Mel Sheppard
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| Olympic medalist | |||
 Mel Sheppard |
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| Medal record | |||
| Men's athletics | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | 1908 London | 800 metres | |
| Gold | 1908 London | 1500 metres | |
| Gold | 1908 London | Medley relay | |
| Gold | 1912 Stockholm | 4x400 metres relay | |
| Silver | 1912 Stockholm | 800 metres | |
Melvin Whinfield ("Mel") Sheppard (September 5, 1883 – January 4, 1942) was an American athlete, winner of four gold medals at the 1908 Summer Olympics and 1912 Summer Olympics.
Born in Almonesson Lake, New Jersey, Mel Sheppard, or "Peerless Mel" as he was nicknamed, was rejected by the New York Police because he had a weak heart. Cardiopulmonary problems notwithstanding, Sheppard won three consecutive AAU titles in the 880 yards (805 m) from 1906 to 1908 and became a main favourite in middle distance at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London.
The 1908 Olympics were the first true championships for the 1500 metres, as the previous Olympics were not well attended by the top milers of the day. However, the heats for the final were capricious in their format: only the winner of each of the eight heats would qualify for the final, and there was no seeding to ensure that top runners were separated in their heats. Accordingly, top runners like 1904 and 1906 Olympic champion James Lightbody, John Halstead, second-fastest in history in the event and three-time AAA champion George Butterfield all failed to advance.
Sheppard won the 1500 metres, setting an Olympic record at 4:05.0 in the first round that fell in the very next heat, when Norman Hallows ran a 4:03.6. Sheppard matched Hallows' time in the final the next day to win the first running gold medal awarded at the 1908 Games.
In the 800 metres, Sheppard won his first round (semifinal) heat with a a time of 1:58.0; James Lintott remained close throughout the race and threatened to eliminate Sheppard from the competition. Noted for being a frontrunner, Sheppard ran the first 400 metres of the 800 metres final in 53 seconds and went on to win in the world record time of 1.52.8.
He earned his third gold medal on the medley relay race. He was the final runner on the American team, running fully half of the 1600 metre race. Even without being in as good of form as he had been in the individual races, Sheppard had little trouble retaining the leads giving to him by his teammates, William F. Hamilton, Nathaniel Cartmell, and John Taylor. The team won both the first round and final, in times of 3:27.2 and 3:29.4. Sheppard's 800 metre split for the final was 1:55.4.
After winning AAU titles at 880 yards (800 m) in 1911 and 1912, Sheppard was a favourite to defend his Olympic 800 metres title at the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm. At Stockholm, he tried the same tactics as in London, but after an opening lap of 52.4, he was overtaken by teammate Ted Meredith who set a new world record of 1.51.9. Sheppard won his fourth gold medal as lead-off runner on the 4 x 400 m relay team that set a world record of 3:16.6.
After retiring from sports Sheppard became a lawyer (he was one of the defenders of the Lindbergh child kidnapper Bruno Hauptmann). For many years, he was also the recreation director of the Millrose A.A.
Mel Sheppard died in Queens, New York City.
[edit] References
- Cook, Theodore Andrea (1908). The Fourth Olympiad, Being the Official Report. London: British Olympic Association.
- De Wael, Herman (2001). Athletics 1908. Herman's Full Olympians. Retrieved on 27 July 2006.
- Nelson, Cordner and Quercetani, Roberto (1985) The Milers, Tafnews Press, ISBN 0-911521-15-1
- Wudarski, Pawel (1999). Wyniki Igrzysk Olimpijskich. Retrieved on 27 July 2006. (Polish)
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| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Sheppard, Melvin Whinfield |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | American athlete |
| DATE OF BIRTH | September 5, 1883 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Almonesson Lake, United States |
| DATE OF DEATH | January 4, 1942 |
| PLACE OF DEATH | New York City, United States |
