Charles Foster (athlete)
Charles Wayne Foster (born July 2, 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina) is a retired male hurdler from the United States. He finished in fourth place, just off the podium at the 1976 Olympics while setting his lifetime personal best of 13.41. In 1974 he was the number one ranked hurdler in the world, number 2 in 1975 and in the top ten from 1973-1979.[1]
Foster ran for North Carolina Central University, winning the 1974 NCAA Championships. A few weeks later that season, he won the National Championships. On tour, he also won the French national championship.[2] The NCAA victory qualified him for the World University Games the following year, where he won the Gold Medal. He was able to win the National Championship again in 1977 in a tie with UCLA's James Owens,[3] making him the U.S. representative at the 1977 IAAF World Cup, where he won a bronze medal. He picked up an additional bronze medal in international competition at the 1979 Pan American Games. He also picked up a pair of National Indoor championships in 1975 and 1978.[4]
Foster's career began at Gaffney High School in Gaffney, South Carolina, where he was state champion and the 1971 Junior National Champion in the 120 yard high hurdles.[5]
After his athletic career, he went into coaching at the University of North Carolina, Clemson University and Virginia Tech.[6] He was involved with the organizing committee for the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta and with the 1999 Special Olympics.[7]
References
External links
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| 1876–1878
New York Athletic Club |
- 1876: George Hitchcock
- 1877–78: Edwards Ficken
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| 1879–1888
NAAAA |
- 1879: Edward Haigh
- 1880: H.H. Moritz
- 1881–82: James Tivey (GBR)
- 1883–84: Silas Safford
- 1885–87: Alexander Jordan
- 1888Note 1: Alfred Copeland
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| 1888–1979
Amateur Athletic Union | |
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| 1980–1992
The Athletics Congress | |
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| 1993–present
USA Track & Field | |
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| | Notes |
- Note 1: In 1888 both the NAAAA and the AAU held championships
- 120 yd hurdles 1876–1927, 1929–31, 1953–55, 1957–58, 1961–63, 1965–67 and 1969–71; 110 m hurdles otherwise.
- First place was shared in 1969 and 1977.
- The 1920, 1928, 1932, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012 championships incorporated the Olympic Trials, otherwise held as a discrete event.
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United States
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