{"id":2903,"date":"2014-09-08T16:02:24","date_gmt":"2014-09-08T14:02:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/?p=2903"},"modified":"2025-09-19T15:08:09","modified_gmt":"2025-09-19T15:08:09","slug":"tommie-smith-and-his-powerful-statement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/es\/sports\/tommie-smith-and-his-powerful-statement\/","title":{"rendered":"Tommie Smith y su poderosa declaraci\u00f3n"},"content":{"rendered":"<!-- post header -->\n<div class=\"row rowSingleColumn\">\n    <div class=\"col breadcrumb\">\n        <a href=\"\/es\/\">Inicio<\/a>\/\n        <a href=\"\/es\/category\/sports\/\">Deportes<\/a>\/\n        Tommie Smith y su poderosa declaraci\u00f3n\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row rowPostHeaderImage headerImageAnim\">\n    <div class=\"scrollAnim\" \n        id=\"postHeaderImage\"\n         style=\"width:100%;position:relative;overflow:hidden;        aspect-ratio:2        ;\" >\n    <img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\"\n        class=\"\"\n        src=\"https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/TommieSmith_H.jpg\" style=\"transition: 0.35s all;height:100%;width:100%;        object-position: 50% 0%; object-fit: cover;\"\/>\n        <\/div>\n    \n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row rowSingleColumnWide rowPostHeader\">\n    <div id=\"postHeaderText\" class=\"col tcenter\" >\n        <div class=\"cat\"><a class=\"secondary\" href=\"https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/es\/category\/sports\/\">Deportes<\/a><\/div>\n        <div id=\"headerSocialIcons\" class=\"headerSocialIcons tleft\">\n            <a class=\"facebook\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.puma-catchup.com%2Fes%2Fsports%2Ftommie-smith-and-his-powerful-statement%2F\" target=\"blank\"><\/a>\n            <a class=\"linkedin\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/sharing\/share-offsite\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.puma-catchup.com%2Fes%2Fsports%2Ftommie-smith-and-his-powerful-statement%2F\" target=\"blank\"><\/a>\n            <a class=\"x\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?url=https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/es\/sports\/tommie-smith-and-his-powerful-statement\/&#038;text=\" target=\"blank\"><\/a>\n            <a class=\"pinterest\" href=\"http:\/\/pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/button\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.puma-catchup.com%2Fes%2Fsports%2Ftommie-smith-and-his-powerful-statement%2F\" target=\"blank\"><\/a>\n        <\/div>\n        <h1 class=\"\" >\u201cHABR\u00cdA SIDO M\u00c1S R\u00c1PIDO QUE USAIN BOLT\u201d<\/h1>\n        <div class=\"articleintro\" >Tommie Smith y su poderosa declaraci\u00f3n<\/div>\n        <div class=\"date\">8 de septiembre de 2014 <\/div>\n\n        <div id=\"\" class=\"headerSocialIconsMobile tcenter mobile\">\n            <a class=\"sharing\" id=\"mobileshare\" onclick='navigator.share({ \"title\": &quot;Tommie Smith and his powerful statement&quot;, \"text\": &quot;Holding eleven world records simultaneously, Tommie Smith is undoubtedly one of the greatest sprinters of all times. His remarkable achievements on the track, however, were overcast by the furor of his \\u201cSilent Gesture\\u201d in the fight for Human Rights at the Olympic Games 1968 in Mexico. Having just sprinted to gold in world record time over 200 meters for the United States, the black activist found himself jobless and hated by many in his own country afterwards.\\nCATch Up met the 70-year old at the PUMA Headquarters in Herzogenaurach for an interview when he paid his old sponsor a visit.\\n&quot;, \"url\": \"https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/es\/sports\/tommie-smith-and-his-powerful-statement\/\" })'  target=\"blank\"><\/a>\n            <a class=\"facebook\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/es\/sports\/tommie-smith-and-his-powerful-statement\/\" target=\"blank\"><\/a>\n            <a class=\"linkedin\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/sharing\/share-offsite\/?url=https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/es\/sports\/tommie-smith-and-his-powerful-statement\/\" target=\"blank\"><\/a>\n            <a class=\"x\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.puma-catchup.com%2Fes%2Fsports%2Ftommie-smith-and-his-powerful-statement%2F&#038;text=\" target=\"blank\"><\/a>\n            <a class=\"pinterest\" href=\"http:\/\/pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/button\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.puma-catchup.com%2Fes%2Fsports%2Ftommie-smith-and-his-powerful-statement%2F\" target=\"blank\"><\/a>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<!-- row text single -->\n<div class=\"gradientnone\">\n<div class=\"row rowSingleColumnWide spacing\">\n    <div class=\"col articleText\">\n        <div class=\"textStyle_2b\" ><br\/>Poseer once r\u00e9cords mundiales simult\u00e1neamente, <strong>Tommie Smith es sin duda uno de los mejores velocistas de todos los tiempos<\/strong>. Sus notables logros en la pista, sin embargo, se vieron ensombrecidos por el furor de su \u201cGesto silencioso\u201d en la lucha por los Derechos Humanos en los Juegos Ol\u00edmpicos de 1968 en M\u00e9xico. El activista negro, que acababa de conseguir la medalla de oro en 200 metros para Estados Unidos, se encontr\u00f3 despu\u00e9s sin trabajo y odiado por muchos en su propio pa\u00eds.<br\/>\n<br\/>CATch Up se reuni\u00f3 con el septuagenario en la sede de PUMA en Herzogenaurach para entrevistarle cuando visit\u00f3 a su antiguo patrocinador.<br\/>\n<\/div>\n   <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<!-- row two columns -->\n<div class=\"row rowTwoColumnsWide spacing\">\n    <div class=\"col articleText\">\n        <div ><br\/><strong>En el lapso de un a\u00f1o -de mayo de 1966 a mayo de 1967- usted logr\u00f3 diez r\u00e9cords mundiales de 200 y 400 metros. El und\u00e9cimo r\u00e9cord mundial lo consigui\u00f3 en la carrera de 200 metros de los Juegos Ol\u00edmpicos de 1968, en Ciudad de M\u00e9xico. \u00bfCu\u00e1l fue su momento deportivo favorito?<\/strong><br\/>\n<br\/>Mi momento deportivo favorito fue correr los 400 metros en tiempo r\u00e9cord mundial en 1967 en la Universidad Estatal de San Jos\u00e9, porque fue mi primer r\u00e9cord mundial de 400 metros. Corr\u00ed 44,5 segundos en una pista de tierra con cuatro clavos. Si entonces hubiera tenido las condiciones actuales, estoy seguro de que podr\u00eda haber corrido 43 segundos. Pero estaba en la universidad, estudiando y no ten\u00eda tiempo para concentrarme en el entrenamiento. Adem\u00e1s, mi dieta era nula y, por supuesto, los incentivos eran nulos. As\u00ed que corr\u00eda por amor al deporte, por la emoci\u00f3n de la competici\u00f3n. Las ganancias llegar\u00edan, por supuesto, si era lo suficientemente bueno en ese esfuerzo competitivo.<br\/>\n<br\/><strong>Si entonces hubieras llevado las zapatillas de Usain Bolt, \u00bfhabr\u00edas sido m\u00e1s r\u00e1pido que \u00e9l?<\/strong><br\/>\n<br\/>Por supuesto, habr\u00eda sido m\u00e1s r\u00e1pido. Con la tecnolog\u00eda actual, como las zapatillas, las pistas y el hecho de no tener que ir a la escuela, podr\u00eda haber corrido los 200 metros en 18,7 segundos. Usain no est\u00e1 en la universidad. Se entrena y se prepara. Yo, en cambio, nunca he corrido en competici\u00f3n fuera de la universidad. Eso rest\u00f3 mucho a mi entrenamiento.<br\/>\n<br\/><strong>Sin embargo, su palmar\u00e9s es asombroso. \u00bfQu\u00e9 le ha hecho tener tanto \u00e9xito y ser un atleta tan sobresaliente?<\/strong><br\/>\n<br\/>Hice lo que otros no har\u00edan. Como entrenar a las dos de la ma\u00f1ana. Me levantaba de la cama e iba a la pista. La polic\u00eda me par\u00f3 un par de veces porque estaba en la calle yendo a la pista cuando no hab\u00eda nadie. Trep\u00e9 por la valla para llegar a la pista a entrenar y entonces ya era plusmarquista mundial. Cosas as\u00ed me hac\u00edan sentir que era mejor, porque hac\u00eda algo que los dem\u00e1s chicos no hac\u00edan.<br\/>\n<\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"col articleText\">\n        <div ><br\/>Tambi\u00e9n mi proceso de pensamiento era diferente. Se trata de utilizar el m\u00fasculo al m\u00e1ximo sin tensarlo. En otras palabras: El cerebro controla el cuerpo. Nunca estuve completamente condicionado, a menos que mi mente estuviera condicionada primero. El dolor es obvio, pero c\u00f3mo lo maneja uno, no lo es. Cada uno maneja el dolor de manera diferente. Yo era elitista en el manejo del dolor. \u00bfQu\u00e9 era el dolor para m\u00ed entrenando a las dos de la ma\u00f1ana?<br\/>\n<br\/>Entrenaba los fines de semana, cuando los otros chicos estaban de fiesta, no me apunt\u00e9 a ninguna fraternidad y no tuve ninguna chica. Se trataba de las peque\u00f1as cosas sencillas.<br\/>\n<br\/><strong>Entonces, \u00bfla condici\u00f3n mental es muy importante para ser un atleta de \u00e9xito?<\/strong><br\/>\n<br\/>Para m\u00ed, s\u00ed. Intent\u00e9 mejorar mentalmente. La mentalidad actual es tambi\u00e9n mucho de echar la culpa a determinadas condiciones o circunstancias. Si fuera est\u00e1 lloviendo y nadie m\u00e1s que yo entrena bajo la lluvia, voy a ser mejor que los dem\u00e1s bajo la lluvia. Ahora bien, si en mi carril lloviera m\u00e1s y a los dem\u00e1s les diera el sol, entonces s\u00ed tendr\u00eda de qu\u00e9 quejarme. Pero no pongo quejas donde el trabajo puede m\u00e1s que la estupidez de hacer falsas acusaciones.<br\/>\n<br\/><strong>\u00bfQu\u00e9 recuerdos tiene de aquella hist\u00f3rica carrera de 200 metros en M\u00e9xico en 1968?<\/strong><br\/>\n<br\/>Esa carrera tuvo toda una historia de primeras veces para m\u00ed. Llev\u00e9 por primera vez las zapatillas de velcro PUMA. Era la primera vez en la historia que la carrera se corr\u00eda por debajo de 20 llanos. Pero tambi\u00e9n fue la \u00faltima carrera que corr\u00ed.