George Woods

While at Southern Illinois, George Woods' best placing at the NCAA was in 1964 when he finished second and, although during his long career he won the AAU indoor shot four times, he never succeeded in winning the outdoor title. After placing second to Randy Matson at the 1968 Olympics he was desperately unlucky not to win the gold medal at München. Woods' final trial at the 1972 Games would almost certainly have exceeded Władysław Komar's winning mark – albeit marginally – but the shot hit Komar's measuring peg and Woods lost the Olympic title by a mere centimeter Woods made a third Olympic appearance in 1976 when he placed seventh. He tried for a fourth team in 1980, but placed only eleventh at the Final Trials. Woods had a career best of 72-2¾ (22.02) in 1974 which, bettered the current world record, but because it was indoors at the Los Angeles Times Games, it did not receive official approval.

Personal Bests: SP – 72-2¾i (22.02i) (1974); DT – 181-6 (55.32) (1968).