The last member of the myth-shattering 1936 Olympic team

In popular memory, the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games are all about Jesse Owens shattering the Nazi myth of the Master Race with his brilliant performance in track and field. But Owens wasn’t the only African-American on the U.S. team in 1936. There were five black athletes, and they combined to win a total of eight gold medals. The first to win was John Woodruff, who took the gold in the 800 meters.

John Woodruff died Tuesday at an assisted-living facility in Fountain Hills, Arizona. He was 92.

Woodruff’s victory in 1936 was all the more remarkable, because boxed in by the other runners, he slowed down and actually came to a stop, before spotting an opening and exploding past the others to win.

Long John– a nickname Woodruff picked up in college, thanks to his long stride– was the last surviving member of 1936 U.S. Olympic team. He ran his last race in 1940 at the Compton Invitational, where he set an American record in the 800 meters that would stand for 12 years. (Details on the rest of his career and his life can be found here.)

In recent years, his health had been poor. In a cruel piece of irony, both his legs were amputated in 2003, due to complications from diabetes. His death was attributed to atrial fibrillation and chronic renal failure.

Tags: 1936, 800 meters, Berlin Olympics, Jesse Owens, John Woodruff, myth of the Master Race, obit