Roy Cochran
Cochran in 1942
Personal information
BornJanuary 6, 1919
Richton, Mississippi, U.S.
DiedSeptember 26, 1981 (aged 62)
Gig Harbor, Washington, U.S.
Height178 cm (5 ft 10 in)
Weight70 kg (154 lb)
Sport
SportAthletics
Event(s)400 m, 400 m hurdles
ClubLos Angeles Athletic Club
Coached byBilly Hayes[1]
Commodore Cochran
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)400 m – 46.7 (1946)
400 mH – 51.1 (1948)[1][2]
Medal record
Representing the  United States
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place1948 London400 m hurdles
Gold medal – first place1948 London4×400 m relay

LeRoy Braxton Cochran (January 6, 1919 – September 26, 1981)[3][1] was an American sprinter and hurdler, winner of two gold medals at the 1948 Summer Olympics.

Born in Richton, Mississippi, as the ninth of ten children to a sportive family. Cochran played football and was a one-man track team in the high school. Cochran wanted to go to Tulane University with a football scholarship, but was persuaded by his older brother Commodore, who won a gold medal at 1924 Summer Olympics in 4×400 m relay, to go to Indiana University Bloomington with a track scholarship. Commodore later became also his coach.

After winning the AAU championships in 400 m hurdles in 1939, Cochran was selected to the 1940 US Olympic team to run 400 m flat, 400 m hurdles and 4×400 m relay race. But when the 1940 Summer Olympics were cancelled due to the World War II, Cochran entered the V-7 Navy officer training course in 1942, and went to Miami for training in the Navy's Sub Chaser Training School. He served in the Pacific during the war and attended the University of Southern California in pursuit of graduate degrees in physiology after the war.

Cochran took up athletics again at USC and in 1942 set world indoor records in the 400 m and 440 yd and a world outdoor record in the 440 yd. He won his second AAU title in 400 m hurdles in 1948, thus qualifying to the Olympics. In the Olympic final Duncan White from Ceylon went off at a terrific pace, but by half distance Cochran was ahead. He won by a huge margin, beating second-placed White by 0.7 seconds. Cochran won his second gold medal as he ran the third leg of the 4×400 m relay for the winning USA team.[1]

In 2010 Cochran was posthumously named to the National Track and Field Hall of Fame.[3]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Roy Cochran.
  1. 1 2 3 4 "Roy Cochran Bio, Stats and Results". Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on April 17, 2020. Retrieved May 30, 2013.
  2. ↑ Roy Cochran. trackfield.brinkster.net
  3. 1 2 "USATF announces Class of 2010 Hall of Fame Inductees". USA Track & Field. Retrieved May 30, 2013.
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