The Death Of Olympic Sprinter Jim Hines

Team U.S.A. Olympian runner Jim Hines — the world-record-breaking athlete and former "fastest man on Earth" — tragically died on June 3. An obituary published by World Athletics did not reveal the cause of death. The former track star lived to be 76 years old.

Hines made headlines during the 1968 Olympics for his incredible sprinting speed. During the qualification round for the Team U.S.A. Track and Field squad, Hines became the first man in history to ever be officially timed running 100 meters in under 10 seconds (9.9 seconds, to be exact). He went on to break the world record again by timing in at 9.95 seconds — as recorded by the then-brand-new electronic timer — against the international competition at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City. He earned two gold medals that year for the 100-meter and 4x100-meter relay events.

Of course, Hines's storied sports career didn't just end there. His record-breaking career is sill unmatched.

What's a guy to do after becoming the fastest man in the world and earning two gold medals in one year? Jim Hines decided to enter the NFL the same year he won at the Olympics! In 1968, the athlete was drafted by the Miami Dolphins, with his unbelievable ability to sprint on display as a wide receiver. After two seasons in Miami, he went to play for the Kansas City Chiefs for one game before the end of his NFL career. According to the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame, the gold medalist was competing in races past when he turned 30, even clocking in at 10.9 seconds in the 100 meter when he was 37 years old. Hines was inducted by his alma mater, Texas Southern University, into their Texas Southern Hall of Fame in 1986 for his athletic accomplishments in track and field.

In a 1991 interview with the Los Angeles Times, the Olympian shared that he created the Jim Hines Foundation inspired by his work as a social worker in Oakland, California in order to "help minority youth and elderly." In terms of his legacy in sports, it's clear where the record breaker, which lasted for 15 years, the longest the 100-meter record has ever remained unbroken stands. "I am the original World's Fastest," Hines asserted to the publication. "I won 99% of my races in the 100 [meter]. Nobody ever did that."