USA Track Hall of Fame adds John Carlos

INDIANAPOLIS , Ind.-----Legendary San Jose State sprinter John Carlos, middle-distance runner Mary Decker Slaney, and 400-meter stars Larry James and Mike Larrabee are the 2003 inductees into the National Track & Field Hall of Fame, USA Track & Field recently announced.

The Hall of Fame Class of 2003 will be inducted December 5 at the Jesse Owens Awards Banquet and Xerox Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. Held in conjunction with the 2003 USATF Annual Meeting, the induction will take place at Sheraton Four Seasons Hotel in Greensboro, N.C. The induction will bring to 196 the number of inductees into the National Track & Field Hall of Fame.

"Our country has been blessed with so many wonderful track and field athletes, and this group of stars adds to our sport‘s legacy, " said USATF President Bill Roe. "Their induction into the National Track & Field Hall of Fame is the highest recognition they can receive, and each athlete is most deserving of the honor."

"The National Track and Field Hall of Fame will be greatly enriched on December 5 when these four athletes formally take their places with the other greats of our sport at their induction ceremony," said USATF CEO Craig Masback. "I wish to extend my gratitude to our partners at Xerox, who make our annual Hall of Fame induction ceremony a wonderful occasion to remember."

"Xerox takes great pride annually in working with USA Track & Field to make the Hall of Fame induction ceremony one of the great highlights of the year, " said Terry W. Dillman, Xerox Manager of Olympic Marketing. "John, Mary, Larry and Mike all made substantial contributions to track and field in the U.S., and the involvement of Xerox in their induction ceremony is our way of placing a spotlight on their accomplishments."

Carlos, 58, was the winner of numerous national titles, but is best known for winning the bronze medal in the 200 meters at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City. The former world record holder at 100 yards and 200 meters, he won the 200 meters at the 1967 Pan American Games.

Decker Slaney, 45, was the 1983 world champion in the women‘s 1,500 and 3,000 meters, beating Soviet athletes at the height of the Cold War in a feat that would bear her name as "The Decker Double." She set 36 national records and 17 official and unofficial world records at various distances, and during her career she set American women’s records in every event from the 800 meters to 10,000 meters.

James, 55, won the 400m silver medal and a gold medal in the 4x400m relay at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City. An NCAA champion while at Villanova, James is a former 400 meter world record holder and the 1970 World University Games gold medalist in the 400 meter hurdles.

Larrabee, who died on April 22, 2003 at age 69, will always be remembered for his amazing comeback win in the 400 meters at the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo. Also a gold medalist in the men’s 4x400m relay in Tokyo, Larrabee tied the 400-meter world record (44.9 seconds) in winning the 1964 Olympic Trials in Los Angeles.

Exhibits honoring the members of the National Track & Field Hall of Fame will be on display at the Hall’s new home at The Armory in Upper Manhattan, in New York City. Due to open on January 24, 2004, the Hall of Fame will honor the nation’s finest track and field athletes, coaches and contributors through its three floors of exhibits and its Interactive Learning Center.

JOHN CARLOS: Born June 5, 1945. The 200-meter bronze medalist at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City, John Carlos equaled the world 100 yard record of 9.1 seconds on May 10, 1969 in Fresno, Calif. He won numerous national and international titles, including the 1967 Pan American Games 200m (20.5), 1969 AAU 220 yards, 1969 NCAA 100 and 220 yards, and 1969 NCAA indoor 60-yard championship. Carlos also won the 200 meters at the 1968 Olympic Trials at Echo Summit, Calif., in the world record hand time of 19.7, though the record was never ratified because the spike formation on his shoes wasn’t accepted at the time. Prior to his successful collegiate career at San Jose State University, Carlos attended East Texas State University, where he single-handedly won the school’s first Lone Star Conference Championship. Following his track career, Carlos tried professional football, where a one-year stint with the Philadelphia Eagles ended following a knee injury. He then went on the Canadian Football League where he played one season each for the Montreal Alouettes and the Toronto Argonauts. Carlos is in his 18th year of service as a counselor and the in-school suspension supervisor at Palm Springs High School in Palm Springs, California.

For more information on the National Track & Field Hall of Fame, visit www.usatf.org.