Bobby Joe Morrow

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Bobby Joe Morrow (born October 15, 1935) was an American athlete, winner of three Olympic gold medals in 1956.

Biography

Born in Harlingen, Texas, Bobby Joe Morrow, before becoming a sprinter, played American football at high school. Morrow also was a sprinter at Abilene Christian University.

Morrow, who had won the 1955 AAU 100 yd title, had his most successful season in 1956, which led to his choice by Sports Illustrated as "Sportsman of the Year." Morrow won the sprint double in the national college championships and retained his AAU title. Late in the season, Morrow went to Melbourne as a leader of the American sprint team. He came back with three gold medals.

First, Morrow was victorious in the 100 m. Next, he led an American sweep of the medals in the 200 m, equalling the Olympic Record as well. As an anchorman for the 4 x 100 m relay team, he won his third gold, setting a World Record as well.

After the Olympics, Morrow's success on a national level continued, but he retired in 1958. He made a short comeback before the 1960 Olympics, but he failed to qualify for the Olympic team.

After his retirement, Bobby Joe Morrow became a farmer and woodworker.

Olympic medalists in athletics (men) | Olympic Champions in Men's 4x100 m relay
1912 Great Britain David Jacobs, Henry Macintosh, Victor d'Arcy & William Applegarth
1920 United States Charlie Paddock, Jackson Scholz, Loren Murchison & Morris Kirksey
1924 United States Loren Murchison, Louis Clarke, Frank Hussey & Alfred LeConey
1928 United States Frank Wykoff, James Quinn, Charles Borah & Henry Russell
1932 United States Robert Kiesel, Emmett Toppino, Hector Dyer & Frank Wykoff
1936 United States Jesse Owens, Ralph Metcalfe, Foy Draper & Frank Wykoff
1948 United States Barney Ewell, Lorenzo Wright, Harrison Dillard & Mel Patton
1952 United States Dean Smith, Harrison Dillard, Lindy Remigino & Andy Stanfield
1956 United States Ira Murchison, Leamon King, Thane Baker & Bobby Joe Morrow
1960 United team of Germany Bernd Cullmann, Armin Hary, Walter Mahlendorf & Martin Lauer
1964 United States Otis Drayton, Gerald Ashworth, Richard Stebbins & Bob Hayes
1968 United States Charles Greene, Melvin Pender, Ronnie Ray Smith & Jim Hines
1972 United States Larry Black, Robert Taylor, Gerald Tinker & Edward Hart
1976 United States Harvey Glance, John Wesley Jones, Millard Hampton & Steven Riddick
1980 Soviet Union Vladimir Muravyov, Nikolay Sidorov, Aleksandr Aksinin & Andrey Prokofyev
1984 United States Sam Graddy, Ron Brown, Calvin Smith & Carl Lewis
1988 Soviet Union Viktor Bryzgin, Vladimir Krylov, Vladimir Muravyov & Vitaly Savin
1992 United States Mike Marsh, Leroy Burrell, Dennis Mitchell & Carl Lewis
1996 Canada Robert Esmie, Glenroy Gilbert, Bruny Surin & Donovan Bailey
2000 United States Jon Drummond, Bernard Williams, Brian Lewis & Maurice Greene
2004 Great Britain Jason Gardener, Darren Campbell, Marlon Devonish & Mark Lewis-Francis

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