Nationality United States Education University of Georgia Name Mel Lattany | Event(s) 100 metres, 200 metres Sport Running | |
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Born August 10, 1959 (age 64) ( 1959-08-10 ) Personal best(s) 100 m: 9.96 s (Athens 1984) | ||
Melvin Lattany (born August 10, 1959 in Brunswick, Georgia) is a former American track athlete. He was one of the world's dominating sprinters in the early 1980s.
A standout at the University of Georgia, he established a new Men's World Junior Record over 100 metres on July 30, 1978. Lattany qualified for the 1980 US Olympic team but was unable to compete due to the 1980 Summer Olympics boycott. He did however receive one of 461 Congressional Gold Medals created especially for the spurned athletes. He won a gold medal over 100 meters at the 1981 Summer Universiade, and over 200 meters at the 1981 IAAF World Cup. On May 5, 1984, Lattany became only the fifth man (second at sea-level) to break the 10-second barrier when he clocked 9.96 seconds in Athens, Georgia. He retired from track in 1985 to become an NFL wide receiver. He did not, however, play in the NFL. In 1987, he was reinstated by the International Amateur Athletics Federation to run track again.