{"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\/fr\/sports\/tommie-smith-and-his-powerful-statement\/","title":{"rendered":"Tommie Smith et sa puissante d\u00e9claration"},"content":{"rendered":"<!-- post header -->\n<div class=\"row rowSingleColumn\">\n    <div class=\"col breadcrumb\">\n        <a href=\"\/fr\/\">Accueil<\/a>\/\n        <a href=\"\/fr\/category\/sports\/\">Sports<\/a>\/\n        Tommie Smith et sa puissante d\u00e9claration\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\/fr\/category\/sports\/\">Sports<\/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%2Ffr%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%2Ffr%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\/fr\/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%2Ffr%2Fsports%2Ftommie-smith-and-his-powerful-statement%2F\" target=\"blank\"><\/a>\n        <\/div>\n        <h1 class=\"\" >\u201cJ'AURAIS \u00c9T\u00c9 PLUS RAPIDE QU'USAIN BOLT\u201d<\/h1>\n        <div class=\"articleintro\" >Tommie Smith et sa puissante d\u00e9claration<\/div>\n        <div class=\"date\">8 septembre 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\/fr\/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\/fr\/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\/fr\/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%2Ffr%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%2Ffr%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\/>D\u00e9tenir simultan\u00e9ment onze records du monde, <strong>Tommie Smith est sans aucun doute l'un des plus grands sprinters de tous les temps<\/strong>. Ses remarquables exploits sur la piste ont toutefois \u00e9t\u00e9 \u00e9clips\u00e9s par la fureur suscit\u00e9e par son \u201cgeste silencieux\u201d dans la lutte pour les droits de l'homme lors des Jeux olympiques de 1968 \u00e0 Mexico. Alors qu'il venait de remporter la m\u00e9daille d'or aux \u00c9tats-Unis dans un temps record sur 200 m\u00e8tres, l'activiste noir s'est retrouv\u00e9 sans emploi et d\u00e9test\u00e9 par de nombreuses personnes dans son propre pays.<br\/>\n<br\/>CATch Up a rencontr\u00e9 le septuag\u00e9naire au si\u00e8ge de PUMA \u00e0 Herzogenaurach pour une interview lorsqu'il a rendu visite \u00e0 son ancien sponsor.<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 l'espace d'un an - de mai 1966 \u00e0 mai 1967 - vous avez \u00e9tabli dix records du monde sur 200 et 400 m\u00e8tres. Le onzi\u00e8me record du monde a \u00e9t\u00e9 \u00e9tabli lors de la course de 200 m\u00e8tres des Jeux olympiques de 1968 \u00e0 Mexico. Quel est le moment sportif que vous avez le plus appr\u00e9ci\u00e9 ?<\/strong><br\/>\n<br\/>Mon moment sportif pr\u00e9f\u00e9r\u00e9 a \u00e9t\u00e9 de courir le 400 m\u00e8tres en un temps record en 1967 \u00e0 l'universit\u00e9 d'\u00c9tat de San Jose, parce que c'\u00e9tait mon premier record du monde du 400 m\u00e8tres. J'ai couru 44,5 secondes sur une piste en terre battue avec quatre pointes. Si j'avais eu les conditions d'aujourd'hui \u00e0 l'\u00e9poque, je suis s\u00fbr que j'aurais pu courir 43 secondes. Mais j'\u00e9tais \u00e0 l'universit\u00e9, j'\u00e9tudiais et je n'avais pas vraiment le temps de me concentrer sur l'entra\u00eenement. En outre, mon r\u00e9gime alimentaire \u00e9tait nul et, bien s\u00fbr, les incitations \u00e9taient nulles. J'ai donc couru pour l'amour du sport, pour l'excitation de la comp\u00e9tition. Les gains viendraient bien s\u00fbr, si j'\u00e9tais assez bon dans cet effort de comp\u00e9tition.<br\/>\n<br\/><strong>Si vous aviez port\u00e9 les chaussures d'Usain Bolt \u00e0 l'\u00e9poque, auriez-vous \u00e9t\u00e9 plus rapide que lui ?<\/strong><br\/>\n<br\/>Bien s\u00fbr, j'aurais \u00e9t\u00e9 plus rapide. Avec la technologie d'aujourd'hui, comme les chaussures, les pistes et le fait de ne pas avoir \u00e0 aller \u00e0 l'\u00e9cole, j'aurais pu courir le 200 m\u00e8tres en 18,7 secondes. Usain n'est pas \u00e0 l'universit\u00e9. Il s'entra\u00eene et se pr\u00e9pare. De mon c\u00f4t\u00e9, je n'ai jamais couru en comp\u00e9tition en dehors de l'universit\u00e9. Cela a beaucoup nui \u00e0 mon entra\u00eenement.