Barry King
Encyclopedia
Barry King is an English
former decathlete who is now an author, corporate director and specialist in Olympic
marketing and sports development. He is founder and chief executive officer of Outdoor-Fitness, LLC., co-founder of Sports Directions Corporation, and also serves on the board of directors at Imaginetix, Inc.
He grew up in England and obtained a track and field
scholarship from the University of Colorado at Boulder
in the United States
. His first major international competition came when he represented England at the 1970 British Commonwealth Games
, where he won the bronze medal
in the decathlon. He then took part in the 1972 Summer Olympics
in Munich
two years later, competing for Great Britain. He ranked fifteenth overall in the Olympic decathlon competition. He returned to the podium at the 1974 British Commonwealth Games
in Christchurch
, New Zealand, this time coming away with the silver medal
.
He also held several national records and won national championships in the decathlon, discus throw
and pentathlon
King is co-author of a two-book series, published in association with the USOC, entitled The Olympic Challenge. Barry is married to Deanna King and has one daughter, Andrea.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
former decathlete who is now an author, corporate director and specialist in Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
marketing and sports development. He is founder and chief executive officer of Outdoor-Fitness, LLC., co-founder of Sports Directions Corporation, and also serves on the board of directors at Imaginetix, Inc.
He grew up in England and obtained a track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
scholarship from the University of Colorado at Boulder
University of Colorado at Boulder
The University of Colorado Boulder is a public research university located in Boulder, Colorado...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. His first major international competition came when he represented England at the 1970 British Commonwealth Games
Athletics at the 1970 British Commonwealth Games
At the 1970 British Commonwealth Games, the athletics events were held at the Meadowbank Stadium in Edinburgh, Scotland. A total of 36 events were contested, of which 23 by male and 13 by female athletes. This was the first athletics competition at the British Commonwealth Games to feature events...
, where he won the bronze medal
Bronze medal
A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
in the decathlon. He then took part in the 1972 Summer Olympics
1972 Summer Olympics
The 1972 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from August 26 to September 11, 1972....
in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
two years later, competing for Great Britain. He ranked fifteenth overall in the Olympic decathlon competition. He returned to the podium at the 1974 British Commonwealth Games
Athletics at the 1974 British Commonwealth Games
At the 1974 British Commonwealth Games, the athletics events were held at the Queen Elizabeth II Park in Christchurch, New Zealand. A total of 37 events were contested, of which 23 by male and 14 by female athletes.-Men:-Women:-Medal table:Key:...
in Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
, New Zealand, this time coming away with the silver medal
Silver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
.
He also held several national records and won national championships in the decathlon, discus throw
Discus throw
The discus throw is an event in track and field athletics competition, in which an athlete throws a heavy disc—called a discus—in an attempt to mark a farther distance than his or her competitors. It is an ancient sport, as evidenced by the 5th century BC Myron statue, Discobolus...
and pentathlon
Pentathlon
A pentathlon is a contest featuring five different events. The name is derived from Greek: combining the words pente and -athlon . The first pentathlon was documented in Ancient Greece and was part of the Ancient Olympic Games...
King is co-author of a two-book series, published in association with the USOC, entitled The Olympic Challenge. Barry is married to Deanna King and has one daughter, Andrea.