Loren Murchison

Loren Murchison (1898 to 1979) was an American sprinter who won two Olympic gold medals as a member of the United States 4 x 100 metres relay team, at the 1920 Summer Olympics and again at the 1924 Summer Olympics. Born in Farmersville, Texas, he was regarded as one of the finest Olympic sprinters of his time even though he never won an individual Olympic medal; he reached the individual sprint finals three times, finishing sixth in the 100 metres at both Games and fourth in the 200 metres in 1920. At national level he won the AAU 220 yard title in 1918 and the AAU sprint double in 1923, then repeated that double at the 1925 British AAA championships, and indoors he won the AAU title five times and set numerous world records at distances from 50 metres to 300 yards. In 1925 he developed spinal meningitis, which left him paralyzed from the waist down for the rest of his life, and he later ran a company that manufactured sports medals and jewelry. He died in Lakewood, New Jersey, in 1979.