- Murchison, Ira
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▪ 1995U.S. track star (b. Feb. 6, 1933, Chicago, Ill.—d. March 28, 1994, Harvey, Ill.), burst forth from the starting block with such lightning-quick speed that he was dubbed the "human Sputnik" by Soviet admirers and at 1.62 m (5 ft 4 in) tall was one of the shortest of the great sprinters. In 1951 Murchison reigned as Illinois high-school champion in the 100- and 220-yd dashes, but he reached the pinnacle of his career in 1956 when he ran the leadoff leg of the U.S. 400-m relay at the Olympic Games in Melbourne, Australia, and helped propel his team to a gold medal victory in a world and Olympic record time of 39.5 sec. That year he also jointly held the world 100-m record (10.2 sec) with Bobby Morrow and tied a day-old record (10.1) set by Willie Williams. In 1958 he ran for Western Michigan University and was the NCAA 100-yd champion with a time of 9.5 sec. The following year, however, after Murchison underwent surgery for colon cancer, his sprinting career ended. He later coached high-school and college track teams in Chicago.
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▪ American athleteborn Feb. 6, 1933, Chicago, Ill., U.S.died March 28, 1994, Harvey, Ill.American track star, noted for his exceptional speed from the starting block.In 1951 Murchison was Illinois high-school champion in the 100- and 220-yard dashes. In 1956 he ran the leadoff leg of the 4 × 100-metre relay for the United States at the Olympic Games in Melbourne, Australia, and helped propel the U.S. team to a gold medal in a world-record time of 39.5 sec. That year he also jointly held the world 100-m record (10.2 sec) with Bobby Morrow and tied a record (10.1 sec) set by Willie Williams. In 1958 he ran for Western Michigan University and was the National Collegiate Athletic Association 100-yard champion with a time of 9.5 sec. At 5 feet 4 inches (1.62 m), Murchison was one of the shortest of the great sprinters.* * *
Universalium. 2010.