George Brown

George Henry Brown Jr. (July 25, 1931 – July 23, 2018) was an American long jumper. He was the world's best jumper between 1951 and 1953 and the favorite at the 1952 Summer Olympics, but he fouled on all his jumps in the Olympic final.

Career Early career Brown attended Jordan High School in Los Angeles, California, however, although his record was statistically valid, Only one athlete of any age, Gay Bryan, exceeded Brown's jump that year, and Track & Field News ranked Brown ninth in the world in its annual rankings. He was Track and Field News "High School Athlete of the Year" in 1949.

Brown graduated from high school that year and went to first Compton Junior College and then UCLA. but in 1951 he became the world's leading jumper, winning the NCAA and United States championships and topping both the world list and the Track & Field News rankings. with a best jump of 26 ft 1 in (7.95 m) from Tokyo on July 18.

1952 Brown's good form continued in 1952. On May 10 he improved his personal best to 26 ft in (8.00 m) at the West Coast Relays in Fresno, placing him third on the world all-time list behind Owens and 1948 Olympic champion Willie Steele. At the NCAA championships his winning streak was seriously threatened by Buzz Taylor, but Brown's last-round leap of 25 ft in (7.90 m) secured him another title and victory. He also successfully defended his title at the national championships, jumping 25 ft 9 in (7.84 m) and defeating runner-up Meredith Gourdine by more than a foot.

Brown entered the 1952 Olympic Trials as a clear favorite. and in a coaches' poll ahead of the Trials 29 of 31 respondents predicted that Brown would win. He did not, however, and nearly failed to even make the team; with only one round left, he had a best of 24 ft in (7.50 m) and was four inches behind Taylor, who held the third and final qualifying spot. in muddy and slippery conditions most jumpers had problems hitting the board, The other Americans, Biffle and Gourdine, won gold and silver. and leading both the world list and the Track & Field News rankings for a third consecutive year. At the national championships in Bakersfield he jumped 25 ft m (7.75 m), his best jump since 1953; At the Olympic Trials, however, he only placed 13th with a jump of 23 ft (7.21 m) and failed to make the Olympic team.