<br\/>\n<\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<!-- row image single -->\n<div class=\"row rowSingleColumnWide spacing\">\n\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t<div class=\"0 scrollAnim\" \n\t    \n\t     style=\"Wide;position:relative;overflow:hidden;\t;\" >\n\t<img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\"\n\t    class=\"\"\n\t    src=\"https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/1TommieSmith_S.jpg\" style=\"transition: 0.35s all;height:100%;width:100%;\t    object-position: 50% 0%; object-fit: cover;\"\/>\n\t    <\/div>\n\t\n\t\t<div class=\"descr\">M\u00e9xico 1968: Tommie gana la medalla de oro en los 200 metros con un tiempo r\u00e9cord mundial de 19,83. Era la primera vez que se superaba la barrera de los 20 segundos.<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<!-- row two columns -->\n<div class=\"row rowTwoColumnsWide spacing\">\n    <div class=\"col articleText\">\n        <div ><br\/><strong>Pero s\u00f3lo unos pocos saben que te hirieron.<\/strong><br\/>\n<br\/>S\u00ed, me hab\u00eda dado un tir\u00f3n ese mismo d\u00eda en las semifinales. La gente me hab\u00eda alborotado, me llamaban o escrib\u00edan cartas diciendo: \u201cVas a morir. Te vamos a matar, negro\u201d. As\u00ed que cuando se produjo esa lesi\u00f3n y de repente sent\u00ed el dolor, pens\u00e9 que me hab\u00edan disparado. Mir\u00e9 hacia abajo y no vi sangre, y pens\u00e9: \u201cOh, est\u00e1 bien. S\u00f3lo me he dado un tir\u00f3n\u201d. As\u00ed que me llevaron a la sala m\u00e9dica, me pusieron en una camilla y me pusieron hielo.<br\/>\n<br\/>Y entonces llegamos a la final de los 200 metros. Mir\u00e9 a los dem\u00e1s y me dije: \u201cNo seas gallina. S\u00e9 un hombre. Ahora me estoy fastidiando\u201d. Eso me hizo mucho da\u00f1o, porque ten\u00eda problemas mentales. Vi a John Carlos y a Peter Norman. Todas estas personas eran atletas de clase mundial. Y obviamente eran m\u00e1s r\u00e1pidos que yo. Y pens\u00e9: \u201cEsto es todo.\u201d<br\/>\n<br\/>Cuando o\u00ed el disparo, no hab\u00eda pensamiento. S\u00f3lo estaba en blanco. Y cuando me di cuenta de lo que estaba pasando estaba a medio giro. \u00a1Qu\u00e9 realizaci\u00f3n! Estaba en cuarto lugar. Aqu\u00ed est\u00e1 la carrera de mi vida, lesionado, con ocho de las personas m\u00e1s r\u00e1pidas del mundo y yo estoy en cuarto lugar con un tir\u00f3n muscular. Todo esto pasaba por mi mente mientras corr\u00eda.<br\/>\n<br\/>Pero me vi corriendo mentalmente antes de correr f\u00edsicamente. Cuando estaba detr\u00e1s de los bloques antes de la salida, ya hab\u00eda corrido toda mi carrera. Sab\u00eda exactamente d\u00f3nde iba a estar, cu\u00e1ndo ten\u00eda que hacer ciertas cosas. Toda la carrera iba a toda velocidad. Y entonces o\u00ed al anunciador decir: \u201cY Tommie Smith est\u00e1 corriendo bastante bien hasta ahora.\u201d O\u00ed eso. Y pens\u00e9: \u201c\u00bfBastante bien? Debo estar en muy buena forma\u201d. Y corr\u00ed al lado de John y \u00e9l tambi\u00e9n parec\u00eda sorprendido. Cuando cruc\u00e9 la meta levant\u00e9 los brazos y sonre\u00ed, y era exactamente la misma postura que la de Usain Bolt en la final de Pek\u00edn. Sin embargo, la sonrisa ces\u00f3 bruscamente poco despu\u00e9s debido a toda la pol\u00edtica que me rondaba por la cabeza.<br\/>\n<\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"col articleText\">\n        <div ><br\/><strong>Usted aprovech\u00f3 su \u00e9xito en M\u00e9xico y utiliz\u00f3 el podio de la victoria para promover su lucha por los Derechos Humanos, levantando el pu\u00f1o con un guante negro y la cabeza inclinada durante la ceremonia de entrega de premios. \u00bfCu\u00e1ndo surgi\u00f3 esa idea de utilizar los Juegos Ol\u00edmpicos como escenario para concienciar sobre la injusticia?<\/strong><br\/>\n<br\/>Una vez que los atletas negros estadounidenses decidieron no boicotear los Juegos, que hab\u00eda sido el plan inicial, yo no estaba dispuesta a abandonar todo el asunto. Recuerdo que, sentado en un banco, pensaba: \u201c\u00bfQu\u00e9 voy a hacer? \u201cComprendo que quisieran competir. Hab\u00eda muchos atletas en el equipo que trabajaron duro para llegar a donde llegaron. Pero estaban en California. Si ibas m\u00e1s al sur, a Mississippi y Alabama, los chicos de all\u00ed necesitaban una oportunidad. Lo que ocurr\u00eda en la tribuna ya era conocido en todo el mundo. Y muchos chicos recibieron energ\u00eda de esto, porque los representaba. No s\u00f3lo Tommie Smith y John Carlos. \u00c9ramos s\u00f3lo las m\u00e1quinas operadoras, que enviaban la energ\u00eda a otros para que tambi\u00e9n siguieran corriendo socialmente. As\u00ed pensaba yo. Salto por encima de la realidad sabiendo que alg\u00fan d\u00eda ser\u00e1 real.<br\/>\n<br\/><strong>\u00bfPero hubo consecuencias despu\u00e9s?<\/strong><br\/>\n<br\/>Antes incluso hab\u00eda consecuencias. Me amenazaban, no me serv\u00edan en los restaurantes a los que iba, me insultaban, no pod\u00eda conseguir trabajo.<br\/>\n<br\/>Despu\u00e9s, ya no pude competir internacionalmente. Ciudad de M\u00e9xico fue mi \u00faltima competici\u00f3n. En el apogeo de mi carrera, a los 24 a\u00f1os, tuve que abandonar.<br\/>\n<br\/><strong>\u00bfHa tenido momentos de arrepentimiento por haber hecho lo que hizo?<\/strong><br\/>\n<br\/>De ninguna manera. No me arrepiento de lo que hice. Me disgustaba la idea de que alguien me impidiera hacer lo que quer\u00eda hacer despu\u00e9s. Pero luego vi el bien que hac\u00eda a los ni\u00f1os peque\u00f1os y empez\u00f3 un pensamiento global.<br\/>\n<\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<!-- row image multi 1 -->\n<div class=\"row rowImages2 spacing\">\n\t<div class=\"\">\n\t\t<div class=\"row inner\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t    <div class=\"bgimage\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.797619047619  ; background-image: url('https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/2TommieSmith_S.jpg'); background-size: cover;background-position: 50% 0%;width:100%\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"descr\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tTommie y su esposa Delois. En agosto celebraron en Herzogenaurach su 14\u00ba aniversario de boda.\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t    <div class=\"bgimage\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.797619047619  ; background-image: url('https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/TommieSmith_S.jpg'); background-size: cover;background-position: 50% 0%;width:100%\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"descr\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tTommie en la tienda PUMA de Herzo, echando un vistazo a la \u00faltima colecci\u00f3n de Running.\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<!-- row two columns -->\n<div class=\"row rowTwoColumnsWide spacing\">\n    <div class=\"col articleText\">\n        <div ><br\/><strong>\u00bfC\u00f3mo se conocieron PUMA y usted?<\/strong><br\/>\n<br\/>Cuando entrenaba en la universidad, llevaba Adidas. Corr\u00ed diez r\u00e9cords mundiales con zapatillas Adidas sin recibir dinero. Pero los lanzadores blancos s\u00ed recib\u00edan dinero. Me preguntaba por qu\u00e9 siempre llevaban zapatillas nuevas y pensaba: \u201cTodos esos blancos son ricos. Siempre tienen zapatos nuevos\u201d. Pero a ellos les daban las zapatillas gratis, adem\u00e1s de dinero.<br\/>\n<br\/>Un d\u00eda de 1966, mi mejor amigo se me acerc\u00f3 y me dijo: \u201cTommie, tienes dos r\u00e9cords mundiales y tu coche ni siquiera est\u00e1 en marcha.\u201d - \u201cAhora, \u00bfqu\u00e9 tiene que ver esto con un coche?\u201d - \u201cTe pueden pagar por lo que haces. \u00bfY si puedo mostrarte a algunas personas que se preocupan m\u00e1s por ti que por lo que tienes y lo que no tienes? \u00bfQu\u00e9 te parecer\u00eda?\u201d Le dije: \u201cNo existen.\u201d - \u201cS\u00ed existen y les gustar\u00eda hablar contigo\u201d. Y aqu\u00ed es cuando conoc\u00ed a Rudolf. Estaba sentado en su despacho, sonriendo. Me ense\u00f1\u00f3 el zapato y decid\u00ed que me gustar\u00eda llevar ese zapato. No hubo firma de contrato ni nada parecido. Volv\u00ed a casa y empec\u00e9 a comprar cosas que nunca antes hab\u00eda comprado. Como zapatillas nuevas o uniformes PUMA nuevos. Y muy pronto empez\u00f3 a entrar dinero. Y as\u00ed es como me convert\u00ed en atleta PUMA.<br\/>\n<\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"col articleText\">\n        <div ><br\/><strong>\u00bfEn qu\u00e9 se fija cuando explora a un deportista?<\/strong><br\/>\n<br\/>Como entrenador de atletismo, no reclutar\u00eda a los n\u00fameros 1 o 2 de la ciudad o del estado. Cuando recluto, voy tras los n\u00fameros 3, 4, 5 o 6. Busco a los m\u00e1s r\u00e1pidos y con mayor capacidad mental. Busco a las personas m\u00e1s r\u00e1pidas y con mayor capacidad mental. Cuando ya piensan que lo tienen, es cuando empiezan los problemas. No puedes entrenarlos. Es m\u00e1s f\u00e1cil con un chico que tiene la mente abierta y que quiere aprender y conocer la velocidad.<br\/>\n<br\/><strong>\u00bfSigue haciendo deporte hoy en d\u00eda?<\/strong><br\/>\n<br\/>No tengo elecci\u00f3n. No puedo ense\u00f1ar lo que no hago. Correr\u00e9 al menos 18 millas seguidas o m\u00e1s a la semana. Depende de si mi mujer me deja estar en casa todo el d\u00eda.<br\/>\n<br\/><strong>Despu\u00e9s de 1968, Tommie entren\u00f3 a atletas y ense\u00f1\u00f3 sociolog\u00eda en la universidad.<\/strong><br\/>\n<\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<!-- row headline -->\n<div class=\"row headlineBlock rowSingleColumnWide\">\n    <div class=\"col\" style=\"margin-bottom: 2px;\">\n        <h2 >El gesto silencioso<\/h2>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<!