<br\/>\n<br\/><strong>N\u00e9anmoins, votre palmar\u00e8s est stup\u00e9fiant. Qu'est-ce qui a fait de vous un athl\u00e8te si performant et si exceptionnel ?<\/strong><br\/>\n<br\/>J'ai fait ce que d'autres ne feraient pas. Comme m'entra\u00eener \u00e0 deux heures du matin. Je me levais de mon lit et j'allais sur la piste. J'ai \u00e9t\u00e9 arr\u00eat\u00e9 deux ou trois fois par la police, parce que j'\u00e9tais dans la rue pour aller sur la piste, alors que personne d'autre n'\u00e9tait debout. J'ai escalad\u00e9 la cl\u00f4ture pour aller m'entra\u00eener sur la piste et j'\u00e9tais d\u00e9j\u00e0 d\u00e9tenteur d'un record du monde \u00e0 l'\u00e9poque. Ce genre de choses me donnait l'impression d'\u00eatre meilleur, parce que je faisais quelque chose que les autres enfants ne faisaient pas.<br\/>\n<\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"col articleText\">\n        <div ><br\/>Mon processus de pens\u00e9e \u00e9tait \u00e9galement diff\u00e9rent. Il s'agit d'utiliser le muscle au maximum sans se crisper. En d'autres termes : Le cerveau contr\u00f4le le corps. Je n'ai jamais \u00e9t\u00e9 compl\u00e8tement conditionn\u00e9, \u00e0 moins que mon esprit ne l'ait \u00e9t\u00e9 d'abord. La douleur est \u00e9vidente, mais la fa\u00e7on dont on la g\u00e8re ne l'est pas. Chacun g\u00e8re la douleur diff\u00e9remment. J'\u00e9tais \u00e9litiste dans ma fa\u00e7on de g\u00e9rer la douleur. Qu'est-ce que la douleur pour moi qui m'entra\u00eenais \u00e0 deux heures du matin ?<br\/>\n<br\/>Je m'entra\u00eenais le week-end, quand les autres faisaient la f\u00eate, je ne rejoignais aucune fraternit\u00e9 et je n'avais aucune fille. Je n'ai pas rejoint de fraternit\u00e9 et je n'ai pas eu de fille.<br\/>\n<br\/><strong>La condition mentale est donc tr\u00e8s importante pour r\u00e9ussir en tant qu'athl\u00e8te ?<\/strong><br\/>\n<br\/>Pour moi, oui, c'\u00e9tait le cas. J'ai essay\u00e9 de m'am\u00e9liorer mentalement. La mentalit\u00e9 d'aujourd'hui consiste \u00e9galement \u00e0 rejeter la faute sur certaines conditions ou circonstances. S'il pleut dehors et que personne d'autre que moi ne s'entra\u00eene sous la pluie, je serai meilleur que les autres sous la pluie. Maintenant, s'il y avait plus de pluie dans mon couloir et que tous les autres avaient du soleil, j'aurais des raisons de me plaindre. Mais je ne mets pas les plaintes l\u00e0 o\u00f9 le travail peut l'emporter sur la stupidit\u00e9 des fausses accusations.<br\/>\n<br\/><strong>Quels sont vos souvenirs de cette course historique de 200 m au Mexique en 1968 ?<\/strong><br\/>\n<br\/>Cette course a \u00e9t\u00e9 pour moi l'occasion de toute une s\u00e9rie de premi\u00e8res. Je portais pour la premi\u00e8re fois des chaussures PUMA \u00e0 velcro. C'\u00e9tait la premi\u00e8re fois dans l'histoire de la course que l'on courait \u00e0 moins de 20 m\u00e8tres de profondeur. Mais c'est aussi la derni\u00e8re course que j'ai faite.<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\">Mexique 1968 : Tommie remporte la m\u00e9daille d'or sur 200 m dans le temps record de 19,83. C'est la premi\u00e8re fois que la barri\u00e8re des 20 secondes est franchie.<\/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>Mais peu de gens savent que vous avez \u00e9t\u00e9 bless\u00e9.<\/strong><br\/>\n<br\/>Oui, je m'\u00e9tais froiss\u00e9 un muscle plus t\u00f4t dans la journ\u00e9e, lors de la demi-finale. J'ai \u00e9t\u00e9 perturb\u00e9 par les gens, ils m'ont appel\u00e9 ou m'ont \u00e9crit des lettres pour me dire : \u201cTu vas mourir : \u201dTu vas mourir. Nous allons te tuer, n\u00e8gre noir\u201c. Alors quand cette blessure est arriv\u00e9e et que j'ai soudainement ressenti la douleur, j'ai cru qu'on m'avait tir\u00e9 dessus. J'ai regard\u00e9 vers le bas et je n'ai pas vu de sang, et j'ai pens\u00e9 : \u201dOh, c'est bon. Je me suis juste froiss\u00e9 un muscle.\" Ils m'ont donc emmen\u00e9 dans la salle m\u00e9dicale, m'ont install\u00e9 sur une table et ont mis de la glace.