Section B·Page 4
The University Daily Kansan
Thursday, November 11, 1999
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kansas millennium athlete No.5 Oerter a true sportsman
Being from New York, Oerter said that his first impression of Lawrence was one of disbelief.
"My initial impression was 'where's the rest of the people?' Oerter said. "It wasn't a culture shock or anything like that, I just couldn't believe that within five or 10 miles was farmland."
Helping to pay his attendance costs at Kansas was an academic, not athletic, scholarship. Oerter was granted a Stansbury Scholarship, and, to this day, he says that he was fortunate to receive it. If Oerter had received an athletic scholarship, he said, the Athletics Department probably would have forced him to play football because of his size.
"I'm very thankful for that scholarship because it allowed me to focus only on track." Oerter said.
At Kansas, Oerter's legend grew. Immediately he set Kansas and NCAA records, and in 1956, as a sophomore, Oerter was on his way to Melbourne, Australia, for the Olympics.
A legendary Olympian
Upon entering his first of four Olympics, Oerter had never won an international title. However, the Olympic stadium would become the place where Oerter would shine.
On his first throw in the finals of the 1956 Olympics, Oerter heaved the discus, which weighs 4.4 pounds, an incredible distance — 184-10 1/2. The throw was his personal best and set a world record.
Immediately following the medal ceremony, reporters asked Oerter if he planned to continue. His answer was simple.
ous when I said that I wanted to win four more of these." Oerter said. "I knew that if I didn't, what I had just accomplished a half-an-hour ago would not be recognized four years from then or even 12 years down the road."
"the feeling I had was so amazing, so happy, that I was dead seri-
And so Oerter continued. In each of the next three Olympic Games, 1960 in Rome, 1964 in Tokyo and 1968 in Mexico City, Oerter won gold medals — each time setting personal bests and breaking world records.
"Al Oerter has accomplished feats that few even dare to dream about." Oerter's Olympic teammate Jim Ryun said. "Four gold medals in four Olympic Games confirm his reputation as one of the greatest athletes to ever compete."
However, Oerter said he never was overwhelmed by Olympic competition.
"I was absolutely thrilled by it," he said. "There was no other place on the face of the earth I would rather be than on the floor of an Olympic stadium."
In 1960, Oerter received a rather unexpected thrill. He again had reached the finals, but this time he was paired against his own teammate, Richard Babka.
In the final round Babka led Oerter by 15 inches. Prior to Oerter's fifth throw, Babka approached Oerter and said his technique was a bit off on the previous throws. Oerter acknowledged it, fixed it and heaved the discuss 194.2. It was another world record, another personal best and it dropped Babka to the silvermedal slot. To this day, Oerter is still grateful to "Rink," as he affectionately calls him, for his help.
"The day of the competition I was absolutely screwing up and he [Babka] came up before the fifth of six throws we get and he told me
what I was doing wrong, and I corrected it and won the gold medal because he couldn't t respond on his last two throws to beat me," Oerter said. "I truly owe him that medal. I've given 1,500 speeches in my life, and I will always acknowledge that. That's what sports should be all about and it was my favorite Olympic memory — not beating 'Rink,' but it's one teammate helping another teammate in the best of competition.
"Now, when the games are over and you stand on the platform waiting for your medal and hear the 'Star Spangled Banner,' the top of your head comes off."
Two years later, in one of Oerter's rare non-Olympic meets, he became the first athlete to throw a discus more than 200 feet.
Looking back
Oerter, now 63, is retired and lives in Ft. Myers, Fla., with his wife, Cathy. He occasionally does motivational speaking for the Olympic Committee as well as various corporations. Recently he was celebrated by ESPN as one of the century's top 100 athletes, at number 68, and has been nominated as one of the century's top Olympians.
Oerter also has been inducted into the Olympic and U.S. Track and Field halls of fame.
For those who knew him, saw him compete, or competed with or against him, Oerter will not be remembered simply as a man who won four consecutive gold medals, but rather as a great man who won because of his love for his event.
"It was an honor for me to participate in the two Olympics where Al and I were teammates (1964 and 1968) and see him with two of his gold medals," Ryu said.
Edited by Chris Hutchison
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