Olympic gold medalist Jim Hines, who once held the title of the fastest man on Earth before going on to pursue a brief career in the NFL, has died. He was 76.
Hines, an Arkansas native who would grow up in Oakland, California, before going on to run track and field at Texas Southern University, died on Saturday, USA Track and Field announced in a press release Monday.
Jim Hines, #279, setting a new world record at finish line during 100M finals race, Mexico City during the 1968 Summer Olympics. (Rich Clarkson/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
Details surrounding Hines’ death were not immediately known.
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Hines’ career first took off at McClymonds High School in Oakland where he won two state titles his senior year. He would go on to qualify for Team USA during his freshman year at Texas Southern, where he was also a member of the football team.
However, Hines’ many achievements in high school and college would be quickly outshone by his first-place victory at the 1968 U.S. Outdoor National Track and Field Championships, where he became the first man to run the 100m in under 10 seconds.
Jim Hines wins gold and sets a new record at the 1968 Summer Olympics. (KEYSTONE-FRANCE/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)
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His official time was 9.9 seconds
He qualified for the Olympics in Mexico City with the record time when he would win gold in the 100m with a world-record time of 9.95 seconds. He also helped the 4×100 relay to a gold medal.
His record would stand for 15 years before it was broken by fellow American Calvin Smith in 1983. According to the Olympics website, it was the longest-standing 100m record.
James Hines victorious after winning Men’s 100M Final at Estadio Olimpico in Mexico City Oct. 13, 1968. (Rich Clarkson /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
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The current record of 9.58 seconds is held by eight-time Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt who ran it at the 2009 world championships in Berlin.
After his track career, Hines suited up for the Miami Dolphins and the Kansas City Chiefs. He had two catches for 23 yards for Miami in 1969, along with one kick return for 22 yards.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
