Each day of competition, renowned American athletes are honored in conjunction with the events of the day. Here are Saturday’s three honorees:
Wyomia Tyus@@http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wyomia_Tyus@@
Tyus won the gold medal in the 100 meters in 1964 and 1968, while helping the 400-meter relay win gold in ’64. Running for Tennessee State meant constantly competing against some of the best female competition in the world, but overcame it all to be one of the fastest women ever. She set records in the 65-meter and 100-meter races, with times of 6.50 and 11.08 seconds, respectively.
Gail Devers@@http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gail_Devers@@
Considered one of the best female athletes of all time, Devers is known for overcoming Graves disease to become a three-time Olympic champion. She was diagnosed with the thyroid condition in 1990 in the middle of her Olympic endeavors. After immediate treatment, she was able to return to the sport and won Olympic gold medals in the 100 meters in 1992 and 1996. She also helped the 4×100-meter relay team win gold in 1996.
Dick Fosbury@@http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Fosbury@@
An Oregon native, Fosbury is known for revolutionizing the high jump as the creator of the “Fosbury Flop.” His technique later became the standard jumping technique and is now used by millions of high jumpers all over the world. He won gold in the 1968 Olympics with a jump of 2.24 meters.