A Man For All Seasons

[DoubleRBar]

Happy birthday today (Sunday) to an Olympic champion who was born on a Sunday 84 years ago today.

Our birthday athlete also won an Olympic silver medal in the same event.

If I told you about the many accomplishments of this champion, you would immediately know the name of our birthday person.

I will simply say, who is this Olympic champion?

[dukehjsteve]

Too easy. Rafer Johnson.

[tandfman]

What does the subject title have to do with him?

[DoubleRBar]

Happy birthday to "a man for all seasons", Rafer Johnson. Of course you know he took the Olympic silver medal in Australia (1956) and the gold in Italy (1960) in the decathlon. Rafer could do it all (even ten events). He was student body president at UCLA, he was an actor, and he even lit the Olympic torch in Los Angeles (1984). Nice going, dukehjsteve.

[bambam1729]

Rafer also played basketball at UCLA under John Wooden.

[bambam1729]

And of course, he made the 1956 Olympic team in the long jump as well (3rd at the trials), but withdrew from that event as he was injured in Melbourne.