You Are Here > Olympics at Sports-Reference.com > Athletes > Mal Whitfield

Mal Whitfield

Full name: Malvin Groston "Mal" Whitfield
Gender: Male
Height: 6'1" (185 cm)
Weight: 168 lbs (76 kg)
Born: October 11, 1924 in Bay City, Texas, United States
Affiliations: US Air Force, (USA)
Country: USA United States
Sport: Athletics

Medals: 3 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze (5 Total)

Biography

Mal Whitfield was the finest 400/800m runner of his time. Between June 1948 and the end of the 1954 season he lost only three of his 69 races at 800m/880y, and during that period he won all his two-lap races in major championships, including five AAU wins, two at the NCAA, two Olympic, and one Pan American Games gold medal. In the 1951 Pan American Games he also finished first in the 400m and in the 4×400 metres Relay (with the non-Olympians Bill Brown, John Voight, and Hugo Maiocco). Four years later he finished fourth in the 1955 Pan American Games 800m. He also won the AAU 440y in 1952. Whitfield, who was an Ohio State Buckeye, set U.S. records at 400m and 440y and three world records – two at 880y (1:49.2 and 1:48.6) and one at 1,000m (2:20.8). Indoors he won two AAU titles and set world records at three different distances. In 1955 he tried unsuccessfully to move up to the mile, but he reverted to the 800m in 1956 and, after placing fifth at the Final Trials, he finally retired. Mal Whitfield then travelled the world working for the U.S. Intelligence Service and at one stage of his career lived in Africa for three years.

Personal Bests: 400 – 45.9 (1953); 800 – 1:47.9 (1953); Mile – 4:12.6 (1954).

Results

Glossary ▪ CSV ▪ PRE
Games Age City Sport Event Team NOC Rank Medal
1948 Summer 23 London Athletics Men's 400 metres United States USA 3 Bronze
1948 Summer 23 London Athletics Men's 800 metres United States USA 1 Gold OR
1948 Summer 23 London Athletics Men's 4 × 400 metres Relay United States USA 1 Gold
1952 Summer 27 Helsinki Athletics Men's 400 metres United States USA 6
1952 Summer 27 Helsinki Athletics Men's 800 metres United States USA 1 Gold
1952 Summer 27 Helsinki Athletics Men's 4 × 400 metres Relay United States USA 2 Silver

Men's 400 metres

Glossary ▪ CSV ▪ PRE ▪ Event History ▪ Mouseover for column descriptions
Games Age City Sport Country Phase Unit Rank T(H) T(A) L T(A 1/10) ATM
1948 Summer 23 London Athletics United States Final 3 46.9 4 at 0.66
1948 Summer 23 London Athletics United States Semi-Finals Heat One 3 QU 47.4 at 0.96
1948 Summer 23 London Athletics United States Quarter-Finals Heat One 1 QU 48.0 48.2
1948 Summer 23 London Athletics United States Round One Heat Eight 1 QU 48.3
1952 Summer 27 Helsinki Athletics United States Final 6 47.1 47.30 1
1952 Summer 27 Helsinki Athletics United States Semi-Finals Heat One 3 QU 46.4 46.64
1952 Summer 27 Helsinki Athletics United States Quarter-Finals Heat Three 1 QU 47.6 47.74
1952 Summer 27 Helsinki Athletics United States Round One Heat Six 1 QU 48.6 48.68

Men's 800 metres

Glossary ▪ CSV ▪ PRE ▪ Event History ▪ Mouseover for column descriptions
Games Age City Sport Country Phase Unit Rank T(H) T(A) T(A 1/10) ATM
1948 Summer 23 London Athletics United States Final 1 OR 1:49.2 1:49.3
1948 Summer 23 London Athletics United States Semi-Finals Heat One 2 QU 1:50.7 at 0.29
1948 Summer 23 London Athletics United States Round One Heat Six 1 QU 1:52.8 1:52.8
1952 Summer 27 Helsinki Athletics United States Final 1 =OR 1:49.2 1:49.34
1952 Summer 27 Helsinki Athletics United States Semi-Finals Heat One 2 QU 1:50.1 1:50.15
1952 Summer 27 Helsinki Athletics United States Round One Heat Two 1 QU 1:52.5

Men's 4 × 400 metres Relay

Glossary ▪ CSV ▪ PRE ▪ Event History ▪ Mouseover for column descriptions
Games Age City Sport Team NOC Phase Unit Rank T(H) T(A) ST T(A 1/10)
1948 Summer 23 London Athletics United States USA Final 1 3:10.4 47,3 3:10.4
1948 Summer 23 London Athletics United States USA Round One Heat One 1 QU 3:12.6 3:12.6
1952 Summer 27 Helsinki Athletics United States USA Final 2 3:04.0 3:04.21 45,5
1952 Summer 27 Helsinki Athletics United States USA Round One Heat Two 1 QU 3:11.5 3:11.67