Ashworth, Gerald

Sport:
track and field

Country Represented:
United States

Years Competed:
1964

Medals Received:
gold

Olympic Info:
A member of the United States track and field team at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, Ashworth ran the second leg for the 4x100 meter relay team. The U.S. team captured the gold medal and set a new world record in the final (39.0). One of Ashworth's teammates on the relay was 100-meter winner Bob Hayes (who later played in the NFL), considered by some to be the greatest sprinter in history.

Career Highlights:
In the early 1960s, Ashworth was one of the best sprinters, indoor and outdoor, in the world. In 1961, at the age of only 19, Ashworth tied the world record in the 60-yard dash with a time of 6.1 seconds. In 1962, while attending Dartmouth (class of '63), Gerald set the world record in the 100-yard with a time of 9.4; he equaled that mark in 1964. That year, Gerald set the world record in the 100-meter with a time of 10.1 (wind-aided), and was ranked No. 8 in the world (No. 4 in the U.S.). He still holds the 50-yard record at Dartmouth with a time of 5.3. On October 1, 2000, Gerald was elected to the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.

Birth and Death Dates:
b. May 1, 1942

Origin:
Haverhill, Massachusetts

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