The 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio are quickly approaching, and the racial diversity of the Games has improved greatly over the years. Just over 90 years ago, DeHart Hubbard made a significant dent in history by becoming the first Black person to win individual Olympic gold at the Summer Games.
Born William DeHart Hubbard on November 25, 1903, the Cincinnati, Ohio native was a star track and field athlete and academic standout at Walnut Hills High School. His athletic prowess gained the attention of the University of Michigan and Hubbard entered the institution as one of its few Black students.
Early on, Hubbard didn’t fare well athletically but made the best of his time as a student, becoming a member of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity. But in his junior year, Hubbard began to blossom on the field and earned a spot on the U.S. Track and Field squad for the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris.
After struggling mightily in the long jump event at first, he pulled out the gold in his final jump. Hubbard won with a jump of 24 feet, five and a half inches. The following year, Hubbard set a world long jump record and a world 100-yard dash record in Cincinnati.
Hubbard graduated with honors from Michigan returned to Ohio for a quiet and private life away from sports. Hubbard passed in Cleveland in 1976.
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