Roger Kingdom

Roger Kingdom excelled at the high jump and discus in high school and was also a top American football player. He attended the University of Pittsburgh, originally on a football scholarship, but excelled in track and won the 1983 NCAA title in the 110 metre hurdles. Kingdom made his international début at the 1983 Pan American Games, where he won a gold medal, but he was not considered the favorite for high hurdles gold at the 1984 Olympics. In the Olympic final, favored Greg Foster took the lead by the second hurdle, but Kingdom pulled even at the eighth hurdle, and narrowly won the gold medal.

Between the 1984 and 1988 Olympics, Kingdom struggled with injuries, winning only the 1985 TAC Championships. In 1988, he came back to form, first winning his second US title and then one month before the Olympics, became the second man to run 110 m hurdles under 13 seconds, recording 12.97 in Sestriere. In the Seoul Olympic final, Kingdom won his second Olympic gold, again bettering 13 seconds with 12.98.

In 1989 Kingdom continued his dominance by winning the World Indoor title, the World Cup, the Universiade title, and his third US national title as well as running a world record of 12.92 in Zürich. In 1990 Kingdom won the Goodwill Games and his fourth US national title, but the next four seasons he was again hampered by injuries. Kingdom made a comeback in 1995 by winning his fifth US title, the Pan American title and bronze at the World Championships, but retired soon thereafter. He later worked as a track coach at California University of Pennsylvania.

Personal Best: 110H – 12.92 (1989).