Oerter, Al(fred) Adolf (1936–2007)

US discus thrower. In 1968 he became the first track and field athlete to win gold medals at four consecutive Olympic Games.

He won his first gold at the 1956 games in Melbourne, Australia, at the age of 19. In 1962, two years after retaining his title in Rome, Italy, he became the first person to throw the discus over 60 m/200 ft. At Tokyo, Japan, in 1964 he overcame a serious rib injury to win a third successive gold medal. Four years later in Mexico he won it again with a career best throw of 64.78 m/212.53 ft. He retired in 1969 but a decade later made a remarkable comeback, surpassing his career best with a throw of 69.46 m/228.83 ft in 1980. He was still throwing at a world class level well into his late forties.

Career highlights Olympic Games gold 1956, 1960, 1964, 1968