Al Oerter, discus Olympian turned painter, 71
Posted: Tuesday, October 2nd, 2007 5:41 amFORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — Al Oerter was destined to become an athlete, although he often wondered what he might have been if not for a chance meeting with a discus. …
The discus great who won gold medals in four straight Olympics to become one of track and field’s biggest stars in the 1950s and ’60s, died Monday of heart failure, less than two weeks after his 71st birthday. …
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. … Read full obituary
