Milt Campbell, first black decathlete to win Olympic gold, dies at 78

Milt Campbell, the first black athlete to win the Olympic decathlon, has died at the age of 78. His longtime partner, Linda Rusch, said Campbell passed away on Friday at home in Gainesville, Ga., after a decade-long battle with prostate cancer. Campbell’s star rose after his celebrated Olympic gold in 1956 in Melbourne, following a silver medal in 1952, and he went on to play pro football and later became a motivational speaker. In 1999 he was inducted into the National Track and Field Hall of Fame, and earlier this year he was honored by the International Swimming Hall of Fame — Campbell is the the only athlete included in both halls of fame. [Source]

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