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Portrait of J. D. Martin

J. D. Martin

b. 1939

American decathlete and pole vaulter

Combined track and field event athletePole vaulterTrack and field coach
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About J. D. Martin

Born 1939. J. D. Martin is an American combined track and field event athlete, pole vaulter and track and field coach.

John David "J.D." Martin (born March 19, 1939) is an American former track and field athlete who competed in the pole vault and decathlon. His greatest achievement was a decathlon gold medal for the United States at the 1963 Pan American Games. He set a games record of 7335 points in the process, also a personal record. His personal record for the pole vault was . His best finish nationally was third in the decathlon at the 1961 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

Raised in Erick, Oklahoma, at collegiate level he competed for the Oklahoma Sooners and won the NCAA Men's Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships in 1960. He quickly moved into coaching and served as the track and cross country running coach at the University of Oklahoma from 1964 to 1997. Over this period, he was coach to two Olympic gold medallists, 22 individual national champions and 171 collegiate All-Americans. He was inducted into the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame in 2005.

His alma mater set up the J.D. Martin Invitational track meet in 2006 in his honour.

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Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Combined track and field event athlete, pole vaulter, track and field coach
Nationality
Education
University of Oklahoma
Also known as
John David Martin, John Martin

People in J. D. Martin's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped J. D. Martin's

Frequently asked questions

Who is J. D. Martin?

American decathlete and pole vaulter

When was J. D. Martin born?

J. D. Martin was born on 19 March 1939 in Erick.

What is J. D. Martin's occupation?

J. D. Martin is a combined track and field event athlete, pole vaulter and track and field coach.

What nationality is J. D. Martin?

J. D. Martin is American.

Sources & further reading

Β· Wikipedia: J. D. Martin

Β· Wikidata: Q19564547

Β· DBpedia: John David Martin

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). J. D. Martin. https://biography.guide/j-d-martin-combined-track-and-field-event-athlete/

MLA: "J. D. Martin." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/j-d-martin-combined-track-and-field-event-athlete/.

Chicago: "J. D. Martin." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/j-d-martin-combined-track-and-field-event-athlete/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 Β· Spot an error? Report a correction.

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