Each day of Trials competition, renowned American athletes are honored in conjunction with the events of the day. Here is Wednesday’s honoree:
Maurice Wilkins is a Eugene native, former University of Oregon Duck and Olympic gold medalist in the discus. He competed in the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, winning the gold with a throw of 221 feet, 5 inches, defeating Wolfgang Schmidt of East Germany. Wilkins was unable to defend his title in 1980 due to an American boycott, but returned to the games in 1984 in Los Angeles where he won a silver medal.
Wilkins was the last thrower to be tutored by legendary University of Oregon coach Bill Bowerman. He was inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 1994 and now serves as a coach at Concordia University in Portland.
Wednesday’s Heritage athlete Maurice Wilkins set a world record in the discus three times
June 26, 2012
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