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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1931-04-23)April 23, 1931 Sacramento, California, U.S. |
| Died | April 10, 1971(1971-04-10) (aged 39) Downey, Illinois, U.S. |
| Height | 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)[1] |
| Weight | 76 kg (168 lb)[1] |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Track and field |
Events | |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Personalbest(s) | 100 y:9.3 s, =WR (Evanston, USA; March 14, 1955)[2] |
Jim Golliday was an Americansprinter, specializing in the100 yard and100 meter events. He was the United States100 yards champion in 1951.
Originally a champion school football player atWendell Phillips High School in Chicago, Golliday did not take track and field seriously until hissenior year in 1949, winning theIllinois school's 100-yard title.[3][4]
As a student atNorthwestern University, Golliday was USA champion in the 100-yard sprint in 1951.[5] This despite, as a freshman, being unable to compete for his university.[4]
He was considered the favourite for the 100 meters title at the1952 Helsinki Olympics[6] but injury denied him a chance to compete.[7][4]
A successful indoor season and a win in the 1952 NCAA 100 yards event showed he was in good early season form (10.4 s into a stiff wind[1]). However, the recurrence of a muscle injury suffered in a semi-final of the 1952AAU meet meant that he hobbled out of his heat at the 1952US Olympic Trials.[7]Lindy Remigino, the winner of 100 meters title at the 1952 Olympics, magnanimously stated that "of course, Jimmy Golliday was the favourite in the trials. I think he was the fastest of us all".[6][4]
In 1952 he entered theUnited States Army, and competed on service teams in Europe, before returning to the United States andNorthwestern University in 1954.[3][8][9]
In 1955, he matched theworld record for the 100 yards at 9.3 seconds.[8][10]
In 1956, he set an indoors world record for the 60 yards dash.,[11][12] but injury again denied him a chance to compete at the1956 Melbourne Olympics.[7] He trailed in last in his semi-final of the 100 meters due to a muscle injury – another occurrence of the type of injury that plagued him throughout his career.[13][4]
After retirement, he lived in California selling insurance, before returning to Chicago because of ill health.[14]
He died in 1971, aged only 39. The cause of death was listed as pneumonia, a condition he suffered as a complication following surgery for ulcers at Downey Veterans Hospital in Illinois.[14]
Golliday was ranked byTrack and Field News as among the best in the US and the world in the 100 meters sprint event in the period from 1951 to 1955.[15][16]
| Year | World rank | US rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1951 | 1st | 1st |
| 1952 | 2nd | 2nd |
| 1953 | 7th | 5th |
| 1954 | 3rd | 2nd |
| 1955 | 1st | 1st |
