Ralph Cook Craig (June 21, 1889 – July 21, 1972) was an American

track and field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping eve ...

athlete. He was the winner of the sprint double at the 1912 Summer Olympics.Ralph Craig
sports-reference.com. Craig began his track career as a

hurdler Hurdling is the act of jumping over an obstacle at a high speed or in a sprint. In the early 19th century, hurdlers ran at and jumped over each hurdle (sometimes known as 'burgles'), landing on both feet and checking their forward motion. Today, ...

at Detroit Central High School, and only later developed into a sprinter at the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

. In 1910, he won the

IC4A IC4A Championships (Intercollegiate Association of Amateur Athletes of America) is an annual men's competition held at different colleges every year. Association was established in 1875, the competition (started in 1876) served as the top level col ...

220 y championship, repeating this the following year. In 1912, Craig qualified for the Olympic team and went to Sweden, where he reached the final of the

100m The 100 metres, or 100-meter dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, the dash is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been conteste ...

. A big favorite was his compatriot Donald Lippincott, who had set a World Record of 10,6 in the heats. After no less than seven false starts, Craig won the race in 10,8 – Lippincott only finished third. Craig fought out another battle with Lippincott in the 200m, edging him to win the 200 m title. Craig was not a part of the American 4 × 100 m relay team, which was disqualified. Immediately after the Olympics, Craig retired from the sport. His younger brother, James B. Craig, also ran track at Michigan and starred for the Michigan Wolverines football team, earning a consensus selection to the

1913 College Football All-America Team The 1913 College Football All-America team is composed of college football players who were selected as All-Americans for the 1913 college football season. The only two selectors who have been recognized as "official" selectors by the National Col ...

. In 1948, Craig made a return to the Olympics as an alternate on the US

yachting Yachting is the use of recreational boats and ships called ''yachts'' for racing or cruising. Yachts are distinguished from working ships mainly by their leisure purpose. "Yacht" derives from the Dutch word '' jacht'' ("hunt"). With sailboats, ...

team. Although he did not actually compete, Craig (59) carried the American flag at the opening ceremonies in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

. Craig was employed for many years as an administrator with the New York State Unemployment Bureau. He died at Lake George, New York. In 2010 he joined the

National Track and Field Hall of Fame The National Track and Field Hall of Fame is a museum operated by The Armory Foundation in conjunction with USA Track & Field. It is located within the Armory Foundation (the former Fort Washington Avenue Armory) at 216 Fort Washington Avenue, ...

Competitions

*In March 1911, Craig set a new record by running the 40-yard high hurdles in 5.2 seconds, breaking the prior record held by Forrest Smithson. *In May 1911, at his last competition wearing the Michigan uniform, Craig helped the Wolverines to a third-place finish in the inter-collegiate meet. He tied the inter-collegiate record in the 100-yard dash with a time of 9.8 seconds. He also tied the world record in the 220-yard dash with a time of 21.2 seconds. The Wolverines finished the meet with 24 points, trailing only Cornell (30 points) and Yale (24-1/2 points).

References

External links

Ralph Craig's entry in the Michigan Track & Field Hall of Fame
{{DEFAULTSORT:Craig, Ralph 1889 births 1972 deaths American male sprinters Athletes (track and field) at the 1912 Summer Olympics Sailors at the 1948 Summer Olympics – Dragon Male sailors Medalists at the 1912 Summer Olympics Michigan Wolverines men's track and field athletes Olympic gold medalists for the United States in track and field People from Lake George, New York Sportspeople from Detroit Track and field athletes from Detroit