Tommie Smith

(1944-)

American athlete known for the 1968 Olympics Black Power salute

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Tommie C. Smith (born June 6, 1944) is an American former track & field athlete and former wide receiver in the American Football League. At the 1968 Summer Olympics, Smith, aged 24, won the 200-meter sprint finals and gold medal in 19.83 seconds – the first time the 20-second barrier was broken legally. His Black Power salute with John Carlos atop the medal podium to protest racism and injustice against African-Americans in the United States caused controversy, as it was seen as politicizing the Olympic Games. It remains a symbolic moment in the history of the Black Power movement.

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Born	Tommie Smith 6 June 1944 (age 81) Clarksville, TX
Zodiac	Gemini
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Peter Norman · Associate · 1942-2006 · Australian sprinter edit info

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John Carlos · Associate · 1945- · American track and field athlete edit info

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