Malvin Greston Whitfield, was born in Bay City, Texas, October 11th 1924 & died November 19th 2015.
Perhaps, the greatest compliment he ever had in his life was, by the President of the United States Ronald Reagan who wrote about him, with these words “Whether flying combat missions over Korea, or winning gold medal after gold medal at the Olympics, or serving as an ambassador of goodwill among the young athletes of Africa, you have given your all. The country is proud of you and grateful to you”. To prove that point Mal Whitfield arranged sports scholarships for 5000 African athletes to study in the United States. He conducted coaching clinics and gave advice to athletes for many years.
When he was just 8 years old, he cycled 4 miles from his home in Los Angeles to the Olympic Stadium. He parked his bicycle and, sneaked into the stadium and then, saw the 100m Olympic Final. That was on the 1st of August 1932. It was a breathtaking, closely fought, final for first place between two Americans, Eddie Tolan and Ralph Metcalfe and, both ran a World record of 10.3. That really caught his imagination and, he then had a sustained interest in athletics from then on.
His parents both died before he was 13 and his older sister then looked after him.
He joined the United States Airforce in 1943, as a member of the Tuskegee Airman. Although he continued with the military, he enrolled at Ohio University and was coached by Larry Snyder. He won NCAA titles and flew 27 combat Missions as a tail gunner in the Korean war and, straight after most missions, he would use the airstrip for training and, to some people’s surprise could be seen striding down the runway, despite the possible dangers but, it really paid dividends when the Championships came along. Over 800/880y from 1948-1954 he was unbeaten in Championships. It was not surprising he was Nicknamed ‘Marvellous Mal’. In fact, after seeing him run in the 1948 Olympics Harrison Dillard, who won the 100 in 1948 and the 110 hurdles in 1952 Olympics remarked “Mal Whitfield & Jesse Owens were probably the two smoothest that you could possibly see at the Olympics. Mal’s stride was so long and effortless, I have never seen anything like it.” However, about Mel Whitfield’s 3rd place in the 400 Final in 1948, he felt he was more a runner than a sprinter when he Came up against the two Jamaican first placers Arthur Wint and Herb McKenley in the 400 Final in the London Olympics. However, Whitfield had a personal best of 45.9 in 1953 which would indicate he was even special over that distance and one of his NCAA titles was over the 400.
It was in 1948 Olympics that he won a gold medal on the anchor leg in the 4x 400 relay (USA won in 3:10.4. Arthur Wint of Jamaica pulled a muscle in the relay itself and, if not, USA would have had their work cut out).
On the 2nd of August 1948 in London was the Olympic 800 Final. Harcel Hansenne of France, was the fastest heat qualifier in 1:50.5; He later came 2nd in the European 800 of 1950. The first lap in the final was led by Robert Chef d’Hotel of France. It was with 500 to go Mal Whitfield struck and strode past him and, not relenting, carried on right to the finish. Though Arthur Wint went after him and was not far adrift, he could not match Whitfield in the last few strides. The first three were 1. M. Whitfield 1:49.2 (Olympic record); 2 Arthur Wint 1:49.5 and 3 Marcel Hansenne in 1:49.8.
In 1951 in Buenos Aires, Argentina Mal Whitfield won the 400 & 800 Finals and obtained a gold in the 4x400 relay.
In the Helsinki Olympics of 1952 Mal Whitfield was in the USA team in the 4x400, on the last leg and ran a split of 45.5, the Same time as George Rhoden of Jamaica, the anchor man for the winning team. Both teams were inside the old World record with times of 3:0.31 & 3:0.40 respectively.
For the 800m the fastest heat was by Heinz Ulzheimer of West Germany in 1:51.4. In the Semi-final the fastest was Gunner Nielsen of Denmark in 1:50.0
In the Final on the 22nd od June, Tall long-striding Jamaican, Arthur Wint, led from the gun till just on 200 to go when Mal Whitfield took over and opened a gap, as they came int0 the final straight and was unlikely to get caught in his speciality. The times of the first 3 were 1. Mal Whitfield 1:49.2; 2 Arthur Wint 1:49.4; 3 Heinz Ulzheimer 1:49.7. ‘Marvellous Mal’ was heard to say after winning the ‘Gold’ “To me in the Olympic Games winning is everything! Don’t let anyone fool you!”
He was inducted in the National Track & Field Hall of Fame in 1974. His wife was Nola Whitfield and he is Father of CNN broadcaster Fredricka and high jumper Edwin Wright. Mal Whitfield was an ambassador for sport in 132 countries he travelled to. In 1989 he started ‘ The Mat Whitfield Foundation’ for the promotion of Sports, academics & and culture. He certainly did not let the grass grow under his feet after he retired from competing in 1956.