Frank Litsky
Posts
Tom Courtney, Sprinter Who Lunged to Grab Olympic Gold, Dies at 90
In 1956 in Melbourne, he was dueling with another American when an English runner burst toward the finish line. But Courtney had one last surge...
John Devitt, Champion Swimmer With a Tarnished Gold Medal, Dies at 86
He won two Olympic gold medals for Australia, but the second was awarded after a disputed finish — one of the more freakish moments in...
Herb Douglas, Olympic Medalist Inspired by Jesse Owens, Dies at 101
Believed to be the oldest living Olympic medalist at his death, he met Owens as a teenager, won bronze in the broad jump in 1948...
Pat McCormick, Olympic Diving Champion, Is Dead at 92
The first diver to sweep the gold medals in two Olympics, she won numerous national championships in a career that ended when she was still...
Vince Dooley, Hall of Fame Football Coach for Georgia, Dies at 90
In a 25-year coaching career, he appeared in 20 bowl games and won 201 games, the fourth-highest total in Southeastern Conference history.
Don Gehrmann, Whose Victory in a Mile Took 314 Days, Dies at 94
After a dead-heat finish in the 1950 Wanamaker Mile in New York and a series of yes-no-yes rulings, he was finally declared the winner almost...
Pete Carril, Textbook Basketball Coach at Princeton, Dies at 92
Without the aid of athletic scholarships, he turned outgunned teams into winners by keeping players moving, passing, finding the open man and generally unnerving opponents.
Hobie Billingsley, Coach of a Diving Dynasty, Dies at 95
A national champion diver himself, he led Indiana University to glory over 31 years and in the Olympics guided gold medal winners.
John Landy Dies at 91; Dueled Roger Bannister in ‘Mile of the Century’
The second man to run the mile in less than four minutes, he believed that he and his longtime rival, who was the first, had...
Darlene Hard, Strong-Willed Tennis Star Before Pro Era, Dies at 85
Hard, who was outspoken and independent minded, was the top-ranked American woman from 1960 to 1963.