg. Despite a prognosis from her doctor that she would never walk again, her family were defiant. Her mother escorted her on weekly 50 mile round trips to get specialist care while her many siblings took turns at administering basic massage at least 4 times a day. By the time she was 12 years old, Rudolph was walking unaided and soon after was beginning to showcase her sporting prowess. It was while breaking records on the basketball court for her high school, that Rudolph was spotted by the legendary track coach Ed Temple and thus began her incredible journey. Rudolph was nicknamed ‘skeeter’ in high school because of the speed at which she moved. Even competing against the world’s best at the Stadio Olympico in 1960, she appears to move effortlessly, and at a completely different speed to her competitors.
The 1960 Olympics were not Rudolph’s first, at the age of 16, she qualified for the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne. Rudolph competed in the 200m but was eliminated in the early rounds. However, as part of the 4 x 100m US relay team she secured a Bronze medal. Quite incredible to think that in 4 years, Rudolph had gone from being unable to walk to running at an Olympics and winning a Bronze medal.
Shortly after returning from the 1956 Olympics, Wilma Rudolph became pregnant with her first child Yolanda. Coach Ed Temple had a strict code of conduct for his track team and his rules excluded mothers from participating. Temple made an exception for Rudolph but only on the condition she did not have contact with her daughter or boyfriend. Yolanda was sent to live with Rudolph’s sister.
Driven on by the extreme sacrifices she was making, Rudolph trained relentlessly. This relentless determination is a recurring theme in Wilma Rudolph’s story.
At the Rome Olympics, Rudolph secured her place as the world’s fastest woman and became the first American woman to win three Gold medals at the one games. She was an instant star winning the 100m, 200m, and alongside Ed Temple’s other Tennessee Tigerbelles, the 4 x 100m. In the 100m, Rudolph equalled the World Record in the semi finals with a time of 11.3sec and comfortably won the final in a time of 11.0sec, a 2.75m/s tailwind prevented that time from being recognized as a WR. The sight of Rudolph striding well clear of the rest of the field became some of the defining images of the ‘60 games. In the opening heat of the 200m heats, Rudolph broke the Olympic record with a run of 23.2sec. She went on to win the Final from lane 1 with daylight between her and German athlete Jutta Heine in second. Rudolph ran the anchor leg of the 4 x 100m, overcoming an uncomfortable baton exchange to pass the German athlete and secure the Gold.
After a tour of European track meets, Rudolph returned home to the US and to celebrations in her honour. ‘Welcome Wilma Day’ was organised as a day of festivities by her hometown Clarksville but Wilma only agreed to attend after assurances were given that the event would not be segregated. It became the first fully integrated event in the city’s history. This ability to force such change demonstrates Rudolph’s stardom. Many consider this act of defiance by Rudolph in forcing positive change in her city as her greatest feat. Rudolph retired at the age of 22, focusing on a career in teaching and coaching that was punctuated by periods of advocacy, media and consultancy. Wilma Rudolph died in 1994 at the age of 54, her legacy ensured as one of athletics all time greats.
Tadhg Crowley
1 July 2022