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US Olympic gold medalist Larry James dies at 61
G Larry James, who won gold and silver medals in athletics at the 1968 Olympics, died of cancer on Thursday. He was 61.
G Larry James, who won gold and silver medals in athletics at the 1968 Olympics, died of cancer on Thursday. He was 61.
James also was the athletic director at Richard Stockton College for 28 years. School spokesman Tim Kelly confirmed James' death. James, nicknamed "The Mighty Burner," teamed with Vince Matthews, Ron Freeman and Lee Evans on the US 4x400 relay team, which won gold in Mexico City. He also won an individual silver medal in the 400 meters.
James was inducted into the US Track & Field Hall of Fame in 2003. He remained active in the Olympic movement, holding a variety of positions with USA Track and Field.
He was a 1970 graduate of Villanova University and earned a master's degree from Rutgers University. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves, achieving the rank of major.
