Jim Hines: Legendary sprinter passed away at the age of 76
Jim Hines, the first man to complete a 100-meter running race in less than 10 seconds, passed away at the age of 76. He was a renowned Olympic medalist, winning two gold medals in the hectometer and the 4×100 relay at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico, both of which set world records. Discover Jim Hines: Legendary Sprinter passed away at the age of 76.
In 1968, Hines made history by breaking two significant records. During the famous ‘Night of Speed’ at the concrete track in Sacramento on June 20, he seized the opportunity of the US Championships to achieve a sub-10-second time of 9.9 seconds in the 100m race, although it was timed manually.
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At the Olympic Games in Mexico City. He set another victory, recording a time of 9.95 seconds, which stood as the world record for an impressive 14 years, eight months, and 19 days until Calvin Smith broke it in 1983. Hines’ record-breaking feat stands as the longest-standing 100m world record to date, although Usain Bolt’s record of 9.58 seconds set in Berlin in 2009 may surpass it if it endures for another year.
Aside from his athletics career, Hines briefly pursued professional football, playing for the NFL’s Miami Dolphins and Kansas City Chiefs. However, he had a short-lived and unremarkable football career. It is worth noting that Hines did not support the protest staged by his fellow African-American athletes, Tommie Smith and John Carlos, on the podium of the 200m event. Shortly after the Olympics, at the age of 22, Hines decided to retire from track and field.
