Dick Attlesey
Encyclopedia
Richard "Dick" Attlesey (born May 10, 1929) is an American former track and field
athlete who competed in the 110-meter hurdles. He set world records for the event twice in 1950 with times of 13.6 and 13.5 seconds.
Attlesey won the 110 m hurdles event at the 1950 Amateur Athletic Union
Championships and repeated the feat the year after. He won the hurdles gold medal
at the first edition of Pan American Games
in 1951. He competed collegiately for the University of Southern California
and won the NCAA title in 1950. After an almost two-year winning streak, injuries curtailed his career in 1952.
, he began his hurdling career while at the University of Southern California
. Representing the USC Trojans
, he was the runner-up in the 110-yard hurdles at the Pacific Coast Conference
and NCAA Outdoor Championships
in 1949. He placed second at the Pacific Coast Conference vs. Big 10 Conference meet in June that year before going on to place third in the event at the Amateur Athletic Union
championship race in Fresno, California
. A win in Amsterdam
on August 14, 1949 marked the beginning of an undefeated streak of 55 races in the hurdles, which lasted until July 3, 1951.
His 1950 season saw him win at the Long Beach Relays, West Coast Relays, California Relays and the Pacific Coast championships. He won the 110-yd hurdles title at the 1950 NCAA Outdoor meet in a time of 14 seconds flat. Attlesey won his first U.S. championship race over the distance with a world record time of 13.6 seconds. He then travelled to an international track meet in Helsinki
, Finland, the month after and improved the record further with a time of 13.5 seconds. He competed extensively in Finland in July 1951, winning all his races abroad.
In March 1951, Attlesey headed to the 1951 Pan American Games
in Buenos Aires
with the American team. At the inaugural edition of the competition he defeated the host nation's top hurdler, Estanislao Kocourek, to lift the first ever Pan American 110 m hurdles title for the United States. He returned to California in April to compete collegiately and he continued his hurdles winning streak. He repeated as the AAU 110 m hurdles champion in June, winning the race in a time of 13.8 seconds. After his national title win, he travelled to Europe for a series of high level competitions. He won his first race in Milan
, but failed to finish in his following date in Bern, bringing his undefeated streak to an end after almost two years. In spite of this, he won all the rest of his hurdles races on his tour of France, West Germany, Switzerland and Austria.
Attlesey suffered an injury in 1952 and this seriously affected his form. He came fifth at the West Coast Relays and was runner-up at the California Relays. At the Olympic Trials
he failed to gain a spot on the American team for the 1952 Helsinki Olympics as he finished seventh in his heat in a comparatively pedestrian time of 15.1 seconds. He showed a return to good condition at the West Coast Relays in 1953, running 14.1 seconds for second place, but this proved to be the final outing of his hurdling career.
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...
athlete who competed in the 110-meter hurdles. He set world records for the event twice in 1950 with times of 13.6 and 13.5 seconds.
Attlesey won the 110 m hurdles event at the 1950 Amateur Athletic Union
Amateur Athletic Union
The Amateur Athletic Union is one of the largest non-profit volunteer sports organizations in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs.-History:The AAU was founded in 1888 to...
Championships and repeated the feat the year after. He won the hurdles gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
at the first edition of Pan American Games
Pan American Games
The Pan-American or Pan American Games are a major event in the Americas featuring summer and formerly winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Pan American Games are the second largest multi-sport event after the Summer Olympics...
in 1951. He competed collegiately for the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
and won the NCAA title in 1950. After an almost two-year winning streak, injuries curtailed his career in 1952.
Career
Born in Compton, CaliforniaCompton, California
Compton is a city in southern Los Angeles County, California, United States, southeast of downtown Los Angeles. The city of Compton is one of the oldest cities in the county and on May 11, 1888, was the eighth city to incorporate. The city is considered part of the South side by residents of Los...
, he began his hurdling career while at the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
. Representing the USC Trojans
USC Trojans
The USC Trojans are the athletic teams representing the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California. While the men's teams are nicknamed the Trojans, the women's athletic teams are referred to as either the Trojans or Women of Troy...
, he was the runner-up in the 110-yard hurdles at the Pacific Coast Conference
Pacific Coast Conference
The Pacific Coast Conference was a college athletic conference in the United States which existed from 1915 to 1959. Though the Pacific-12 Conference claims the PCC's history as part of its own, the older league had a completely different charter and was disbanded in 1959 due to a major crisis...
and NCAA Outdoor Championships
NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship
The NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship is an annual collegiate outdoor track and field competition for men organised by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. It has three divisions: Division I, II, and III. Athlete's individual performances earn points for their institution and...
in 1949. He placed second at the Pacific Coast Conference vs. Big 10 Conference meet in June that year before going on to place third in the event at the Amateur Athletic Union
Amateur Athletic Union
The Amateur Athletic Union is one of the largest non-profit volunteer sports organizations in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs.-History:The AAU was founded in 1888 to...
championship race in Fresno, California
Fresno, California
Fresno is a city in central California, United States, the county seat of Fresno County. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 510,365, making it the fifth largest city in California, the largest inland city in California, and the 34th largest in the nation...
. A win in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
on August 14, 1949 marked the beginning of an undefeated streak of 55 races in the hurdles, which lasted until July 3, 1951.
His 1950 season saw him win at the Long Beach Relays, West Coast Relays, California Relays and the Pacific Coast championships. He won the 110-yd hurdles title at the 1950 NCAA Outdoor meet in a time of 14 seconds flat. Attlesey won his first U.S. championship race over the distance with a world record time of 13.6 seconds. He then travelled to an international track meet in Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
, Finland, the month after and improved the record further with a time of 13.5 seconds. He competed extensively in Finland in July 1951, winning all his races abroad.
In March 1951, Attlesey headed to the 1951 Pan American Games
Athletics at the 1951 Pan American Games
The Athletics Competition at the 1951 Pan American Games was held in Buenos Aires, Argentina.-Men's events:-Women's events:-Medal table:-References:*...
in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
with the American team. At the inaugural edition of the competition he defeated the host nation's top hurdler, Estanislao Kocourek, to lift the first ever Pan American 110 m hurdles title for the United States. He returned to California in April to compete collegiately and he continued his hurdles winning streak. He repeated as the AAU 110 m hurdles champion in June, winning the race in a time of 13.8 seconds. After his national title win, he travelled to Europe for a series of high level competitions. He won his first race in Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, but failed to finish in his following date in Bern, bringing his undefeated streak to an end after almost two years. In spite of this, he won all the rest of his hurdles races on his tour of France, West Germany, Switzerland and Austria.
Attlesey suffered an injury in 1952 and this seriously affected his form. He came fifth at the West Coast Relays and was runner-up at the California Relays. At the Olympic Trials
United States Olympic Trials (track and field)
The United States Olympic Trials for the sport of Track and Field is the quadrennial meet to select the United States representatives at the Olympic Games. Since 1992, the meet has also served as the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Because of the depth of competition in some events,...
he failed to gain a spot on the American team for the 1952 Helsinki Olympics as he finished seventh in his heat in a comparatively pedestrian time of 15.1 seconds. He showed a return to good condition at the West Coast Relays in 1953, running 14.1 seconds for second place, but this proved to be the final outing of his hurdling career.