Olympic Great Al Oerter Passes Away at the Age of 71
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The United States Olympic Committee learned earlier today of the passing of four-time U.S. Olympian and four-time gold medalist Al Oerter at the age of 71. Oerter passed away at HealthPark Medical Center in Fort Myers, Florida, of heart failure.
�Al was a
great man
who lived
life to the
fullest and
cherished
every day he
spent on
this earth,�
said his
wife Cathy
Oerter. �He
always said
he would
leave this
world
content and
with no
regrets. He
loved life.�
Oerter�s prowess in the discus became legendary when he won his fourth consecutive gold medal at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City. He was one of only two men to achieve the feat of winning the same event in four consecutive Games. All four of Oerter�s gold medals are currently on display at The Forbes Galleries as part of the �Olympic Gold� exhibit in New York City.
�The Olympic Movement lost one of its great ambassadors today with the passing of Al Oerter,� said USOC Chairman of the Board Peter Ueberroth. �His legacy is one of an athlete who embodied all of the positive attributes associated with being an Olympian. He performed on the field of play with distinction and transferred that excellence to the role of advocate for the Olympic Movement and its ideals. He will be missed, and our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and many friends.�
�Al Oerter was one of the most outstanding competitors in the history of the Olympic Games, with his four consecutive gold medals serving as a lasting testament of his brilliance,� said USOC Chief Executive Officer Jim Scherr. �In addition, we all owe Al a great deal of gratitude for his unwavering resolve to promote the values and ideals associated with the Olympic Movement. He was an admired leader in the worldwide Olympic community as a believer in sport and culture, serving as a catalyst for a multitude of programs and initiatives that have broadened the Movement�s reach. He was a one-of-a-kind individual who has left a lasting impact on so many who crossed his path.�
Oerter began his Olympic career at the 1956 Games in Melbourne, Australia, where he won his first Olympic gold. He went on to compete and win gold in Rome, Italy in1960 and Tokyo, Japan in 1964 before his final triumph in Mexico City. Oerter actually retired for eight years after his Olympic achievements, only to return and still have the skills to be a nationally ranked thrower.
An Olympian who valued culture in the same manner as athletics, Oerter began his serious artistic pursuits in 1980 when Anheuser-Busch commissioned him and other renowned athletes to create works for the U.S. Olympic Team. Each athlete had to use the equipment required in his or her sport � a hockey stick, track shoes, etc. � as a part of the exhibit. Oerter used his discus to create a piece of art that sparks a greater calling.
The 1980 assignment furthered Oerter�s zeal to expand his belief in art as a way to showcase the positive attributes of sport. Oerter went on to create the exhibit �Art of the Olympians,� which has been displayed at the United Nations and in other New York City venues.
Funeral
arrangements
are pending
and will be
announced at
a later
time.
Al Oerter:
September
19, 1936 �
October 1,
2007
