5 things you need to know about Alice Coachman, first black woman to win Olympic gold at 24

Theodora Aidoo July 31, 2020
5 things you need to know about Alice Coachman, first black woman to win Olympic gold at 24
Alice Coachman in 2012 – Pic Credit: Damon Winter/The New York Times

Later Years

At the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta, Coachman was honored as one of the 100 greatest Olympians in history.

The 1940 and 1944 Olympics were canceled because of World War II. Coachman completed her final try in the high jump and that was the end of her track and field career. The following year, she graduated from Albany State College with her degree in home economics and a minor in science.

She became a teacher and created the Alice Coachman Track and Field Foundation in a bid to give back to those in financial need.  Coachman was inducted to the United States Olympic Hall of Fame in 2004. She was also inducted into nine different halls of fame, including the National Track & Field Hall of Fame (1975) and the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame (2004).

Months after being admitted to a nursing home after suffering a stroke, Coachman died on July 14, 2014, at the age of 90 in Georgia.

Last Edited by:Kent Mensah Updated: July 31, 2020

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