Kathy Hammond won her first senior title as a 15-year-old when she took the AAU indoor 440y in 1967. She won again in 1970 and 1972, and was outdoors AAU champion in 1969 and 1972. The year 1969 was a truly outstanding one for Hammond – she lost only one race throughout an entire season and twice posted new U.S. records while on a European tour, her best mark being 52.1 for 400m in Warsaw. Kathy Hammond was handicapped by injury in 1970 and was suspended for much of the 1971 season, but in 1972 she was back at the top of her form and improved her own U.S. record to 51.64 in taking third place in the Olympic final. At the time many thought of her as a veteran but she was, in fact, still only 20 years old and, to add to her bronze in the individual event, she ran the anchor leg in the relay in close to 50 seconds to clinch the silver medals for the Americans.
Personal Bests: 200 – 23.4 (1969); 400 – 51.64 (1972); 800 – 2:11.3 (1969).
United States