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Tuesday, 02 October 2007 |
Former US Olympic discus champion Al Oerter dies
Former Olympic discus champion of America, Al Oerter, has died at the age of 71 after suffering from high blood pressure and heart problems, it has been reported.
It is said that Al Oerter began his career at the age of 15 when a discus landed at his feet and he managed to throw it back past the crowd of throwers.
From an early beginning, Al Oerter went on in a highly successful career to win gold medals in four Olympics in a row, setting a record only he and American runner Carl Lewis share in track and field disciplines.
Each of Al Oerter's Olympic successes in 1956, 1960, 1964 and 1968 set a record.
Cathy Oerter, wife of Al Oerter, said in tribute to her husband: "He was a gentle giant, he was bigger than life."
And Peter Ueberroth, chairman of the United States Olympic Committee, paid his tribute by saying: "His legacy is one of an athlete who embodied all of the positive attributes associated with being an Olympian."
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Last Updated ( Friday, 05 October 2007 )
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