Olympic gold medalist Jim Hines, who once held the title of fastest man on Earth before pursuing a brief NFL career, has died. He was 76 years old.
Hines, an Arkansas native who would grow up in Oakland, California, before running track in university of south texas died on Saturday, USA Track and Field announced in a news release Monday.
Jim Hines, #279, setting a new world record at the finish line during the 100M final race, Mexico City during the 1968 Summer Olympics. (Rich Clarkson/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
Details about Hines’ death were not immediately available.
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Hines’ career first took off at McClymonds High School in Oakland, where he won two state titles as a senior. He would go on to qualify for Team USA during his freshman year at Texas Southern, where he was also a member of the soccer team.
However, Hines’s many high school and college accomplishments would be quickly eclipsed by his first win at the 1968 USA Track and Field National Championships where he became the first man to run the 100m in less than 10 seconds.
Jim Hines wins gold and sets a new record at the 1968 Summer Olympics. (KEYSTONE-FRANCE/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)
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His official time was 9.9 seconds.
He qualified for the Olympic Games in Mexico City with the record time when he would win gold in the 100 m with a world record time of 9.95 seconds. He also helped the 4×100 relay to a gold medal.
His record would stand for 15 years before it was broken by fellow American Calvin Smith in 1983. According to the Olympics website, it was the oldest record for the 100m.
James Hines victorious after winning the men’s 100 meter final at the Olympic Stadium in Mexico City on October 13, 1968. (Rich Clarkson/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
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The current record of 9.58 seconds is held by eight-time Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt, who ran it at the 2009 world championships in Berlin.
After his track career, Hines suited up for the Miami Dolphins and the Kansas City Chiefs. He had two catches for 23 yards for Miami in 1969, along with a punt return for 22 yards.
Associated Press contributed to this report.