Willie Davenport

Willie Davenport, a 19-year-old army private, caused one of the sensations of the 1964 Final Trials when he won the high hurdles, finishing ahead of Hayes Jones and Blaine Lindgren. In Tokyo he sustained a thigh injury and was eliminated in the semi-finals, but four years later, in Mexico City, Davenport took the gold medal. He also finished fourth in 1972 and third in 1976. At the 1967 Pan American Games he finished second. After the 1964 Games he enrolled at Southern University and won the AAU outdoor title outright in 1965, 1966, and 1967, and tied for first place in 1969. In 1980 he competed in the 4-man bobsled in the 1980 Winter Olympics, becoming only the fourth American to compete in both sets of Games. Davenport was later employed by the city of Baton Rouge and also served as an athlete’s representative to the U.S. Olympic Committee.

Personal Bests: 100y – 9.5 (1968); 100 – 10.3 (1969); 110H – 13.33 (1968).