Track and Field Olympic Athletes Quiz

Answer: Edwin Moses

Edwin Moses won 107 consecutive finals and 122 consecutive races from 1977 through 1987. He set the world record in the 400 meter hurdles four different times. He also won the Jesse Owens award in 1981, the James E Sullivan American Athlete Award in 1983, and the Sportsman of the Year Award in 1984.

Answer: Alma Richards

Alma Richards was the first person from Utah to ever receive a gold medal in the Olympics. He also was the National Champion in the decathlon in 1915, finishing 500 points in front of the second place winner. He was favored to win two gold medals in the 1916 Olympics, but they were never held due to World War I.

Answer: Carl Lewis

During Carl Lewis' career, he not only won 10 Olympic medals but he also won 10 World Games medals, 8 of which were gold medals. Track and Field News named Carl Lewis the athlete of the year in 1982, 1983, and 1984. He was also named sportsman of the century by the International Olympic Committee and was also named Olympian of the Century by Sport Illustrated.

Answer: Otis Davis

Otis Davis started out his athletic career in basketball, and didn't even start competing in track until age 26. Along with setting the world record in the open 400 meters, he and his teammates also set a world record for the 4x400 meters in that same 1960 Olympic Games.

Answer: James Connolly

James Connolly earned three medals in the 1896 Olympics, gold in the triple jump, silver in the high jump, and a bronze in the long jump. He returned to the Olympic Games in 1900 and won silver in the triple jump. James Connolly asked Harvard to grant him a leave of absence to attend the 1896 games, and Harvard denied his request so he withdrew from Harvard.

Answer: Michael Johnson

During Michael Johnson's career, he set world records in the 200 meter, 300 meter, 400 meter, and the 4x400 meter races. He was the first male sprint athlete to win both the 200 meter and 400 meter gold medals in the same Olympic Games. In 1997, he billed himself as the world fastest man.

Answer: Jackie Joyner-Kersee

Jackie Joyner-Kersee won three gold, one silver, and two bronze Olympic medals during her track career. She also won four gold medals in the World Games. After her track career ended, she went on to play women's professional basketball for the Richmond Rage. She was also the first ever woman to score over 7000 points in the heptathlon.

Answer: Jesse Owens

When Jesse Owens was in high school, he tied the world record in the 100 meter race. In 1935, he set 3 world records and tied another. Between 1935 and 1936, Jesse Owens won eight individuals NCAA championships in track and field events.

Answer: Bobby Joe Morrow

Bobby Joe Morrow won gold medals in the 100m, the 200m, and the 4x100m races in 1956. His track success continued until he retired in 1958. He tried a comeback in 1960, but failed to qualify for the Olympic team. The high school that he went to named an 11,000 seat stadium after him, naming it the Bobby Morrow Stadium.

Answer: Jim Thorpe

Jim Thorpe won Olympic gold medals in both the pentathlon and the decathlon in 1912. Besides his career in Track and Field, he also played professional football, baseball, and basketball. He was a Native-American and Irish mix, and his Native-American name was Wa-Tho-Huk.