Forrest Towns, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death
TweetForrest Towns
athletics competitor
Date of Birth: 06-Feb-1914
Place of Birth: Fitzgerald, Georgia, United States
Date of Death: 09-Apr-1991
Profession: athletics competitor
Nationality: United States
Zodiac Sign: Aquarius 
About Forrest Towns
- Forrest Grady "Spec" Towns (February 6, 1914 – April 9, 1991) was an American track and field athlete.
- He was the 1936 Olympic champion in the 110 m hurdles and broke the world record in that event three times.Born in Fitzgerald, Georgia, Towns grew up in Augusta, Georgia, where he played football in high school at Richmond Academy.
- In 1933, he earned a football scholarship to the University of Georgia (UGA) after a sports journalist had seen him high jumping in his backyard.Rather than high jumping, Towns specialized in the high hurdles, winning NCAA and AAU titles in the 120 y hurdles event in 1935.
- It was the beginning of a 60 race winning streak, lasting until 1937. In 1936, Towns was named to the American Olympic team, becoming the first Georgian to achieve this.
- During the Olympics in Berlin, Germany, Towns became the world record holder with 14.1, and he won the Olympic gold in 14.2.
- Also, he became the first Georgian to earn Olympic Gold.
- Shortly after the Games, he became the first hurdler under 14 seconds.
- At a race in Oslo, he dramatically improved the world record to 13.7 – a time that would stand until 1950.After college, Towns became Head Track and Field coach at UGA, a position he held until 1975.
- In 1991, he died of a heart attack in Athens, Georgia at age 77.
- He was honored at the University with the naming of the Spec Towns Track, and an annual meet called the Spec Towns Invitational. Towns was the official starter for the first-ever Peachtree Road Race on July 4, 1970.
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