-- row image slider -->\n\n<div class=\"row rowSlider1 spacing\">\n    <div class=\"col\">\n        <div class=\"arrowCircleCenter arrowBorder swiperoutside-button-prev swipepreve86b8953-19cf-4316-a364-ffb2ae5a7e50\"><\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\t<div id=\"swipe_e86b8953-19cf-4316-a364-ffb2ae5a7e50\" class=\"swiper myswiper scrollAnim\" data-ssize=\"1\" data-id=\"e86b8953-19cf-4316-a364-ffb2ae5a7e50\">\n\t\t<div class=\"swiper-wrapper\">\n                    <div class=\"swiper-slide swiper-slide bgimage\" style=\"aspect-ratio:0.69230769230769 ;background-image: url(https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/TommieSmith_M.jpg);background-position: 50% 0%;\"><\/div>\n                    <div class=\"swiper-slide swiper-slide bgimage\" style=\"aspect-ratio:0.69230769230769 ;background-image: url(https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/2TommieSmith_M.jpg);background-position: 50% 0%;\"><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n        <div class=\"col\">\n        <div class=\"arrowCircleCenter arrowBorder swiperoutside-button-next swipenexte86b8953-19cf-4316-a364-ffb2ae5a7e50\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<!-- row headline -->\n<div class=\"row headlineBlock rowSingleColumnWide\">\n    <div class=\"col\" style=\"margin-bottom: 2px;\">\n        <h2 >M\u00e1s informaci\u00f3n<\/h2>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"row articleMulti2 spacing\">\n\t    <div class=\"col articleTeaser\" >\n\t\t\t<a class=\"hoverzooma  scrollAnim\" href=\"https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/es\/sports\/train-like-usain-bolt\/\" \n\t\t\t     tabindex=\"-1\" \n\t\t\t    id=\"1954\"\n\t\t\t     style=\"width:100%;position:relative;overflow:hidden;\t\t\t    aspect-ratio:1\t\t\t    ;\" >\n\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Usain Bolt\"\n\t\t\t    class=\"hoverZoom\"\n\t\t\t    src=\"https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/GetFaster_H.jpg\" style=\"transition: 0.35s all;height:100%;width:100%;\t\t\t    object-position: 50% 0%; object-fit: cover;\"\/>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/es\/category\/sports\/\" class=\"secondary2\" style=\"margin-top: 17px;\">Deportes<\/a>\n\t        <h4>\u00bfQuieres correr m\u00e1s r\u00e1pido?<\/h4>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"description shortExcerpt\">\n\t\t\t\tEntonces entrena como Usain Bolt. \u00bfTe has preguntado alguna vez c\u00f3mo funciona su rutina de entrenamiento? Aqu\u00ed comparte sus consejos de entrenamiento con CATch Up.\nSigue leyendo si quieres ser m\u00e1s r\u00e1pido.\n\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<a class=\"primary\" href=\"https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/es\/sports\/train-like-usain-bolt\/\" data-no-translation=\"\" data-trp-gettext=\"\">leer la historia<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t    <div class=\"col articleTeaser\" >\n\t\t\t<a class=\"hoverzooma  scrollAnim\" href=\"https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/es\/sports\/thats-what-makes-me-a-legend\/\" \n\t\t\t     tabindex=\"-1\" \n\t\t\t    id=\"1036\"\n\t\t\t     style=\"width:100%;position:relative;overflow:hidden;\t\t\t    aspect-ratio:1\t\t\t    ;\" >\n\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Usain Bolt and other sprinters running\"\n\t\t\t    class=\"hoverZoom\"\n\t\t\t    src=\"https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/ALegend_H.jpg\" style=\"transition: 0.35s all;height:100%;width:100%;\t\t\t    object-position: 50% 0%; object-fit: cover;\"\/>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/es\/category\/sports\/\" class=\"secondary2\" style=\"margin-top: 17px;\">Deportes<\/a>\n\t        <h4>Eso es lo que me convierte en leyenda<\/h4>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"description shortExcerpt\">\n\t\t\t\tCumpli\u00f3, cuando importaba. Usain Bolt, seis veces campe\u00f3n ol\u00edmpico y plusmarquista mundial, gan\u00f3 tres medallas de oro en los Mundiales de Atletismo de Pek\u00edn 2015.\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<a class=\"primary\" href=\"https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/es\/sports\/thats-what-makes-me-a-legend\/\" data-no-translation=\"\" data-trp-gettext=\"\">leer la historia<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Poseedor de once r\u00e9cords mundiales simult\u00e1neos, Tommie Smith es sin duda uno de los mejores velocistas de todos los tiempos. Sin embargo, sus notables logros en la pista se vieron ensombrecidos por el furor de su \u201cGesto silencioso\u201d en la lucha por los derechos humanos en los Juegos Ol\u00edmpicos de 1968 en M\u00e9xico. El activista negro, que acababa de batir el r\u00e9cord mundial de velocidad en 200 metros para Estados Unidos, se encontr\u00f3 despu\u00e9s sin trabajo y odiado por muchos en su propio pa\u00eds.<br \/>\nCATch Up se reuni\u00f3 con el septuagenario en la sede de PUMA en Herzogenaurach para entrevistarle cuando visit\u00f3 a su antiguo patrocinador.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":4137,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"is_top_article":false,"is_featured_article":true,"EasyPostViewCounter":17623,"meta-headline":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"class_list":["post-2903","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports"],"fullData":{"ID":2903,"post_author":"5","post_date":"2014-09-08 16:02:24","post_date_gmt":"2014-09-08 14:02:24","post_content":"<!-- wp:puma\/row-post-header {\"image\":{\"width\":1140,\"height\":640,\"file\":\"2014\/09\/TommieSmith_H.jpg\",\"filesize\":132988,\"sizes\":{\"medium\":{\"file\":\"TommieSmith_H-300x168.jpg\",\"width\":300,\"height\":168,\"mime-type\":\"image\/jpeg\",\"filesize\":12051},\"large\":{\"file\":\"TommieSmith_H-1024x575.jpg\",\"width\":1024,\"height\":575,\"mime-type\":\"image\/jpeg\",\"filesize\":104059},\"thumbnail\":{\"file\":\"TommieSmith_H-150x150.jpg\",\"width\":150,\"height\":150,\"mime-type\":\"image\/jpeg\",\"filesize\":6104},\"medium_large\":{\"file\":\"TommieSmith_H-768x431.jpg\",\"width\":768,\"height\":431,\"mime-type\":\"image\/jpeg\",\"filesize\":60203},\"trp-custom-language-flag\":{\"file\":\"TommieSmith_H-18x10.jpg\",\"width\":18,\"height\":10,\"mime-type\":\"image\/jpeg\",\"filesize\":466}},\"image_meta\":{\"aperture\":\"0\",\"credit\":\"\",\"camera\":\"\",\"caption\":\"\",\"created_timestamp\":\"0\",\"copyright\":\"\",\"focal_length\":\"0\",\"iso\":\"0\",\"shutter_speed\":\"0\",\"title\":\"\",\"orientation\":\"0\",\"keywords\":[]},\"id\":4137,\"alt\":\"\",\"caption\":\"\",\"description\":\"\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/TommieSmith_H.jpg\",\"title\":\"tommiesmith_h\",\"aspect_ratio\":1.78125,\"focalPointLeft\":0.5,\"focalPointTop\":0},\"headline\":\"\\u0022I WOULD HAVE BEEN FASTER THAN USAIN BOLT\\u0022\",\"content\":\"Tommie Smith and his powerful statement\"} \/--><!-- wp:puma\/row-text-single {\"content\":\"\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;Holding eleven world records simultaneously, \\u0026lt;strong\\u0026gt;Tommie Smith is undoubtedly one of the greatest sprinters of all times\\u0026lt;\/strong\\u0026gt;. His remarkable achievements on the track, however, were overcast by the furor of his \u201cSilent Gesture\u201d in the fight for Human Rights at the Olympic Games 1968 in Mexico. Having just sprinted to gold in world record time over 200 meters for the United States, the black activist found himself jobless and hated by many in his own country afterwards.\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\n\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;CATch Up met the 70-year old at the PUMA Headquarters in Herzogenaurach for an interview when he paid his old sponsor a visit.\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\n\",\"width\":\"Wide\",\"aspect\":\"0\",\"style\":\"2b\"} \/--><!-- wp:puma\/row-two-columns {\"contentLeft\":\"\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\u0026lt;strong\\u0026gt;Within the span of one year \u2013 from May 1966 to May 1967 \u2013 you sprinted to ten world records over 200 and 400 meters. The eleventh world record came from the 1968 Olympic Games 200m race in Mexico City. What was your most favourite sports moment ever?\\u0026lt;\/strong\\u0026gt;\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\n\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;My most favourite sports moment was running the 400 meters in world record time in 1967 at San Jose State University, because it was my first 400m world record. I ran 44.5 seconds on a dirt track with four spikes. If I had had today\u2019s conditions back then, I am sure I could have run 43 seconds. But I was in college, studying and did not really have the time to concentrate on training. On top, my diet was zero and of course the incentives were zero. So I ran for the love of the sports, for the excitement of the competition. The winnings of course would come, if I was good enough in that competitive effort.\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\n\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\u0026lt;strong\\u0026gt;If you had worn Usain Bolt\u2019s shoes back then, would you have been faster than he is?\\u0026lt;\/strong\\u0026gt;\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\n\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;Of course, I would have been faster. Given today\u2019s technology such as the shoes, the tracks and not having to go to school, I could have run the 200 meters in 18.7 seconds. Usain is not in college. He is training and preparing. I on the other hand never ran competitively outside of college. That took a lot away from my training.