| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men'sathletics | ||
Representingthe United States | ||
| Olympic Games | ||
 | 1948 London | 4 × 100 metres relay |
Lorenzo Christopher Wright (December 9, 1926 – March 27, 1972)[1] was an American athlete. ADetroit native, he started at Miller High School andWayne State University; Wright is renowned for his noteworthytrack and field accomplishments.
Lorenzo C. Wright's crowning athletic achievement would come as a member of thegold medal winning 4 × 100 meter relay team at the1948 Olympic Games. During those sameLondon Games, Wright finished fourth in a fiercely contestedlong jump competition.Willie Steele of the U.S. won thegold medal at 25 feet 8 inches (7.825 m);Australia'sTheo Bruce came in second, taking thesilver medal at 24 feet9+1⁄2 inches (7.555 m).Herb Douglas of the United States captured thebronze medal with a jump of 24 feet 9 inches (7.545 m), and Lorenzo Wright ended up in fourth place at 24 feet5+1⁄4 inches (7.45 m) – a hand's width from a second trip to the medals podium.
At Miller High, Wright was a two-time Detroit Public Secondary Schools Athletic League champion in thelong jump. Upon graduating from high school, LC Wright served eighteen months in theU.S. Army. Then, as a student-athlete for Wayne State University, Wright was anNCAAAll-American in 1947 and 1948; placing second and third respectively in the long jump. Lorenzo Wright was a Central Collegiate Conference indoor champion in the 60-yard dash; he was also the inauguralMid-American Conference titlist in the 100 and 220-yard dash, 220-yard low hurdles, and the long jump. During his career, Wright won two individual and two relay squad titles at the prestigiousPenn Relays. Wright also won the long jump event at the 1948 and 1952 NationalAAU Championships.
Wright's indoor and outdoor long jump marks, along with his performances in the 100-meter and 220-yard dash, are still Wayne State University varsity records – having stood the test of time for nearly seventy years.
Following his athletic career, L.C. Wright served many seasons as the track and swimming coach at Miller,Eastern and Southwestern High School; during the 1960s, Wright's athletes were some of the best in the United States. Wright was later appointed Director of the Detroit Public Secondary Schools Athletic League (DPSSAL). Wright was honored posthumously as a 1973 inductee to theMichigan Sports Hall of Fame and -in 1976- as a charter member of the Wayne State University Athletic Hall of Fame.
One of Detroit's major interscholastic athletic facilities, adjacent toMartin Luther King High School, is namedLorenzo C. Wright Field.
In 1972, at age 45, Wright was stabbed to death in his Detroit home by his wife Elizabeth during a dispute about their possible separation.[2][3]
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