Houston McTear

Infobox Athlete


playername=Houston McTear
country=United States
club=Muhammad Ali Track Club
datebirth=Birth date|1957|02|12
placebirth=Okaloosa County, Florida
height=ft in to m|5|7|abbr=yes|precision=2
weight=lb to kg|165|abbr=yes
turnedpro=Unknown
pb=6.54s (60 meters)
9.30 s (100 yards)
olympics=None
worlds=None
highestranking=2nd 1977

Houston McTear (born February 12, 1957 in Okaloosa County, Florida) is a former American sprinter, who emerged from desperate poverty in the Florida Panhandle to become an international track star in the mid-1970s. [cite news|work=Miami Herald|title=The Glory Road: Stardom and a shanty are the two worlds of the world's fastest|date=1976-01-25] McTear rated in the top 10 in the 100 meters for the United States from 1975-1980, [cite web|url=http://www.trackandfieldnews.com/rankings/men/100usranking.pdf|title=All-Time U.S. Rankings — Men’s 100 Meters ] but he was stronger at shorter distances, including 60 meters. His 1978 world record in the 60 meters (6.54 s) stood up until it was broken by Ben Johnson in 1986. [cite news|date=1986-01-16|work=Washington Post|title=Johnson, Bubka Set Indoor Records|] [cite web|title=All-time men's indoors best 60m|url=http://www.alltime-athletics.com/m60mok.htm McTear ran a 6.38 in 1980, but that mark has been invalidated due to "questionable timing"; see [http://www.alltime-athletics.com/m60mno.htm] . If that time were to stand, it would still be the world record.] However, his meteoric rise was effectively ended by the American-led boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics, and he subsequently fell into obscurity, drug abuse and homelessness.

Early promise

McTear recorded an 9.0 mark in the 100-yard dash as a high schooler at Baker School, in Baker, Florida, but the world record time was not recognized because it was hand-timed. [cite news|work=New York Times|title=Sports brief|page=13|date=1975-05-10] [cite web|title=All-time men's best 100 yards|url=http://www.alltime-athletics.com/m_100yok.htm|] cite news|title=Sprint king, queen had share of potholes|lastname=Habib|firstname=Hal|work=Palm Beach Post|date=2002-05-10| "'Two of the timers had 8.9 and a third 9.0, so we rounded up to 9.0,' said The Orlando Sentinel's Bill Buchalter."]

International stardom

McTear qualified for the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal in the 100 meters, but a hamstring injury suffered in the Olympic Trials forced him to withdraw from the Olympic field. [cite news|work=Washington Post|title=McTear's Diet Has Changed, but Not His Victory Rate|date=1978-02-16|author=Shapiro, Leonard|] [cite news|work=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution|date=1995-10-22|title=Houston McTear: He was a flash of speed leaping from an impoverished childhood in Florida|author=Fish, Mike] He was replaced by Johnny "Lam" Jones, who finished sixth. [cite web|title=High School Olympians--Could there be one on your track team?|url=http://www.american-trackandfield.com/features/highschoololympians04summer.html|work=American Track and Field|lastname=Winitz|firstname=Mark] The American 4 x 100 meter relay team won the gold medal, led by McTear's rival Harvey Glance. [cite news|url=http://www.newsherald.com/archive/sports99/sa031099.htm|title=Crimson Tide track coach to get another glance at PC|publisher=The News Herald|author=McVay, Ken|date=1999-03-10]

McTear appeared on the cover of "Sports Illustrated" in 1978 [cite news|title=Off on a record tear|work=Sports Illustrated|date=1978-03-06|url=http://dynamic.si.cnn.com/si_online/covers/issues/1978/0306.html] , and qualified for the U.S. Olympic team in 1980, but the U.S. boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics prevented his participation. From there he fell into drug use and was homeless for three years during the 1980s.cite news|title=McTear back on track after disastrous '80s|work=Toronto Star|date=1992-01-18|publisher=CP] He attempted a comeback in the early 1990s and won the 60 meters at the Swedish Indoor Championships in 1990 with a time of 6.68s. [cite web|url=http://www.gbrathletics.com/nc/swei.htm|title=Swedish Indoor Championships]

McTear now lives in the United States and is married to the Swedish sprinter Linda Haglund.Fact|date=February 2008

Rankings

McTear was ranked among the best in the world and the US in his event from 1975 to 1980, according to "Track and Field News". [cite web|url=http://www.trackandfieldnews.com/rankings/men/100worldbyathlete.pdf|title=World Rankings Index--Men's 100 meters|publisher=Track and Field News] , [cite web|url=http://trackandfieldnews.com/rankings/men/100usbyathlete.pdf|title=U.S. Rankings Index--Men's 100 meters|publisher=Track and Field News]

References

External links

* [http://www.houstonmctear.com/ Tribute site]