Wilma Rudolph
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Object Details
- Date
- 1962 (printed 1975)
- Artist
- Tony Vaccaro, born 1922
- Sitter
- Wilma Rudolph, 23 Jun 1940 - 12 Nov 1994
- Exhibition Label
- Born Saint Bethlehem, Tennessee
- Eleven seconds flat. That is the time it took for Wilma Rudolph to reach victory in the 100-meter sprint and claim Olympic gold at the 1960 Summer Games in Rome. The twenty-year-old sprinter, known as “Skeeter,” had overcome tremendous odds to reach the pinnacle in her sport. As a child, Rudolph endured a series of devastating illnesses that left her with a partially paralyzed left leg. After a brace, an orthopedic shoe, and years of therapy, she not only regained full use of her leg but also emerged as a lightning-fast runner. With her stellar performances in the 100 and 200-meter sprints and the 400-meter relay in Rome, Rudolph became the first American woman to win three gold medals in track and field events in a single Olympics. When she later refused to participate in a segregated victory celebration in Clarksville, Tennessee, the festivities became that town’s first integrated functions.
- Nacida en Saint Bethlehem, Tennessee
- Once segundos exactos. Eso fue lo que le tomó a Wilma Rudolph ganar la carrera de 100 metros y obtener la medalla de oro en los Juegos Olímpicos de 1960 en Roma. La velocista de 20 años, conocida como “Skeeter” (Mosquito) había superado grandes obstáculos para llegar a la cumbre. De niña, sufrió enfermedades graves que le causaron parálisis parcial de la pierna izquierda. Fue al cabo de años de terapia, aparatos y zapatos ortopédicos que recuperó el uso completo de la pierna y logró convertirse en una corredora relámpago. Con su desempeño estelar en Roma en 100 y 200 metros, así como en el relevo de 400 metros, Rudolph fue la primera mujer estadounidense que ganó tres medallas de oro en campo y pista en una misma olimpiada. A su regreso, se negó a participar en una celebración segregada en Clarksville, Tennessee, dando lugar a la primera festividad inte grada del pueblo.
- Topic
- Equipment\Sports Equipment\Cleats
- Wilma Rudolph: Female
- Wilma Rudolph: Sports and Recreation\Coach
- Wilma Rudolph: Sports and Recreation\Athlete\Track & Field
- Wilma Rudolph: Athletics awards\Olympic medal
- Portrait
- See more items in
- National Portrait Gallery Collection
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Credit Line
- National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift of Monah L. Gettner
- Data Source
- National Portrait Gallery
- Object number
- NPG.2017.21
- Type
- Photograph
- Restrictions & Rights
- Usage conditions apply
- Copyright
- © Tony Vaccaro
- Medium
- Gelatin silver print
- Dimensions
- Image: 25.2 × 22.3 cm (9 15/16 × 8 3/4")
- Sheet: 28.8 × 23.9 cm (11 5/16 × 9 7/16")
- Metadata Usage
- Usage conditions apply
- Record ID
- npg_NPG.2017.21