Al Oerter, former KU star and four-time Olympic gold medalist, dies at age 71 / LJWorld.com

Archive for Monday, October 1, 2007

Terry Allen Williams/AP Photo. Enlarge photo.

Four-time Olympic gold medalist and former Kansas University athlete Al Oerter stands in front of some of his artwork at the ACT gallery in downtown Fort Myers, Fla. Oerter created much of his art by smashing a discus into puddles of paint on canvas.

The Associated Press

October 1, 2007, 10:36 a.m. Updated October 1, 2007, 11:55 a.m.

Remembering Al Oerter

Longtime Journal-World editor and columnist Bill Mayer shares memories of former KU star Al Oerter Enlarge video

Al Oerter, the discus great who won gold medals in four straight Olympics to become one of track and fields biggest stars in the 1950s and '60s, died Monday in Fort Myers, Fla. He was 71.

Oerter died at a hospital near his Fort Myers Beach home, his wife Cathy Oerter said. He had dealt with high blood pressure since he was young and has struggled with heart problems, she said.

"He was a gentle giant," she said. "He was bigger than life."

Oerter won gold medals in 1956, 1960, 1964 and 1968. Oerter and Carl Lewis are the only track and field stars to capture the same event in four consecutive Olympics. Oerter, however, is the only one to set an Olympic record in each of his victories.

Born in New York City, Oerter eschewed coaching and conventional training methods to mold himself into a fierce competitor who performed his best when the stakes were highest.

"I can remember those games truly as if they were a week ago," Oerter told The Associated Press last year.

In Melbourne in 1956, Oerter threw 184 feet, 11 inches on his first toss and watched in amazement when nobody else, including teammate and world-record holder Fortune Gordien, came close to beating him.

He came from behind to win again in Rome, and overcame torn rib cartilage and other injuries to make it three in a row at the Tokyo Games in 1964.

At 32, he was a long shot in the 1968 field headed by world-record holder Jay Silvester. However, Oerter responded with a personal-best 212 feet, 11 inches to leave Mexico City with the gold.

He came out of retirement and won a spot as an alternate on the 1980 team that didn't compete because of the boycott ordered by President Carter.

Later in life, Oerter discovered a new passion and took up abstract painting.

Oerter maintained a tie to the Olympic movement through Art of the Olympians, a program he founded to give him and other former Olympians who've taken up art to showcase their work.

"Al approached the art world the same way he approached the sports world," said friend and former Olympian Liston Bochette. "He studied it. He analyzed it. And he sought excellence in the arts."

More details as they develop.

Discussion

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1 October 2007
at 11:30 a.m.

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kugrad (Anonymous) says…

Umm, Kandinsky? Hello, concentric circles?
1 October 2007
at 11:39 a.m.

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Boston_Charley (Anonymous) says…

More details here:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/…
1 October 2007
at 12:10 p.m.

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Haiku_Cuckoo (Anonymous) says…

Umm, Kandinsky? Hello, concentric circles?
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I thought the exact same thing. Upon further inspection, I think photo description may be referring only to the painting in the background; especially based on the description of his painting technique.
1 October 2007
at 12:15 p.m.

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lazz (Anonymous) says…

Not Kandinsky. Oerter. That's his work.
http://www.aloerter.com/Paintings/pai…

A great, friendly, curious, creative, competitive intelligent man. He'll be missed.
1 October 2007
at 12:35 p.m.

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Haiku_Cuckoo (Anonymous) says…

Not Kandinsky. Oerter. That's his work.
http://www.aloerter.com/Paintings/pai…
–––––
Looks like he has a Mondrian-inspired work in his collection as well.

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgur…

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgur…
1 October 2007
at 1:46 p.m.

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admireed (Anonymous) says…

Was on KU freshman track team with Al. He was the first person I ever saw work a lot with weights. Few of us had ever been around weight training. His High School coach in New York was Big Jim Fraley who graduated from Emporia State
1 October 2007
at 4:40 p.m.

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misterlee (Anonymous) says…

While Al was a great athlete, I always think of him a one of the nicest people I've ever met. He'll be missed for his accomplishments both on and off the field. Thanks for the memories.