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Floyd Simmons
Floyd Macon Simmons (April 10, 1923 – April 1, 2008) was an American athlete and actor who competed mainly in the decathlon. He was born in Charlotte, North Carolina. Biography Raised in Charlotte, Simmons was the son of a builder and former football coach of Davidson College. Nicknamed "Chunk" by a nurse for his size when still a baby, Simmons played football for Central High School in Charlotte, North Carolina where he graduated in 1942. During World War II he was wounded in action in Italy while serving with the 10th Mountain Division. He competed for the United States in the 1948 Summer Olympics held in London, England in the decathlon where he won the bronze medal. He repeated this feat four years later in the 1952 Summer Olympics held in Helsinki, Finland, where he again won the bronze medal. He continued to compete in Masters athletics into his 80s. He died in Charlotte, North Carolina. In addition to competing in sports Simmons was contracted to Univer ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Athletics (sport)
Athletics is a group of sporting events that involves competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking. The most common types of athletics competitions are track and field, road running, cross country running, and racewalking. The results of racing events are decided by finishing position (or time, where measured), while the jumps and throws are won by the athlete that achieves the highest or furthest measurement from a series of attempts. The simplicity of the competitions, and the lack of a need for expensive equipment, makes athletics one of the most common types of sports in the world. Athletics is mostly an individual sport, with the exception of relay races and competitions which combine athletes' performances for a team score, such as cross country. Organized athletics are traced back to the Ancient Olympic Games from 776 BC. The rules and format of the modern events in athletics were defined in Western Europe and North America in the 19th and early 20th century, an ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
