Nelson Vails
 | ||
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
Competitor for  United States
| ||
| Men's Cycling | ||
| Olympic Games | ||
| Silver | LA 1984 | Individual Sprint |
| Pan American Games | ||
| Gold | Caracas 1983 | Individual Sprint |
Nelson Beasley Vails (born October 13, 1960 in Harlem New York) is a retired road and track cyclist from the United States. He rode as a professional from 1988 to 1995 representing the USA at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California, where he won the silver medal in the 1000-meter Match Sprint, behind countryman Mark Gorski. Vails was the first African-American cyclist to win an Olympic medal and he was inducted to the US Bicycle Hall of Fame in 2009.
Vails was also seen as a New York bicycle messenger in the movie Quicksilver (film). He didn't just play a bicycle messenger in "Quicksilver," he worked as one in New York City. His nickname was "The Cheetah.".[1] After his sporting career he has worked as a cycling commentator for major TV networks and taken part in cycling safety programs.
Palmarès
- 1983
- 1st Pan American Games, individual sprint
- 1984
- 2nd Olympic Games, sprint
- 1st
US National Track Champion, individual sprint - 1st US National Track Champion, tandem sprint
- 1985
- 1st
Track World Champion, tandem sprint - 1st US National Track Champion, tandem sprint
- 1986
- 1st US National Track Champion, tandem sprint
References
- ↑ Mara Bovsun. "Fastest Cat - Nelson Vails". Retrieved 2011-07-26.