Al Oerter is the man who picked up a 4-pound, 6 1/2-ounce discus in the Olympic Games of 1956, 1960, 1964, and 1968 and hurled it far enough each time to win four gold medals. Many felt that Oerter, who was then 32, could not win the event because he had never thrown as far as Silvester did on his average throws. Al Oerter, the discus great who won gold medals in four straight Olympics, died Monday of heart failure. Amy Acuff; Richard Aldrich “Rink” Babka; Lanny Barnes; Lynda Lipson Blutreich; Bob Beamon; Carl Borack; Roald Bradstock; Reynaldo Brown; Gregory Burns; Ben Nighthorse Campbell Cathy Oerter was the wife of Al Oerter and assisted him in founding Art of the Olympians in 2006.. Cathy’s credentials, like her husband’s, include both the art and sport worlds. In 1960 Oerter lost in the Olympic trials to the world-record holder Richard Babka, but he made the Olympic team. He did make an attempt to qualify for the American team in 1980 but he finished fourth. His wife Cathy Oerter, said “He was a gentle giant. He recovered in time to compete at the 1960 Summer Olympics at Rome, where he was the slight favorite over teammate Rink Babka, who was the world record holder. He began his track and field career at the age of 15 when a discus landed at his feet and he threw it back past the crowd of throwers. He grew up in the nearby town of New Hyde Park, a suburb of New York City, … Easton guided Oerter in his early amateur career that included making the United States Olympic team in 1956. He is not the oldest; Viktor Rashchupkin—the 1980 champion—is almost a month older. It doesn’t help my argument that fellow Olympic gold medal winner, Hal Connelly, reminisced, “He was not just a great Olympian, but Zeus himself.” What I have learned along the way is that Al Oerter’s story never ends. As Al's wife, Cathy, has labeled them; "The Cellar Dwellers: John Boos, Al, and Dave Spector. Died: 11 December 2019, aged 81 He was the first to throw the discus more than 200 feet with his first world record of 61.10 meters (200 feet 5 inches). Oerter died at a hospital near his Fort Myers Beach home, his wife Cathy Oerter said. In The Olympics: 80 Years of People, Events, and Records, edited by Lord Killanin and John Rodda, it was acknowledged that Oerter has been “often cited as the Supreme Olympic athletics competitor…” Oerter began his Olympic career at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne. Part of Oerter’s work was his “Impact” series of paintings. SUBMIT. During his career he set new world records four times (1962–64). Al Oerter worked as a computer specialist for Grumman Data Systems for 28 years. Al Oerter continued throwing and eventually earned a scholarship to the University of Kansas in 1954 where he became a member of Delta Tau Delta Fraternity. The Olympics transformed Oerter into an athlete of international stature. Although he again wasn’t necessarily the favorite, nor the world record holder (Poland’s Edmund Piatkowski had set the new mark of 59.91 meters in 1959), Oerter easily defended his gold medal in the 1960 Rome Olympics with a winning throw of 59.18 meters (194 feet, 11/2 inches) as the United States once again swept the discus competition: Richard Babka won the silver medal and Dick Cochran the bronze. Bob Beamon. FORT MYERS, Fla. - Al Oerter, the discus great who won gold medals in four straight Olympics to become one of track and field's biggest stars in the 1950s and '60s, died yesterday of heart failure. Oerter passed away on October 1, 2007 of heart failure. Oerter returned to the Olympics in 1968 at Mexico City, but teammate Jay Silvester was cast as the favorite. Cathy Oerter was the wife of Al Oerter and assisted him in founding Art of the Olympians in 2006.. Cathy’s credentials, like her husband’s, include both the art and sport worlds. He threw poorly in the early rounds, and then Babka suggested he adjust his throwing position. "He was bigger than life." In 1959 Oerter also won the gold medal in the Pan-American Games. He was 71 andlived in Fort Myers Beach. For these works, Oerter would lay a puddle of a paint on a tarp, and fling a discus into it to create splashing lines on a canvas positioned in front of the tarp. Olympian Al Oerter’s wife Kathy & Producer Kevin Flournoy (12/9/14) Other Achievements. Today, he and his wife Cathy are living permanently in Florida, and until February 2003, Oerter was lifting weights regularly. Oerter was competing in great pain, but he set a new Olympic standard and won a third Olympic gold medal despite not being able to take his last throw due to the pain from his ribs. Babka was in the lead for the first four of the six rounds. And 1968 a month older up weightlifting in his quest for a fourth gold medal in the and! 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