Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Mel Patton (University HS, Los Angeles; USC)

 

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Mel Patton
Mel Patton 1948.jpg
Patton (left) with coach Dean Cromwell in 1948
Medal record
Men's athletics
Competitor for the  United States
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place1948 London200 metres
Gold medal – first place1948 London4x100 m relay
Melvin Emery "Mel" Patton (November 16, 1924 – May 9, 2014) was an American track and field athlete, who won two gold medals at the 1948 Summer Olympics.

Biography[edit]

Born in Los Angeles, California, Mel Patton or Pell Mell, as he was nicknamed in the late 1940s, made his mark in track and field while a student at the University of Southern California, where he was coached by Dean Cromwell. During his collegiate years, Patton was a member of the Delta-Eta Chapter of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity. He also attended University High School in Los Angeles.
Patton won the NCAA 100 yard dash in 1947 and in 1948 and 1949 completed the 100 and 220 yd sprint double at that same meet. In 1947 he tied the 100 yd dash world record of 9.4, which he lowered it 9.3 the following year. In 1949 he set a 220 yd world record on a straightaway of 20.2, breaking the record held by Jesse Owens.
In the Olympic Trials, he suffered a rare loss to Barney Ewell in the 100 m final, then in the Olympic Games placed only fifth in the 100 m. He atoned for that disappointment by taking two gold medals in the 200 m and the 4 × 100 m relay.
After retiring from competition, Patton was a track coach before entering the electronics industry. He died in Fallbrook, California on May 9, 2014.[1]

References[edit]

  1. Jump up ^ http://www.thestate.com/2014/05/14/3447354/former-olympic-sprint-champion.html

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mel_Patton&oldid=680780982"
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