Otis Crandall Davis (July 12, 1932 - September 14, 2024) was an American athlete, renowned for his achievements in track and field. He is best known as the winner of two gold medals at the 1960 Summer Olympics, where he set record-breaking performances in the 400 m and 4 × 400 m relay.
Early Athletic Pursuits
Davis's initial forays into athletics included jumping, where he managed 6'0" despite lacking formal technique. He recalled: "I had no form. I had no style. I just jumped." He also hit 23'0" in the long jump with little effort, though he was flustered by the sprinting events, relating "I didn't even know how to get in the starting blocks".
According to Davis, Bill Bowerman made the first pair of Nike shoes for him, contradicting the claim that they were made for Phil Knight: "I told Tom Brokaw that I was the first. I don't care what all the billionaires say. Bill Bowerman made the first pair of shoes for me. People don't believe me. In fact, I didn't like the way they felt on my feet. There was no support and they were too tight.
Collegiate and Olympic Career
In 1960, he graduated from the University of Oregon with a B.S. degree in Health & Physical Education. The University honored him in 2020, as one of eight gold medalists who attended the school.
Davis was competing on a national level for the Oregon Ducks, and was poised to become a national AAU champion in the 440-yard run. At the age of 28, he made the 1960 United States Olympic team, placing third in the 400-meter race at the Olympic Trials.
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He ran his fastest time to date one week before participating in the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome as one of the oldest members of the track team, where he was nicknamed "Pops" by his teammates. He remembered: "I was still learning how to turn with the staggered starts and all. I was still learning the strategy involved.
On September 6, 1960, Davis ran against the heavily favored German athlete Carl Kaufmann, who was born in Brooklyn and held the world record in the 400-meter dash. Davis won by a hair, setting a world record of 44.9 seconds and becoming the first man to break the heralded 45-second barrier.
The photo of the finish, with (in full horizontal dive position) Kaufmann's nose ahead of Davis, but his torso behind, has been studied and discussed by track and field officials for years. Both athletes were awarded the world record time, recorded in the 10ths of a second in those days, but Davis was awarded the win.
Two days later, they met again for the 4 × 400 m relay final. Nationals at Randall's Island, which he won at age 29, but his competitive running career was virtually over, as he never repeated his Olympic performance. He returned to Oregon, and later considered playing as wide receiver for the Los Angeles Rams.
| Event | Year | Achievement |
|---|---|---|
| 400m | 1960 | Olympic Gold Medal, World Record (44.9 seconds) |
| 4 × 400 m relay | 1960 | Olympic Gold Medal |
1960 400m Rome Olympics - Milkha Singh's Run
Later Life and Career
In 1991, Davis moved to Jersey City, New Jersey, in order to live closer to New York, eventually settling in Union City. Around 2002 or 2003 Davis was hired by the Union City Board of Education, and began working at Emerson High School as a truancy officer, teacher, coach and mentor.
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Davis ran athletic skills programs during the spring and summer in Union City, in order to reach students who did not normally participate in sporting events, and to complement the schools' physical education curricula.
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