Mel Lattany
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| Nationality |
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| Born | August 10, 1959 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Running | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Event(s) | 100 metres, 200 metres | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal best(s) | 100 m: 9.96 s (Athens 1984) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Melvin Lattany (born August 10, 1959 in Brunswick, Georgia) is a former American track athlete. He was one of the world's dominating sprinters in the early 1980s.
A standout at the University of Georgia, he established a new Men's World Junior Record over 100 metres on July 30, 1978. Lattany qualified for the 1980 US Olympic team but was unable to compete due to the 1980 Summer Olympics boycott. He did however receive one of 461 Congressional Gold Medals created especially for the spurned athletes.[1] He won a gold medal over 100 meters at the 1981 Summer Universiade, and over 200 meters at the 1981 IAAF World Cup. On May 5, 1984, Lattany became only the fifth man (second at sea-level) to break the 10-second barrier when he clocked 9.96 seconds in Athens, Georgia. He retired from track in 1985 to become an NFL wide receiver.[2] He did not, however, play in the NFL. In 1987, he was reinstated by the International Amateur Athletics Federation to run track again.[3]
References
- ↑ Caroccioli, Tom; Caroccioli, Jerry. Boycott: Stolen Dreams of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games. Highland Park, IL: New Chapter Press. pp. 243–253. ISBN 978-0942257403.
- ↑ Dent, Jim (July 16, 1985). "Will Lattany be a Dallas catch?". Dallas Times Herald.
- ↑ "3 Ex-Pro Football Players Reinstated". New York Times. March 30, 1987.
External links
- Mel Lattany at IAAF
| Records | ||
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| Preceded by |
Men's World Junior Record Holder, 100 metres 30 July 1978 – 24 May 1980 |
Succeeded by |
| Achievements | ||
| Preceded by |
Men's season's best performance, 100 metres 1984 |
Succeeded by |
