Photo: Joe Mabel / CC BY-SA 3.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
John Carlos is one of those figures where the athletic resume almost becomes secondary to the moment. Bronze in the 200 meters at the 1968 Olympics is impressive on its own, but it's the Black Power salute on that podium with Tommie Smith that made him historic. I admire the courage there. He knew the cost and raised his fist anyway. The later Arthur Ashe Courage Award feels like belated recognition of exactly that. What I appreciate is that he was a genuine athlete first, having tied a world record, not a protester who happened to compete. That combination is what makes him endure.
Overview
John Wesley Carlos (born June 5, 1945) is an American former track and field athlete and professional football player. He was the bronze-medal winner in the 200 meters at the 1968 Summer Olympics, where he displayed the Black Power salute on the podium with Tommie Smith. He went on to tie the world record in the 100-yard dash and beat the 200 meters world record (although the latter achievement was never certified).
Summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- John Carlos
- Name (Japanese)
- ジョン・カーロス
- Reading
- じょん・かーろす
- Born
- June 5, 1945 (age 81)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Gemini / Rooster
- Origin
- New York City, New York, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- 193 cm
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- sprinter / athletics competitor / Canadian football player / American football player / athlete
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- San Jose State University
Awards & achievements
- Arthur Ashe Courage Award
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Sprinter — see all → · Athletics competitor — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.