\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\n\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\u0026lt;strong\\u0026gt;Nevertheless, your track record is astounding. What made you so successful and such an outstanding athlete?\\u0026lt;\/strong\\u0026gt;\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\n\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;I did what others wouldn\u2019t do. Like training at two o\u2019clock in the morning. Getting up out of my bed and going to the track. I was stopped a couple of times by the police, because I was out on the street going to the track, when nobody else was up. I climbed over the fence to get to the track to train and I was already a world record holder then. Things like that made me feel that I was better, because I did something that the other kids wouldn\u2019t do.\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\n\",\"contentRight\":\"\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;Also my thought process was different. It\u2019s about the usage of your muscle to the maximum without tensing up. In other words: The brain controls the body. I was never completely conditioned, unless my mind was conditioned first. Pain is obvious, but how one handles it, isn\u2019t. Everyone handles pain differently. I was elitist in handling pain. What was pain to me training at two o\u2019clock in the morning?\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\n\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;I would train on weekends, when the other guys were partying, I did not join any fraternities and I did not have any girls. It was about the little simple things.\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\n\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\u0026lt;strong\\u0026gt;So the mental condition is very important to be a successful athlete?\\u0026lt;\/strong\\u0026gt;\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\n\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;For me, yes, it was. I tried to make myself better mentally. Today\u2019s mentality is also a lot to put blame on certain conditions or circumstances. If it is raining outside and no one else is training in the rain but me, I am going to be better than the others in rain. Now, if there was more rain in my lane and everyone else had sunshine, then I would have something to complain about. But I do not put complaints where work can overtake stupidity of making false accusations.\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\n\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\u0026lt;strong\\u0026gt;What are your memories about that historic 200m race in Mexico in 1968?\\u0026lt;\/strong\\u0026gt;\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\n\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;That race had a whole history of firsts for me. I wore the PUMA velcro shoes for the first time. It was the first time in the history that the race was run under 20 flat. But it was also the last race I ran.\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\n\",\"width\":\"Wide\"} \/--><!-- wp:puma\/row-image-single {\"images\":[{\"width\":1510,\"height\":840,\"file\":\"2014\/09\/1TommieSmith_S.jpg\",\"filesize\":231592,\"sizes\":{\"medium\":{\"file\":\"1TommieSmith_S-300x167.jpg\",\"width\":300,\"height\":167,\"mime-type\":\"image\/jpeg\",\"filesize\":14588},\"large\":{\"file\":\"1TommieSmith_S-1024x570.jpg\",\"width\":1024,\"height\":570,\"mime-type\":\"image\/jpeg\",\"filesize\":136553},\"thumbnail\":{\"file\":\"1TommieSmith_S-150x150.jpg\",\"width\":150,\"height\":150,\"mime-type\":\"image\/jpeg\",\"filesize\":6468},\"medium_large\":{\"file\":\"1TommieSmith_S-768x427.jpg\",\"width\":768,\"height\":427,\"mime-type\":\"image\/jpeg\",\"filesize\":82661},\"trp-custom-language-flag\":{\"file\":\"1TommieSmith_S-18x10.jpg\",\"width\":18,\"height\":10,\"mime-type\":\"image\/jpeg\",\"filesize\":407}},\"image_meta\":{\"aperture\":\"0\",\"credit\":\"\",\"camera\":\"\",\"caption\":\"\",\"created_timestamp\":\"0\",\"copyright\":\"\",\"focal_length\":\"0\",\"iso\":\"0\",\"shutter_speed\":\"0\",\"title\":\"\",\"orientation\":\"0\",\"keywords\":[]},\"id\":2905,\"alt\":\"\",\"caption\":\"Mexico 1968: Tommie races to gold over 200m in the world record time of 19.83. It was the first time the 20-second barrier was broken.\",\"description\":\"\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/1TommieSmith_S.jpg\",\"title\":\"1TommieSmith_S\",\"aspect_ratio\":1.7976190476190477,\"focalPointLeft\":0.5,\"focalPointTop\":0}],\"showCaptions\":[true],\"image\":{\"width\":1510,\"height\":840,\"file\":\"2014\/09\/1TommieSmith_S.jpg\",\"filesize\":231592,\"sizes\":{\"medium\":{\"file\":\"1TommieSmith_S-300x167.jpg\",\"width\":300,\"height\":167,\"mime-type\":\"image\/jpeg\",\"filesize\":14588},\"large\":{\"file\":\"1TommieSmith_S-1024x570.jpg\",\"width\":1024,\"height\":570,\"mime-type\":\"image\/jpeg\",\"filesize\":136553},\"thumbnail\":{\"file\":\"1TommieSmith_S-150x150.jpg\",\"width\":150,\"height\":150,\"mime-type\":\"image\/jpeg\",\"filesize\":6468},\"medium_large\":{\"file\":\"1TommieSmith_S-768x427.jpg\",\"width\":768,\"height\":427,\"mime-type\":\"image\/jpeg\",\"filesize\":82661},\"trp-custom-language-flag\":{\"file\":\"1TommieSmith_S-18x10.jpg\",\"width\":18,\"height\":10,\"mime-type\":\"image\/jpeg\",\"filesize\":407}},\"image_meta\":{\"aperture\":\"0\",\"credit\":\"\",\"camera\":\"\",\"caption\":\"\",\"created_timestamp\":\"0\",\"copyright\":\"\",\"focal_length\":\"0\",\"iso\":\"0\",\"shutter_speed\":\"0\",\"title\":\"\",\"orientation\":\"0\",\"keywords\":[]},\"id\":2905,\"alt\":\"\",\"caption\":\"Mexico 1968: Tommie races to gold over 200m in the world record time of 19.83. It was the first time the 20-second barrier was broken.\",\"description\":\"\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/1TommieSmith_S.jpg\",\"title\":\"1TommieSmith_S\",\"aspect_ratio\":1.7976190476190477,\"focalPointLeft\":0.5,\"focalPointTop\":0},\"style\":\"Wide\"} \/--><!-- wp:puma\/row-two-columns {\"contentLeft\":\"\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\u0026lt;strong\\u0026gt;But only few people know that you were injured.\\u0026lt;\/strong\\u0026gt;\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\n\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;Yes, I had pulled a muscle earlier that day in the semi-finals. I had been turmoiled by people, they called me or wrote letters saying: \u201cYou are going to die. We are going to kill you, black Nigger.\u201d So when that injury happened and I suddenly felt the pain, I thought I had been shot. And I looked down and I saw no blood, and I thought: \u201cOh, it\u2019s okay. I just pulled a muscle.\u201d So they took me to the medical room and they put me on a table and put ice on it.\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\n\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;And then we got to the 200m final. I looked at the others and I said to myself: \u201cDon\u2019t be a chicken. Be a man. I am fussing myself now.\u201d That really hurt me badly, because I was in trouble mentally. I saw John Carlos and Peter Norman. All these folks were world-class athletes. And they were obviously faster out of the blocks than I was. And I thought: \u201cThis is it.\u201d\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\n\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;When I heard the gun, there was no thought. There was just blank. And when I realized what was happening I was mid turn. What a realization! I was in fourth place. Here is the race of my life, injured, with eight of the fastest people of the world and I am in fourth place with a pulled muscle. All this was going through my mind while I was running.\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\n\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;But I saw myself running mentally before I actually ran physically. When I was standing behind the blocks before the start, I already ran my total race. I knew exactly where I would be, when I had to do certain things. The whole race was at full speed. And then I heard the announcer saying: \u201cAnd Tommie Smith is running pretty well so far.\u201d I heard that. And I thought: \u201cPretty well? I must be in pretty good shape.\u201d And I ran by John and he looked surprised, too. When I crossed the finish I raised my arms and smiled and this was exactly the same posture as Usain Bolt\u2019s in the Beijing finals. However, the smile stopped abruptly shortly after because of all the politics that was on my mind.\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\n\",\"contentRight\":\"\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\u0026lt;strong\\u0026gt;You made use of your success in Mexico and used the victory podium to promote your fight for Human Rights, raising your fist with a black glove and your head bowed during the award ceremony. When did that idea come up to use the Olympics as a stage to raise awareness for injustice?\\u0026lt;\/strong\\u0026gt;\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\n\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;Once the US black athletes decided not to boycott the Games, which had been the initial plan, I was not prepared to drop the whole issue. I remember, sitting on the side of a bench, thinking: \u201cWhat am I going to do? \u201c I can understand that they wanted to compete. There were so many athletes on the team who worked hard to get to where they got. But they were in California. If you went further south, to Mississippi and Alabama, the kids there needed a chance. What happened in the stand was known throughout the world now. And a lot of kids received energy from this, because it represented them. Not just Tommie Smith and John Carlos. We were just the operating machines, that sent out the power to others to also continue social running. That is how I thought. I leap over reality knowing someday it is going to be real.