Sprinter Jim Hines, once the world’s fastest man, dies at 76
By Matt Foster, CNN
(CNN) — Two-time Olympic gold medalist Jim Hines, who was the first man to run 100m in under 10 seconds, passed away on Saturday at the age of 76, according to World Athletics.
Hines recorded a hand-timed 9.9 second 100m dash at the US Championships in Sacramento in June 1968 according to USA Track and Field (USATF), before running the first electronically timed 100m under 10 seconds at the Olympic Games in Mexico City. Hines’ world record earned him his first individual Olympic gold medal.
That time (9.95 seconds) lasted as the world record in the event for 15 years, until Calvin Smith broke it in 1983 – the longest the 100m record has stood during the fully automated era, according to World Athletics, the global governing body for track and field.
Hines also won the 4x100m in a world record time at the same Olympics, anchoring the US team to victory in a time of 38.24 seconds.
The sprinter grew up in Oakland, California, though he was born in Arkansas, according to USATF. He was inducted into the USATF Hall of Fame in 1979.
He attended Texas Southern University, where he competed in track, and was inducted into its Hall of Fame in 1986.
After his track career, Hines went on to compete in the National Football League (NFL) for two years, playing for the Miami Dolphins in 1969 and the Kansas City Chiefs the following year.
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