- Morris Kirksey
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Olympic medal record Men's athletics Competitor for the United States Gold 1920 Antwerp 4x100 m relay Silver 1920 Antwerp 100 metres Men's rugby Gold 1920 Antwerp Team Morris Marshall Kirksey (September 13, 1895 - November 25, 1981) was an American track and field athlete and rugby union footballer who won two gold medals at the 1920 Summer Olympics. He is one of four athletes to win gold medals in two different Olympic sports.
Born in Waxahachie, Texas, Kirksey moved to the San Francisco Bay Area when he was about thirteen years old and graduated from Palo Alto High School in 1913.[1]
At the 1920 Olympic Games in Antwerp, Kirksey finished second in the 100-meter sprint behind Charlie Paddock. Six days later he anchored the United States 4x100-meter relay team that won the gold medal in a world record time of 42.2 seconds. Two weeks later Kirksey won his second gold medal, helping the American rugby team defeat France 8-0.
As a Stanford University student, Kirksey won the IC4A championships in 100 yd (91 m) in 1921 and repeated the Paddock's world record in 100 yd (91 m) of 9.6.
Kirksey earned a bachelor's degree in philosophy from Stanford and then a degree from St. Louis Medical College. He worked as a staff psychiatrist for the state Department of Corrections, assigned to San Quentin and Folsom prisons.
Morris Kirksey died in San Mateo, California, at the age of 86.
References
Olympic Champions in Men's 4×100 m Relay - 1912
- 1920
- 1924
- 1928
- 1932
- 1936
- 1948
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Categories:- 1895 births
- 1981 deaths
- American track and field athletes
- American rugby union players
- Athletes (track and field) at the 1920 Summer Olympics
- Rugby union players at the 1920 Summer Olympics
- Olympic track and field athletes of the United States
- Olympic rugby union players of the United States
- Olympic gold medalists for the United States
- Olympic silver medalists for the United States
- People from Waxahachie, Texas
- Stanford Cardinal track and field athletes
- United States international rugby union players
- Olympic medalists in athletics (track and field)
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