Rafer Johnson
Rafer Johnson, in full Rafer Lewis Johnson, (born August 18, 1935, Hillsboro, Texas, U.S.), American athlete, who won a gold medal in the decathlon at the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome.
Johnson competed in his first decathlon in 1954 as a sophomore at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and in 1955 he won the gold medal at the Pan American Games. Injuries forced him to settle for a silver medal in the 1956 Olympic decathlon in Melbourne, Australia, but he set a world record in 1958.
Rafer Johnson, in full Rafer Lewis Johnson, (born August 18, 1935, Hillsboro, Texas, U.S.), American athlete, who won a gold medal in the decathlon at the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome.
Johnson competed in his first decathlon in 1954 as a sophomore at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and in 1955 he won the gold medal at the Pan American Games. Injuries forced him to settle for a silver medal in the 1956 Olympic decathlon in Melbourne, Australia, but he set a world record in 1958.
