Rick Wohlhuter

Rick Wohlhuter

Rick Wohlhuter in 1972
Personal information
Born (1948-12-23) December 23, 1948
St. Charles, Illinois
Height 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Weight 60 kg (130 lb)
Sport
Sport Athletics
Event(s) 400–1500 m
Club Chicago Track Club
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s) 440 yd – 48.5 (1970)
800 – 1:43.4y (1974)
1500 m – 3:36.4 (1975)
Mile – 3:53.3 (1975)

Rick Wohlhuter (born December 23, 1948) is a retired American middle-distance runner who competed mainly in the 800 meters.

Wohlhuter won the national championship for the 600 yard race for indoor track in 1970. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1971. Soon after, he qualified for the 1972 Summer Olympics, held in Munich, Germany. In 1976, he qualified for the 800 and 1500 meter events in the 1976 Summer Olympics held in Montreal, Canada. He finished 6th in the 1500 meters. In the 800 meters, he won the bronze medal in a race in which Alberto Juantorena broke the world record.[1]

In domestic competition, Wohlhuter was the U.S. national champion for the 800 meters in 1973 and 1974 and was ranked #1 in the world both years by Track & Field News. Also in 1974, Wohlhuter won the first of three indoor 1000 yard U.S. national titles, set a world record for the 880-yard run in 1:44.10 (=1:43.5 800 meters),[2] and a world record in the 1000 meter event of 2:13.9, still a U.S. record—the longest standing current American outdoor record and the number 7 performer worldwide more than 40 years later.[3] He was named as the winner of the Sullivan Award as the nation's top amateur athlete for his achievements in 1974 and for his #1 world ranking by Track & Field News.

Wohlhuter retired in 1977. He contemplated a comeback in 1980, but reconsidered after learning about American boycott of the Moscow Olympics. He began working in the insurance business instead.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 Rick Wohlhuter. sports-reference.com
  2. "USATF Hall of Fame: Rick Wohlhuter". Retrieved November 4, 2007.
  3. 1000 Metres – men – senior – outdoor. iaaf.org. Retrieved on July 15, 2015.


Awards
Preceded by
Kenya Ben Jipcho
Men's Track & Field Athlete of the Year
1974
Succeeded by
New Zealand John Walker


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