\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\n\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\u0026lt;strong\\u0026gt;But there were consequences afterwards?\\u0026lt;\/strong\\u0026gt;\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\n\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;There were even consequences before. I was being threatened, not being served at restaurants that I went to, being called names, not being able to get a job.\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\n\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;Afterwards, I was not longer able to compete internationally. Mexico City was my last competition. At the height of my career at the age of 24, I had to quit.\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\n\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\u0026lt;strong\\u0026gt;Did you ever have moments of regret that you did what you did?\\u0026lt;\/strong\\u0026gt;\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\n\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;No way. No regrets about what I did. I disliked the idea that someone else stopped me from doing what I wanted to do after that. But then I saw what good it did to young kids and it started a global thought.\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\n\",\"width\":\"Wide\"} \/--><!-- wp:puma\/row-image-multi {\"images\":[{\"width\":1510,\"height\":840,\"file\":\"2014\/09\/2TommieSmith_S.jpg\",\"filesize\":293242,\"sizes\":{\"medium\":{\"file\":\"2TommieSmith_S-300x167.jpg\",\"width\":300,\"height\":167,\"mime-type\":\"image\/jpeg\",\"filesize\":14309},\"large\":{\"file\":\"2TommieSmith_S-1024x570.jpg\",\"width\":1024,\"height\":570,\"mime-type\":\"image\/jpeg\",\"filesize\":139692},\"thumbnail\":{\"file\":\"2TommieSmith_S-150x150.jpg\",\"width\":150,\"height\":150,\"mime-type\":\"image\/jpeg\",\"filesize\":7531},\"medium_large\":{\"file\":\"2TommieSmith_S-768x427.jpg\",\"width\":768,\"height\":427,\"mime-type\":\"image\/jpeg\",\"filesize\":81044},\"trp-custom-language-flag\":{\"file\":\"2TommieSmith_S-18x10.jpg\",\"width\":18,\"height\":10,\"mime-type\":\"image\/jpeg\",\"filesize\":453}},\"image_meta\":{\"aperture\":\"0\",\"credit\":\"\",\"camera\":\"\",\"caption\":\"\",\"created_timestamp\":\"0\",\"copyright\":\"\",\"focal_length\":\"0\",\"iso\":\"0\",\"shutter_speed\":\"0\",\"title\":\"\",\"orientation\":\"0\",\"keywords\":[]},\"id\":2907,\"alt\":\"\",\"caption\":\"Tommie and his wife Delois. When being in Herzogenaurach in August, they celebrated their 14th wedding anniversary.\",\"description\":\"\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/2TommieSmith_S.jpg\",\"title\":\"2TommieSmith_S\",\"aspect_ratio\":1.7976190476190477,\"focalPointLeft\":0.5,\"focalPointTop\":0},{\"width\":1510,\"height\":840,\"file\":\"2014\/09\/TommieSmith_S.jpg\",\"filesize\":165579,\"sizes\":{\"medium\":{\"file\":\"TommieSmith_S-300x167.jpg\",\"width\":300,\"height\":167,\"mime-type\":\"image\/jpeg\",\"filesize\":10681},\"large\":{\"file\":\"TommieSmith_S-1024x570.jpg\",\"width\":1024,\"height\":570,\"mime-type\":\"image\/jpeg\",\"filesize\":85817},\"thumbnail\":{\"file\":\"TommieSmith_S-150x150.jpg\",\"width\":150,\"height\":150,\"mime-type\":\"image\/jpeg\",\"filesize\":6629},\"medium_large\":{\"file\":\"TommieSmith_S-768x427.jpg\",\"width\":768,\"height\":427,\"mime-type\":\"image\/jpeg\",\"filesize\":50215},\"trp-custom-language-flag\":{\"file\":\"TommieSmith_S-18x10.jpg\",\"width\":18,\"height\":10,\"mime-type\":\"image\/jpeg\",\"filesize\":427}},\"image_meta\":{\"aperture\":\"0\",\"credit\":\"\",\"camera\":\"\",\"caption\":\"\",\"created_timestamp\":\"0\",\"copyright\":\"\",\"focal_length\":\"0\",\"iso\":\"0\",\"shutter_speed\":\"0\",\"title\":\"\",\"orientation\":\"0\",\"keywords\":[]},\"id\":2910,\"alt\":\"\",\"caption\":\"Tommie in the PUMA Store in Herzo, checking out the latest Running collection.\",\"description\":\"\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/TommieSmith_S.jpg\",\"title\":\"TommieSmith_S\",\"aspect_ratio\":1.7976190476190477,\"focalPointLeft\":0.5,\"focalPointTop\":0}],\"showCaptions\":[true,true],\"aspect\":\"0\",\"style\":\"2\"} \/--><!-- wp:puma\/row-two-columns {\"contentLeft\":\"\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\u0026lt;strong\\u0026gt;How did you and PUMA get together?\\u0026lt;\/strong\\u0026gt;\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\n\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;When I was training in College, I was wearing Adidas. I ran ten world records in Adidas shoes without getting any money. But the white throwers were getting money. I wondered why they always had new shoes on and I thought: \u201cAll those white guys are rich. They always have new shoes.\u201d But they were getting their shoes for free, plus money on top.\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\n\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;One day in 1966, my best friend came up to me and said: \u201cTommie, you got two world records and your car isn\u2019t even running.\u201d \u2013 \u201cNow, what has this got to do with a car?\u201d \u2013 \u201cYou can get paid for what you do. What if I can show you some people who care more about you than what you have and what you don\u2019t have. What would you think?\u201d I said: \u201cThey don\u2019t exist.\u201d \u2013 \u201cThey do exist and they would like to talk to you.\u201d And this is when I met Rudolf. He was sitting there in his office, smiling. He showed me the shoe and I decided that I would like to wear that shoe. There was no contract signing or something like that. I came back home and started getting things that I had never gotten before. Like new shoes or new PUMA uniforms. And pretty soon, there was money coming in. And that is how I became a PUMA athlete.\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\n\",\"contentRight\":\"\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\u0026lt;strong\\u0026gt;What do you look out for when scouting athletes?\\u0026lt;\/strong\\u0026gt;\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\n\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;As a track and field coach, I would not recruit Number 1 or 2 in the city or in the state. I go after the people who are numbers 3, 4, 5 or 6 when I am recruiting. I am after the fastest people with the greatest mind capacities. When you already think, you have it \u2013 that is when the trouble starts. You just can\u2019t coach them. It is easier with a kid that is open-minded and who wants to learn and know about speed.\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\n\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\u0026lt;strong\\u0026gt;Do you still do sports today?\\u0026lt;\/strong\\u0026gt;\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\n\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;I have no choice. I cannot teach what I don\u2019t do. I will at least run 18 miles straight or more per week. Depends if my wife lets me stay in the house all day.\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\n\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\u0026lt;strong\\u0026gt;After 1968, Tommie coached athletes and taught sociology at university.\\u0026lt;\/strong\\u0026gt;\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\n\",\"width\":\"Wide\"} \/--><!-- wp:puma\/row-headline {\"h1\":\"The Silent Gesture\"} \/--><!-- wp:puma\/row-image-slider {\"migrateBlock\":true,\"title\":\"The Silent Gesture\",\"images\":[{\"width\":720,\"height\":1040,\"file\":\"2014\/09\/TommieSmith_M.jpg\",\"filesize\":73972,\"sizes\":{\"medium\":{\"file\":\"TommieSmith_M-208x300.jpg\",\"width\":208,\"height\":300,\"mime-type\":\"image\/jpeg\",\"filesize\":13765},\"large\":{\"file\":\"TommieSmith_M-709x1024.jpg\",\"width\":709,\"height\":1024,\"mime-type\":\"image\/jpeg\",\"filesize\":77736},\"thumbnail\":{\"file\":\"TommieSmith_M-150x150.jpg\",\"width\":150,\"height\":150,\"mime-type\":\"image\/jpeg\",\"filesize\":5980},\"trp-custom-language-flag\":{\"file\":\"TommieSmith_M-8x12.jpg\",\"width\":8,\"height\":12,\"mime-type\":\"image\/jpeg\",\"filesize\":332}},\"image_meta\":{\"aperture\":\"0\",\"credit\":\"\",\"camera\":\"\",\"caption\":\"\",\"created_timestamp\":\"0\",\"copyright\":\"\",\"focal_length\":\"0\",\"iso\":\"0\",\"shutter_speed\":\"0\",\"title\":\"\",\"orientation\":\"0\",\"keywords\":[]},\"id\":2909,\"alt\":\"\",\"caption\":\"Athletes Tommie Smith (middle) and John Carlos (right) making a ...\",\"description\":\"\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/TommieSmith_M.jpg\",\"title\":\"TommieSmith_M\",\"aspect_ratio\":0.6923076923076923,\"focalPointLeft\":0.5,\"focalPointTop\":0},{\"width\":720,\"height\":1040,\"file\":\"2014\/09\/2TommieSmith_M.jpg\",\"filesize\":166024,\"sizes\":{\"medium\":{\"file\":\"2TommieSmith_M-208x300.jpg\",\"width\":208,\"height\":300,\"mime-type\":\"image\/jpeg\",\"filesize\":16382},\"large\":{\"file\":\"2TommieSmith_M-709x1024.jpg\",\"width\":709,\"height\":1024,\"mime-type\":\"image\/jpeg\",\"filesize\":151628},\"thumbnail\":{\"file\":\"2TommieSmith_M-150x150.jpg\",\"width\":150,\"height\":150,\"mime-type\":\"image\/jpeg\",\"filesize\":7475},\"trp-custom-language-flag\":{\"file\":\"2TommieSmith_M-8x12.jpg\",\"width\":8,\"height\":12,\"mime-type\":\"image\/jpeg\",\"filesize\":364}},\"image_meta\":{\"aperture\":\"0\",\"credit\":\"\",\"camera\":\"\",\"caption\":\"\",\"created_timestamp\":\"0\",\"copyright\":\"\",\"focal_length\":\"0\",\"iso\":\"0\",\"shutter_speed\":\"0\",\"title\":\"\",\"orientation\":\"0\",\"keywords\":[]},\"id\":2906,\"alt\":\"\",\"caption\":\"Athletes Tommie Smith (middle) and John Carlos (right) making a \\u0022Silent Gesture\\u0022 at the Olympic Games 1968 in Mexico to raise awareness for racial injustice\",\"description\":\"\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/2TommieSmith_M.jpg\",\"title\":\"2TommieSmith_M\",\"aspect_ratio\":0.6923076923076923,\"focalPointLeft\":0.5,\"focalPointTop\":0}],\"size\":\"1\",\"aspect\":\"0\"} \/--><!