Dudley Wilkins

Dudley Griffin Wilkins (November 11, 1914 – February 1989) was an American triple jumper. He was United States champion in 1934 and placed eighth at the 1936 Summer Olympics.

Biography

Wilkins was born in Crowley, Louisiana on November 11, 1914.{{cite web |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/wi/dudley-wilkins-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418002821/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/wi/dudley-wilkins-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 18, 2020 |title=Dudley Wilkins Bio, Stats and Results |access-date=November 29, 2015 |publisher=Sports Reference LLC}} He won the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) national triple jump championship in 1934 with a jump of 48 ft {{frac|21|100}} in (14.69 m).{{cite web |url=http://trackandfieldnews.com/index.php/tafn-presults?list_id=36&sex_id=M&event_id=25 |title=History of US Nationals Results: Triple Jump - Men |author1=Mallon, Bill |author2=Buchanan, Ian |author3=Track & Field News |publisher=Track & Field News |access-date=November 29, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208130705/http://trackandfieldnews.com/index.php/tafn-presults?list_id=36&sex_id=M&event_id=25 |archive-date=December 8, 2015 |url-status=dead }} At the 1936 Olympic Trials Wilkins placed second with 49 ft {{frac|1|1|2}} in (14.97 m), qualifying for the American team together with Rolland Romero and Billy Brown; all three were from Louisiana, which had been America's leading triple jump state since the late 1920s.{{cite web |url=https://www.usatf.org/statistics/champions/OlympicTrials/HistoryOfTheOlympicTrials.pdf |title=The History of the United States Olympic Trials – Track & Field |author=Hymans, Richard |publisher=USA Track & Field |year=2008 |access-date=November 26, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120620000346/http://usatf.org/statistics/champions/OlympicTrials/HistoryOfTheOlympicTrials.pdf |archive-date=June 20, 2012 |url-status=dead }}{{rp|83–84}}{{cite web |url=http://www.lasportshall.com/inductees/track-and-field/rolland-romero/?back=inductee |title=Rolland Romero |publisher=Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame |access-date=November 29, 2015}} At the Olympics in Berlin Wilkins placed eighth, reaching 14.83 m (48 ft {{frac|7|3|4}} in) in both the first and the third round and fouling in round two; he did not qualify for the last three rounds.

Wilkins set his personal best, 49 ft 9 in (15.16 m), in Baton Rouge on May 4, 1935.{{cite web |url=http://trackfield.brinkster.net/Profile.asp?ID=7220&Gender=M&Page=YearsUSA.asp&EventCode=&Year=1936&TF=F |title=Dudley Wilkins |work=Track and Field Statistics |access-date=November 29, 2015}} He died in Crowley in February 1989.

References

Category:1914 births

Category:1989 deaths

Category:People from Crowley, Louisiana

Category:Sportspeople from Acadia Parish, Louisiana

Category:American male triple jumpers

Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1936 Summer Olympics

Category:Olympic track and field athletes for the United States

Category:20th-century American sportsmen