Photo: Joe Mabel—CC BY-SA 3.0
John Carlos
- Born
- Jun 5, 1945 (81 years old)
- Birthplace
- New York City, United States
- Events
- 200 m · 100 m
- Height
- 1.93 m
- Weight
- 85 kg
- Club
- Toronto Argonauts
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). After his track career, he enjoyed a brief stint in the Canadian Football League but retired due to injury.
He became involved with the United States Olympic Committee and helped to organize the 1984 Summer Olympics. Following this, he became a track coach at Palm Springs High School. He was inducted into the USA Track & Field Hall of Fame in 2003. He is the author, with sportswriter Dave Zirin, of The John Carlos Story: The Sports Moment That Changed the World, published in 2011 by Haymarket Books.
As of Oct 27, 2026: 200 m 19.92 (#80 all-time), 100 m 9.9h, 1970 season best 20.2h (Mar 17, 1970) · Olympic Games: 1 bronze · 81 years old
Personal bests
WA points calculator →* Wind-assisted (> 2.0 m/s)
Medals
| Competitions | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Olympic Games | – | – | 1 | 1 |
Progression
| Season | Discipline | Result | Wind | Date | Competitions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 200m | 20.2h | – | Mar 17, 1970 | – |
| 1969 | 100m | 9.9h | +3.2 | Sep 12, 1969 | Stuttgart (GER) |
| 1969 | 200m | 20.0h | +0.2 | Sep 12, 1969 | – |
| 1968 | 100m | 10.0h | – | Aug 31, 1968 | – |
| 1968 | 200m | 19.92 | +1.9 | Sep 12, 1968 | Echo Summit (USA) |
| 1967 | 200m | 20.2h | – | Mar 11, 1967 | – |