-- wp:puma\/row-headline {\"h1\":\"Check out more\",\"width\":\"Wide\"} \/--><!-- wp:puma\/row-article-multi {\"migrateBlock\":true,\"numArticles\":2,\"title\":\"Check out more\",\"icon\":\"icon-puma\",\"manualArticles\":[{\"id\":1954},{\"id\":1036}],\"mode\":\"manual\",\"aspect\":\"1\"} \/-->","post_title":"Tommie Smith and his powerful statement","post_excerpt":"Holding eleven world records simultaneously, Tommie Smith is undoubtedly one of the greatest sprinters of all times. His remarkable achievements on the track, however, were overcast by the furor of his \u201cSilent Gesture\u201d in the fight for Human Rights at the Olympic Games 1968 in Mexico. Having just sprinted to gold in world record time over 200 meters for the United States, the black activist found himself jobless and hated by many in his own country afterwards.\nCATch Up met the 70-year old at the PUMA Headquarters in Herzogenaurach for an interview when he paid his old sponsor a visit.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"tommie-smith-and-his-powerful-statement","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-09-19 15:08:09","post_modified_gmt":"2025-09-19 15:08:09","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/?p=2903","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw","ancestors":[],"page_template":"","post_category":[18],"tags_input":[],"id":2903,"author":"5","date":"2014-09-08 16:02:24","date_gmt":"2014-09-08 14:02:24","content":"<!-- wp:puma\/row-post-header {\"image\":{\"width\":1140,\"height\":640,\"file\":\"2014\/09\/TommieSmith_H.jpg\",\"filesize\":132988,\"sizes\":{\"medium\":{\"file\":\"TommieSmith_H-300x168.jpg\",\"width\":300,\"height\":168,\"mime-type\":\"image\/jpeg\",\"filesize\":12051},\"large\":{\"file\":\"TommieSmith_H-1024x575.jpg\",\"width\":1024,\"height\":575,\"mime-type\":\"image\/jpeg\",\"filesize\":104059},\"thumbnail\":{\"file\":\"TommieSmith_H-150x150.jpg\",\"width\":150,\"height\":150,\"mime-type\":\"image\/jpeg\",\"filesize\":6104},\"medium_large\":{\"file\":\"TommieSmith_H-768x431.jpg\",\"width\":768,\"height\":431,\"mime-type\":\"image\/jpeg\",\"filesize\":60203},\"trp-custom-language-flag\":{\"file\":\"TommieSmith_H-18x10.jpg\",\"width\":18,\"height\":10,\"mime-type\":\"image\/jpeg\",\"filesize\":466}},\"image_meta\":{\"aperture\":\"0\",\"credit\":\"\",\"camera\":\"\",\"caption\":\"\",\"created_timestamp\":\"0\",\"copyright\":\"\",\"focal_length\":\"0\",\"iso\":\"0\",\"shutter_speed\":\"0\",\"title\":\"\",\"orientation\":\"0\",\"keywords\":[]},\"id\":4137,\"alt\":\"\",\"caption\":\"\",\"description\":\"\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/TommieSmith_H.jpg\",\"title\":\"tommiesmith_h\",\"aspect_ratio\":1.78125,\"focalPointLeft\":0.5,\"focalPointTop\":0},\"headline\":\"\\u0022I WOULD HAVE BEEN FASTER THAN USAIN BOLT\\u0022\",\"content\":\"Tommie Smith and his powerful statement\"} \/--><!-- wp:puma\/row-text-single {\"content\":\"\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;Holding eleven world records simultaneously, \\u0026lt;strong\\u0026gt;Tommie Smith is undoubtedly one of the greatest sprinters of all times\\u0026lt;\/strong\\u0026gt;. His remarkable achievements on the track, however, were overcast by the furor of his \u201cSilent Gesture\u201d in the fight for Human Rights at the Olympic Games 1968 in Mexico. Having just sprinted to gold in world record time over 200 meters for the United States, the black activist found himself jobless and hated by many in his own country afterwards.\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\n\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;CATch Up met the 70-year old at the PUMA Headquarters in Herzogenaurach for an interview when he paid his old sponsor a visit.\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\n\",\"width\":\"Wide\",\"aspect\":\"0\",\"style\":\"2b\"} \/--><!-- wp:puma\/row-two-columns {\"contentLeft\":\"\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\u0026lt;strong\\u0026gt;Within the span of one year \u2013 from May 1966 to May 1967 \u2013 you sprinted to ten world records over 200 and 400 meters. The eleventh world record came from the 1968 Olympic Games 200m race in Mexico City. What was your most favourite sports moment ever?\\u0026lt;\/strong\\u0026gt;\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\n\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;My most favourite sports moment was running the 400 meters in world record time in 1967 at San Jose State University, because it was my first 400m world record. I ran 44.5 seconds on a dirt track with four spikes. If I had had today\u2019s conditions back then, I am sure I could have run 43 seconds. But I was in college, studying and did not really have the time to concentrate on training. On top, my diet was zero and of course the incentives were zero. So I ran for the love of the sports, for the excitement of the competition. The winnings of course would come, if I was good enough in that competitive effort.\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\n\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\u0026lt;strong\\u0026gt;If you had worn Usain Bolt\u2019s shoes back then, would you have been faster than he is?\\u0026lt;\/strong\\u0026gt;\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\n\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;Of course, I would have been faster. Given today\u2019s technology such as the shoes, the tracks and not having to go to school, I could have run the 200 meters in 18.7 seconds. Usain is not in college. He is training and preparing. I on the other hand never ran competitively outside of college. That took a lot away from my training.\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\n\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\u0026lt;strong\\u0026gt;Nevertheless, your track record is astounding. What made you so successful and such an outstanding athlete?\\u0026lt;\/strong\\u0026gt;\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\n\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;I did what others wouldn\u2019t do. Like training at two o\u2019clock in the morning. Getting up out of my bed and going to the track. I was stopped a couple of times by the police, because I was out on the street going to the track, when nobody else was up. I climbed over the fence to get to the track to train and I was already a world record holder then. Things like that made me feel that I was better, because I did something that the other kids wouldn\u2019t do.\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\n\",\"contentRight\":\"\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;Also my thought process was different. It\u2019s about the usage of your muscle to the maximum without tensing up. In other words: The brain controls the body. I was never completely conditioned, unless my mind was conditioned first. Pain is obvious, but how one handles it, isn\u2019t. Everyone handles pain differently. I was elitist in handling pain. What was pain to me training at two o\u2019clock in the morning?\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\n\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;I would train on weekends, when the other guys were partying, I did not join any fraternities and I did not have any girls. It was about the little simple things.\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\n\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\u0026lt;strong\\u0026gt;So the mental condition is very important to be a successful athlete?\\u0026lt;\/strong\\u0026gt;\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\n\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;For me, yes, it was. I tried to make myself better mentally. Today\u2019s mentality is also a lot to put blame on certain conditions or circumstances. If it is raining outside and no one else is training in the rain but me, I am going to be better than the others in rain. Now, if there was more rain in my lane and everyone else had sunshine, then I would have something to complain about. But I do not put complaints where work can overtake stupidity of making false accusations.\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\n\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\u0026lt;strong\\u0026gt;What are your memories about that historic 200m race in Mexico in 1968?\\u0026lt;\/strong\\u0026gt;\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\n\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;That race had a whole history of firsts for me. I wore the PUMA velcro shoes for the first time. It was the first time in the history that the race was run under 20 flat. But it was also the last race I ran.\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\n\",\"width\":\"Wide\"} \/--><!-- wp:puma\/row-image-single {\"images\":[{\"width\":1510,\"height\":840,\"file\":\"2014\/09\/1TommieSmith_S.jpg\",\"filesize\":231592,\"sizes\":{\"medium\":{\"file\":\"1TommieSmith_S-300x167.jpg\",\"width\":300,\"height\":167,\"mime-type\":\"image\/jpeg\",\"filesize\":14588},\"large\":{\"file\":\"1TommieSmith_S-1024x570.jpg\",\"width\":1024,\"height\":570,\"mime-type\":\"image\/jpeg\",\"filesize\":136553},\"thumbnail\":{\"file\":\"1TommieSmith_S-150x150.jpg\",\"width\":150,\"height\":150,\"mime-type\":\"image\/jpeg\",\"filesize\":6468},\"medium_large\":{\"file\":\"1TommieSmith_S-768x427.jpg\",\"width\":768,\"height\":427,\"mime-type\":\"image\/jpeg\",\"filesize\":82661},\"trp-custom-language-flag\":{\"file\":\"1TommieSmith_S-18x10.jpg\",\"width\":18,\"height\":10,\"mime-type\":\"image\/jpeg\",\"filesize\":407}},\"image_meta\":{\"aperture\":\"0\",\"credit\":\"\",\"camera\":\"\",\"caption\":\"\",\"created_timestamp\":\"0\",\"copyright\":\"\",\"focal_length\":\"0\",\"iso\":\"0\",\"shutter_speed\":\"0\",\"title\":\"\",\"orientation\":\"0\",\"keywords\":[]},\"id\":2905,\"alt\":\"\",\"caption\":\"Mexico 1968: Tommie races to gold over 200m in the world record time of 19.83. It was the first time the 20-second barrier was broken.