Alice Coachman

Alice Coachman became the first black woman to win an Olympic gold medal in any sport when she won the 1948 high jump title with a new Games record of 5-6¼ (1.68). She was also the only U.S. woman to win a track & field gold medal in 1948. Alice Coachman still holds the record (thru 2020) for the most victories in the AAU outdoor high jump with 10 consecutive championships between 1939 and 1948, and in 1941 and 1945-46, she also won the indoor title. Additionally Alice Coachman won eight AAU sprint titles outdoors (100m - 1941, 1942, 1945-46; 50m - 1943-47) and two indoors (50m - 1945-46). Before enrolling at Albany State, which she represented for most of her career, she attended Tuskegee Institute and was twice on their winning relay team at the AAU meet. She thus won a total of 25 AAU championships.

Coachman later became a teacher in Atlanta and also created the Alice Coachman Track and Field Foundation to help young athletes. Coachman was inducted into the US Track & Field Hall of Fame in 1975 and is also a member of the National High School Track & Field Hall of Fame, inducted in 2018. In her hometown of Albany, Georgia, an elementary school was named in her honor, the Alice Coachman Elementary School.

Personal Best: HJ – 1.68 (1948).