Olympic track runner and trendsetter: John Taylor

In the world of sports we have seen many African-American athletes take the stage and win big at the Olympics. Athletes like Gabby Douglass, Kobe Bryant, and Serena Williams have all become household names. However, the first African-American Olympic competitor to win a gold medal isn’t as well known.
At the age of 25 John Taylor made history at the 1908 Olympics in London as the first African-American to win a gold medal. Taylor was a talented track and field athlete and paved the way for future Olympic athletes.
Taylor’s career in sports began when he moved from Washington D.C. to Pennsylvania and attended Central High School, a school known for their track and field program. His time there was spent becoming the quarter-mile champion and track captain (The Forgotten Olympics: The Story of John Taylor). He then went to Brown Prep where he set the fastest speed record in the country as a prep student. As Taylor continued to wow audiences he gained more attention.
He took his first international step in 1904, competing in both France and England. With Taylor on the rise, a new coach would put him on track into the Olympics. Mike Murphy was a well-known coach and, with him and Taylor working together, a number of track records were broken. Taylor’s secret recipe for success was to begin at a slow pace and then run it out in the final stretch. This strategy allowed him to win the Olympic trial, landing him a spot in the 1908 Olympics.
This was the first time an African-American athlete had represented the United States in an International competition (The Forgotten Olympics: The Story of John Taylor). Taylor had participated in both the 400-meter race and the 4×400 relay winning the relay. This marked Taylor as the first African-American to win a gold medal.
During his time in London, Taylor started to experience respiratory problems due to the cold and damp weather. His problems continued when he returned home and he developed pneumonia.
On December 2, 1908 Taylor had passed away, only four months after winning gold at the London Olympics.

Today we can look to John Taylor for making a historical achievement in the world of sports and becoming an iconic African-American athlete who was hardworking and determined to achieve his goals.