\",\"description\":\"\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/1TommieSmith_S.jpg\",\"title\":\"1TommieSmith_S\",\"aspect_ratio\":1.7976190476190477,\"focalPointLeft\":0.5,\"focalPointTop\":0}],\"showCaptions\":[true],\"image\":{\"width\":1510,\"height\":840,\"file\":\"2014\/09\/1TommieSmith_S.jpg\",\"filesize\":231592,\"sizes\":{\"medium\":{\"file\":\"1TommieSmith_S-300x167.jpg\",\"width\":300,\"height\":167,\"mime-type\":\"image\/jpeg\",\"filesize\":14588},\"large\":{\"file\":\"1TommieSmith_S-1024x570.jpg\",\"width\":1024,\"height\":570,\"mime-type\":\"image\/jpeg\",\"filesize\":136553},\"thumbnail\":{\"file\":\"1TommieSmith_S-150x150.jpg\",\"width\":150,\"height\":150,\"mime-type\":\"image\/jpeg\",\"filesize\":6468},\"medium_large\":{\"file\":\"1TommieSmith_S-768x427.jpg\",\"width\":768,\"height\":427,\"mime-type\":\"image\/jpeg\",\"filesize\":82661},\"trp-custom-language-flag\":{\"file\":\"1TommieSmith_S-18x10.jpg\",\"width\":18,\"height\":10,\"mime-type\":\"image\/jpeg\",\"filesize\":407}},\"image_meta\":{\"aperture\":\"0\",\"credit\":\"\",\"camera\":\"\",\"caption\":\"\",\"created_timestamp\":\"0\",\"copyright\":\"\",\"focal_length\":\"0\",\"iso\":\"0\",\"shutter_speed\":\"0\",\"title\":\"\",\"orientation\":\"0\",\"keywords\":[]},\"id\":2905,\"alt\":\"\",\"caption\":\"Mexico 1968: Tommie races to gold over 200m in the world record time of 19.83. It was the first time the 20-second barrier was broken.\",\"description\":\"\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/1TommieSmith_S.jpg\",\"title\":\"1TommieSmith_S\",\"aspect_ratio\":1.7976190476190477,\"focalPointLeft\":0.5,\"focalPointTop\":0},\"style\":\"Wide\"} \/--><!-- wp:puma\/row-two-columns {\"contentLeft\":\"\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\u0026lt;strong\\u0026gt;But only few people know that you were injured.\\u0026lt;\/strong\\u0026gt;\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\n\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;Yes, I had pulled a muscle earlier that day in the semi-finals. I had been turmoiled by people, they called me or wrote letters saying: \u201cYou are going to die. We are going to kill you, black Nigger.\u201d So when that injury happened and I suddenly felt the pain, I thought I had been shot. And I looked down and I saw no blood, and I thought: \u201cOh, it\u2019s okay. I just pulled a muscle.\u201d So they took me to the medical room and they put me on a table and put ice on it.\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\n\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;And then we got to the 200m final. I looked at the others and I said to myself: \u201cDon\u2019t be a chicken. Be a man. I am fussing myself now.\u201d That really hurt me badly, because I was in trouble mentally. I saw John Carlos and Peter Norman. All these folks were world-class athletes. And they were obviously faster out of the blocks than I was. And I thought: \u201cThis is it.\u201d\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\n\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;When I heard the gun, there was no thought. There was just blank. And when I realized what was happening I was mid turn. What a realization! I was in fourth place. Here is the race of my life, injured, with eight of the fastest people of the world and I am in fourth place with a pulled muscle. All this was going through my mind while I was running.\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\n\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;But I saw myself running mentally before I actually ran physically. When I was standing behind the blocks before the start, I already ran my total race. I knew exactly where I would be, when I had to do certain things. The whole race was at full speed. And then I heard the announcer saying: \u201cAnd Tommie Smith is running pretty well so far.\u201d I heard that. And I thought: \u201cPretty well? I must be in pretty good shape.\u201d And I ran by John and he looked surprised, too. When I crossed the finish I raised my arms and smiled and this was exactly the same posture as Usain Bolt\u2019s in the Beijing finals. However, the smile stopped abruptly shortly after because of all the politics that was on my mind.\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\n\",\"contentRight\":\"\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\u0026lt;strong\\u0026gt;You made use of your success in Mexico and used the victory podium to promote your fight for Human Rights, raising your fist with a black glove and your head bowed during the award ceremony. When did that idea come up to use the Olympics as a stage to raise awareness for injustice?\\u0026lt;\/strong\\u0026gt;\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\n\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;Once the US black athletes decided not to boycott the Games, which had been the initial plan, I was not prepared to drop the whole issue. I remember, sitting on the side of a bench, thinking: \u201cWhat am I going to do? \u201c I can understand that they wanted to compete. There were so many athletes on the team who worked hard to get to where they got. But they were in California. If you went further south, to Mississippi and Alabama, the kids there needed a chance. What happened in the stand was known throughout the world now. And a lot of kids received energy from this, because it represented them. Not just Tommie Smith and John Carlos. We were just the operating machines, that sent out the power to others to also continue social running. That is how I thought. I leap over reality knowing someday it is going to be real.\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\n\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\u0026lt;strong\\u0026gt;But there were consequences afterwards?\\u0026lt;\/strong\\u0026gt;\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\n\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;There were even consequences before. I was being threatened, not being served at restaurants that I went to, being called names, not being able to get a job.\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\n\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;Afterwards, I was not longer able to compete internationally. Mexico City was my last competition. At the height of my career at the age of 24, I had to quit.\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\n\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\u0026lt;strong\\u0026gt;Did you ever have moments of regret that you did what you did?\\u0026lt;\/strong\\u0026gt;\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\n\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;No way. No regrets about what I did. I disliked the idea that someone else stopped me from doing what I wanted to do after that. But then I saw what good it did to young kids and it started a global thought.\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\n\",\"width\":\"Wide\"} \/--><!-- wp:puma\/row-image-multi {\"images\":[{\"width\":1510,\"height\":840,\"file\":\"2014\/09\/2TommieSmith_S.jpg\",\"filesize\":293242,\"sizes\":{\"medium\":{\"file\":\"2TommieSmith_S-300x167.jpg\",\"width\":300,\"height\":167,\"mime-type\":\"image\/jpeg\",\"filesize\":14309},\"large\":{\"file\":\"2TommieSmith_S-1024x570.jpg\",\"width\":1024,\"height\":570,\"mime-type\":\"image\/jpeg\",\"filesize\":139692},\"thumbnail\":{\"file\":\"2TommieSmith_S-150x150.jpg\",\"width\":150,\"height\":150,\"mime-type\":\"image\/jpeg\",\"filesize\":7531},\"medium_large\":{\"file\":\"2TommieSmith_S-768x427.jpg\",\"width\":768,\"height\":427,\"mime-type\":\"image\/jpeg\",\"filesize\":81044},\"trp-custom-language-flag\":{\"file\":\"2TommieSmith_S-18x10.jpg\",\"width\":18,\"height\":10,\"mime-type\":\"image\/jpeg\",\"filesize\":453}},\"image_meta\":{\"aperture\":\"0\",\"credit\":\"\",\"camera\":\"\",\"caption\":\"\",\"created_timestamp\":\"0\",\"copyright\":\"\",\"focal_length\":\"0\",\"iso\":\"0\",\"shutter_speed\":\"0\",\"title\":\"\",\"orientation\":\"0\",\"keywords\":[]},\"id\":2907,\"alt\":\"\",\"caption\":\"Tommie and his wife Delois. When being in Herzogenaurach in August, they celebrated their 14th wedding anniversary.\",\"description\":\"\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/2TommieSmith_S.jpg\",\"title\":\"2TommieSmith_S\",\"aspect_ratio\":1.7976190476190477,\"focalPointLeft\":0.5,\"focalPointTop\":0},{\"width\":1510,\"height\":840,\"file\":\"2014\/09\/TommieSmith_S.jpg\",\"filesize\":165579,\"sizes\":{\"medium\":{\"file\":\"TommieSmith_S-300x167.jpg\",\"width\":300,\"height\":167,\"mime-type\":\"image\/jpeg\",\"filesize\":10681},\"large\":{\"file\":\"TommieSmith_S-1024x570.jpg\",\"width\":1024,\"height\":570,\"mime-type\":\"image\/jpeg\",\"filesize\":85817},\"thumbnail\":{\"file\":\"TommieSmith_S-150x150.jpg\",\"width\":150,\"height\":150,\"mime-type\":\"image\/jpeg\",\"filesize\":6629},\"medium_large\":{\"file\":\"TommieSmith_S-768x427.jpg\",\"width\":768,\"height\":427,\"mime-type\":\"image\/jpeg\",\"filesize\":50215},\"trp-custom-language-flag\":{\"file\":\"TommieSmith_S-18x10.jpg\",\"width\":18,\"height\":10,\"mime-type\":\"image\/jpeg\",\"filesize\":427}},\"image_meta\":{\"aperture\":\"0\",\"credit\":\"\",\"camera\":\"\",\"caption\":\"\",\"created_timestamp\":\"0\",\"copyright\":\"\",\"focal_length\":\"0\",\"iso\":\"0\",\"shutter_speed\":\"0\",\"title\":\"\",\"orientation\":\"0\",\"keywords\":[]},\"id\":2910,\"alt\":\"\",\"caption\":\"Tommie in the PUMA Store in Herzo, checking out the latest Running collection.