Born in Newark, New Jersey, Tom Courtney came into national prominence while a student at Fordham University, winning the 1955NCAA 880 yd (805 m) title.
An AAU champion in 400 m at 1956 and in 880 yd (805 m) at 1957 and 1958, Courtney had a memorable duel with Derek Johnson of Great Britain in the 1956 Olympic 800 m final. Johnson took a narrow lead with 40 metres to go, but finally Courtney won by 0.13 seconds, and collapsed with exhaustion. He later wrote:
"It was a new kind of agony for me. My head was exploding, my stomach ripping and even the tips of my fingers ached. The only thing I could think was, 'If I live, I will never run again.'"
The medal ceremony had to be delayed for an hour while he and Johnson recovered. But Courtney did run again. He was the anchorman on the gold medal 4 x 400 m relay team. He also set a world record of 1:46.8 in the 880 yd (805 m) on May 24, 1957.
Olympic medalists in athletics (men) | Olympic Champions in Men's 800 m
1976 United States Herman Frazier, Benjamin Brown, Fred Newhouse, Maxie Parks 1980 Soviet Union Remigijus Valiulis, Mikhail Linge, Nikolay Chernetsky, Viktor Markin 1984 United States Sunder Nix, Ray Armstead, Alonzo Babers, Antonio McKay 1988 United States Danny Everett, Steve Lewis, Kevin Robinzine, Butch Reynolds 1992 United States Andrew Valmon, Quincy Watts, Michael Johnson, Steve Lewis 1996 United States LaMont Smith, Alvin Harrison, Derek Mills, Anthuan Maybank 2000 United States Alvin Harrison, Antonio Pettigrew, Calvin Harrison, Michael Johnson 2004 United StatesOtis Harris, Derrick Brew, Jeremy Wariner, Darold Williamson
Courtney Love was in Los Angeles during the week preceding and up to Kurt's death and when asked by many to fly up to Seattle to help locate her husband, whom she had told others "had a shotgun" and was "suicidal," she replied, "I can't.
Courtney produced a never-before seen second note to Seattle police, which she claims Kurt wrote in Rome during "his first suicide attempt".
Courtney canceled his credit card right after he used it to purchase a flight back home to Seattle on April 1st, and according to the police report, all 4 tires of his car were flat
Thomas William "Tom"Courtney (born August 17, 1933) is a former American athlete, winner of two gold medals at the 1956 Summer Olympics.
Born in Newark, New Jersey, TomCourtney came into national prominence while a student at Fordham University, winning the 1955NCAA 880 yd (805 m) title.
An AAU champion in 400 m at 1956 and in 880 yd (805 m) at 1957 and 1958, Courtney had a memorable duel with Derek Johnson of Great Britain in the 1956 Olympic 800 m final.
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