Madeline Manning Mims is more widely known as the first American woman to ever win a gold medal in the 800 meters, but what some might not know is that Mims is a native Tulsan.
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She competed in the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City at the age of 20. To this day, Mims is the only American gold medalist in that category of distance.
Over the course of her 14 year career, Mims won 10 national titles and set the American record in the 800 meter three times. During the 1972 Olympics, she added a silver medal in the 4-by-400 Relay to her collection.
She also competed in the 1976 games and qualified in 1980 but the United State’s boycott of the Moscow games prevented her from a fourth Olympic appearance.
In 1984, she was inducted into the United States National Track and Field Hall of Fame.
Now, Mims still resides in Tulsa and is a gospel singer. She plans to be in Rio serving as a U.S. Team Chaplain for the seventh time.
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