\",\"description\":\"\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/TommieSmith_S.jpg\",\"title\":\"TommieSmith_S\",\"aspect_ratio\":1.7976190476190477,\"focalPointLeft\":0.5,\"focalPointTop\":0}],\"showCaptions\":[true,true],\"aspect\":\"0\",\"style\":\"2\"} \/--><!-- wp:puma\/row-two-columns {\"contentLeft\":\"\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\u0026lt;strong\\u0026gt;How did you and PUMA get together?\\u0026lt;\/strong\\u0026gt;\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\n\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;When I was training in College, I was wearing Adidas. I ran ten world records in Adidas shoes without getting any money. But the white throwers were getting money. I wondered why they always had new shoes on and I thought: \u201cAll those white guys are rich. They always have new shoes.\u201d But they were getting their shoes for free, plus money on top.\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\n\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;One day in 1966, my best friend came up to me and said: \u201cTommie, you got two world records and your car isn\u2019t even running.\u201d \u2013 \u201cNow, what has this got to do with a car?\u201d \u2013 \u201cYou can get paid for what you do. What if I can show you some people who care more about you than what you have and what you don\u2019t have. What would you think?\u201d I said: \u201cThey don\u2019t exist.\u201d \u2013 \u201cThey do exist and they would like to talk to you.\u201d And this is when I met Rudolf. He was sitting there in his office, smiling. He showed me the shoe and I decided that I would like to wear that shoe. There was no contract signing or something like that. I came back home and started getting things that I had never gotten before. Like new shoes or new PUMA uniforms. And pretty soon, there was money coming in. And that is how I became a PUMA athlete.\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\n\",\"contentRight\":\"\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\u0026lt;strong\\u0026gt;What do you look out for when scouting athletes?\\u0026lt;\/strong\\u0026gt;\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\n\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;As a track and field coach, I would not recruit Number 1 or 2 in the city or in the state. I go after the people who are numbers 3, 4, 5 or 6 when I am recruiting. I am after the fastest people with the greatest mind capacities. When you already think, you have it \u2013 that is when the trouble starts. You just can\u2019t coach them. It is easier with a kid that is open-minded and who wants to learn and know about speed.\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\n\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\u0026lt;strong\\u0026gt;Do you still do sports today?\\u0026lt;\/strong\\u0026gt;\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\n\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;I have no choice. I cannot teach what I don\u2019t do. I will at least run 18 miles straight or more per week. Depends if my wife lets me stay in the house all day.\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\n\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\u0026lt;strong\\u0026gt;After 1968, Tommie coached athletes and taught sociology at university.\\u0026lt;\/strong\\u0026gt;\\u0026lt;br\/\\u0026gt;\\n\",\"width\":\"Wide\"} \/--><!-- wp:puma\/row-headline {\"h1\":\"The Silent Gesture\"} \/--><!-- wp:puma\/row-image-slider {\"migrateBlock\":true,\"title\":\"The Silent Gesture\",\"images\":[{\"width\":720,\"height\":1040,\"file\":\"2014\/09\/TommieSmith_M.jpg\",\"filesize\":73972,\"sizes\":{\"medium\":{\"file\":\"TommieSmith_M-208x300.jpg\",\"width\":208,\"height\":300,\"mime-type\":\"image\/jpeg\",\"filesize\":13765},\"large\":{\"file\":\"TommieSmith_M-709x1024.jpg\",\"width\":709,\"height\":1024,\"mime-type\":\"image\/jpeg\",\"filesize\":77736},\"thumbnail\":{\"file\":\"TommieSmith_M-150x150.jpg\",\"width\":150,\"height\":150,\"mime-type\":\"image\/jpeg\",\"filesize\":5980},\"trp-custom-language-flag\":{\"file\":\"TommieSmith_M-8x12.jpg\",\"width\":8,\"height\":12,\"mime-type\":\"image\/jpeg\",\"filesize\":332}},\"image_meta\":{\"aperture\":\"0\",\"credit\":\"\",\"camera\":\"\",\"caption\":\"\",\"created_timestamp\":\"0\",\"copyright\":\"\",\"focal_length\":\"0\",\"iso\":\"0\",\"shutter_speed\":\"0\",\"title\":\"\",\"orientation\":\"0\",\"keywords\":[]},\"id\":2909,\"alt\":\"\",\"caption\":\"Athletes Tommie Smith (middle) and John Carlos (right) making a ...\",\"description\":\"\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/TommieSmith_M.jpg\",\"title\":\"TommieSmith_M\",\"aspect_ratio\":0.6923076923076923,\"focalPointLeft\":0.5,\"focalPointTop\":0},{\"width\":720,\"height\":1040,\"file\":\"2014\/09\/2TommieSmith_M.jpg\",\"filesize\":166024,\"sizes\":{\"medium\":{\"file\":\"2TommieSmith_M-208x300.jpg\",\"width\":208,\"height\":300,\"mime-type\":\"image\/jpeg\",\"filesize\":16382},\"large\":{\"file\":\"2TommieSmith_M-709x1024.jpg\",\"width\":709,\"height\":1024,\"mime-type\":\"image\/jpeg\",\"filesize\":151628},\"thumbnail\":{\"file\":\"2TommieSmith_M-150x150.jpg\",\"width\":150,\"height\":150,\"mime-type\":\"image\/jpeg\",\"filesize\":7475},\"trp-custom-language-flag\":{\"file\":\"2TommieSmith_M-8x12.jpg\",\"width\":8,\"height\":12,\"mime-type\":\"image\/jpeg\",\"filesize\":364}},\"image_meta\":{\"aperture\":\"0\",\"credit\":\"\",\"camera\":\"\",\"caption\":\"\",\"created_timestamp\":\"0\",\"copyright\":\"\",\"focal_length\":\"0\",\"iso\":\"0\",\"shutter_speed\":\"0\",\"title\":\"\",\"orientation\":\"0\",\"keywords\":[]},\"id\":2906,\"alt\":\"\",\"caption\":\"Athletes Tommie Smith (middle) and John Carlos (right) making a \\u0022Silent Gesture\\u0022 at the Olympic Games 1968 in Mexico to raise awareness for racial injustice\",\"description\":\"\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/2TommieSmith_M.jpg\",\"title\":\"2TommieSmith_M\",\"aspect_ratio\":0.6923076923076923,\"focalPointLeft\":0.5,\"focalPointTop\":0}],\"size\":\"1\",\"aspect\":\"0\"} \/--><!-- wp:puma\/row-headline {\"h1\":\"Check out more\",\"width\":\"Wide\"} \/--><!-- wp:puma\/row-article-multi {\"migrateBlock\":true,\"numArticles\":2,\"title\":\"Check out more\",\"icon\":\"icon-puma\",\"manualArticles\":[{\"id\":1954},{\"id\":1036}],\"mode\":\"manual\",\"aspect\":\"1\"} \/-->","title":"Tommie Smith y su poderosa declaraci\u00f3n","excerpt":"Poseedor de once r\u00e9cords mundiales simult\u00e1neos, Tommie Smith es sin duda uno de los mejores velocistas de todos los tiempos. Sin embargo, sus notables logros en la pista se vieron ensombrecidos por el furor de su \u201cGesto silencioso\u201d en la lucha por los derechos humanos en los Juegos Ol\u00edmpicos de 1968 en M\u00e9xico. El activista negro, que acababa de batir el r\u00e9cord mundial de velocidad en 200 metros para Estados Unidos, se encontr\u00f3 despu\u00e9s sin trabajo y odiado por muchos en su propio pa\u00eds.\nCATch Up se reuni\u00f3 con este hombre de 70 a\u00f1os en la sede de PUMA en Herzogenaurach para entrevistarle cuando visit\u00f3 a su antiguo patrocinador.","status":"publish","password":"","name":"tommie-smith-y-su-poderosa-declaraci\u00f3n","modified":"2025-09-19 15:08:09","modified_gmt":"2025-09-19 15:08:09","content_filtered":"","parent":0,"type":"post","mime_type":"","template":"","category":[18],"datetime_local":"8 de septiembre de 2014, 14:02","date_local":"8 de septiembre de 2014","time_local":"14:02","slug":"tommie-smith-and-his-powerful-statement","url":"https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/es\/sports\/tommie-smith-and-his-powerful-statement\/","featured_image":{"width":1140,"height":640,"file":"2014\/09\/TommieSmith_H.jpg","filesize":132988,"sizes":{"medium":{"file":"TommieSmith_H-300x168.jpg","width":300,"height":168,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","filesize":12051},"large":{"file":"TommieSmith_H-1024x575.jpg","width":1024,"height":575,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","filesize":104059},"thumbnail":{"file":"TommieSmith_H-150x150.jpg","width":150,"height":150,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","filesize":6104},"medium_large":{"file":"TommieSmith_H-768x431.jpg","width":768,"height":431,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","filesize":60203},"trp-custom-language-flag":{"file":"TommieSmith_H-18x10.jpg","width":18,"height":10,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","filesize":466}},"image_meta":{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0","keywords":[]},"id":4137,"alt":"","caption":"","description":"","url":"https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/TommieSmith_H.jpg","title":"tommiesmith_h","aspect_ratio":1.78125,"focalPointLeft":0.5,"focalPointTop":0},"headline":"Tommie Smith and his powerful statement","categories":[{"term_id":18,"name":"Deportes","slug":"sports","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":18,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":869,"filter":"raw","url":"https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/es\/category\/sports\/"}],"theCategory":{"term_id":18,"name":"Deportes","slug":"sports","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":18,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":869,"filter":"raw","url":"https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/es\/category\/sports\/"},"isFeaturedArticle":true,"isTopArticle":false},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2903","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2903"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2903\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4137"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2903"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2903"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}