Dave Wottle wore a golf cap to Olympic gold.
Dave Wottle’s charge from last place to win an improbable gold medal in the 800m is a hidden gem
www.theguardian.com
Thanks. I always remembered it as a painter's hat, probably due to watching on a black and white tv.....
Leading up to the
1972 Olympic Games in
Munich,
Germany, Wottle won the
AAU 800 meter title before equaling the
world record over 800 meters of 1:44.3 at the US Olympic Trials.
In the
800 meter final at the Olympics, Wottle immediately dropped to the rear of the field, and stayed there for the first 500 m, at which point he started to pass runner after runner up the final straightaway.
[5] He seized the lead in the final stretch to beat pre-race favorite
Yevgeny Arzhanov of the Soviet Union by just 0.03 seconds. This gained him the nickname of "The Head Waiter". (Another nickname was "Wottle the Throttle").
[6] Stunned by his victory, Wottle forgot to remove his cap on the podium during the
national anthem. This was interpreted by some as a form of protest, but Wottle later apologized at the news conference following the medals ceremony.
[7] He also competed in the
1500 meter run at the Munich Olympics, but he was eliminated in the semi-finals.
His signature cap was originally used for practical purposes. He sported long hair at the peak of his career, so the hat kept his hair out of his face. After realizing the cap was part of his identity and for good luck, he wore it for the remainder of his career.
[5]
www.cbssports.com