<br\/>\n<br\/>Et puis nous sommes arriv\u00e9s \u00e0 la finale du 200m. J'ai regard\u00e9 les autres et je me suis dit : \u201cNe sois pas une poule mouill\u00e9e. Sois un homme. Je suis en train de m'\u00e9nerver moi-m\u00eame\u201d. Cela m'a fait tr\u00e8s mal, parce que j'avais des probl\u00e8mes mentaux. J'ai vu John Carlos et Peter Norman. Tous ces gens \u00e9taient des athl\u00e8tes de classe mondiale. Et ils \u00e9taient manifestement plus rapides que moi \u00e0 la sortie des blocs. Et j'ai pens\u00e9 : \u201cC'est \u00e7a.\u201d<br\/>\n<br\/>Quand j'ai entendu l'arme, je n'ai pas r\u00e9fl\u00e9chi. Il n'y avait que du vide. Et quand j'ai r\u00e9alis\u00e9 ce qui se passait, j'\u00e9tais au milieu du virage. Quelle prise de conscience ! J'\u00e9tais en quatri\u00e8me position. Voici la course de ma vie, bless\u00e9, avec huit des personnes les plus rapides du monde et je suis en quatri\u00e8me position avec un muscle froiss\u00e9. Tout cela me passait par la t\u00eate pendant que je courais.<br\/>\n<br\/>Mais je me suis vu courir mentalement avant de courir physiquement. Lorsque je me tenais derri\u00e8re les blocs avant le d\u00e9part, j'avais d\u00e9j\u00e0 fait toute ma course. Je savais exactement o\u00f9 je serais, quand je devais faire certaines choses. Toute la course s'est d\u00e9roul\u00e9e \u00e0 pleine vitesse. Et puis j'ai entendu l'annonceur dire : \u201cEt Tommie Smith court plut\u00f4t bien jusqu'\u00e0 pr\u00e9sent.\u201d J'ai entendu \u00e7a. Et j'ai pens\u00e9 : \u201cPlut\u00f4t bien ? Je dois \u00eatre en bonne forme.\u201d J'ai couru \u00e0 c\u00f4t\u00e9 de John et il avait l'air surpris lui aussi. Lorsque j'ai franchi la ligne d'arriv\u00e9e, j'ai lev\u00e9 les bras et j'ai souri. C'\u00e9tait exactement la m\u00eame posture que celle d'Usain Bolt lors de la finale de P\u00e9kin. Cependant, le sourire s'est arr\u00eat\u00e9 brusquement peu de temps apr\u00e8s \u00e0 cause de toute la politique que j'avais \u00e0 l'esprit.<br\/>\n<\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"col articleText\">\n        <div ><br\/><strong>Vous avez profit\u00e9 de votre succ\u00e8s au Mexique pour utiliser le podium de la victoire afin de promouvoir votre combat pour les droits de l'homme, en levant le poing avec un gant noir et en baissant la t\u00eate pendant la c\u00e9r\u00e9monie de remise des prix. Quand vous est venue l'id\u00e9e d'utiliser les Jeux olympiques pour sensibiliser le public \u00e0 l'injustice ?<\/strong><br\/>\n<br\/>Une fois que les athl\u00e8tes noirs am\u00e9ricains ont d\u00e9cid\u00e9 de ne pas boycotter les Jeux, ce qui \u00e9tait le plan initial, je n'\u00e9tais pas pr\u00eate \u00e0 laisser tomber la question. Je me souviens que, assise sur un banc, je me disais : \u201cQu'est-ce que je vais faire ? \u201cQu'est-ce que je vais faire ? \"Je peux comprendre qu'ils aient voulu concourir. Il y avait tant d'athl\u00e8tes dans l'\u00e9quipe qui ont travaill\u00e9 dur pour arriver l\u00e0 o\u00f9 ils sont. Mais ils \u00e9taient en Californie. Si vous alliez plus au sud, dans le Mississippi et l'Alabama, les enfants avaient besoin d'une chance. Ce qui s'est pass\u00e9 dans la tribune est d\u00e9sormais connu dans le monde entier. Et beaucoup d'enfants en retiraient de l'\u00e9nergie, parce qu'ils \u00e9taient repr\u00e9sent\u00e9s. Pas seulement Tommie Smith et John Carlos. Nous n'\u00e9tions que des machines op\u00e9rantes qui transmettaient l'\u00e9nergie \u00e0 d'autres pour qu'ils poursuivent eux aussi leur course sociale. C'est ainsi que je pensais. Je saute par-dessus la r\u00e9alit\u00e9 en sachant qu'un jour elle sera r\u00e9elle.<br\/>\n<br\/><strong>Mais il y a eu des cons\u00e9quences par la suite ?<\/strong><br\/>\n<br\/>Il y avait m\u00eame des cons\u00e9quences avant. On me mena\u00e7ait, on ne me servait pas dans les restaurants o\u00f9 j'allais, on me traitait de tous les noms, je ne pouvais pas trouver de travail.<br\/>\n<br\/>Par la suite, je n'ai plus \u00e9t\u00e9 en mesure de participer \u00e0 des comp\u00e9titions internationales. Mexico a \u00e9t\u00e9 ma derni\u00e8re comp\u00e9tition. Au sommet de ma carri\u00e8re, \u00e0 l'\u00e2ge de 24 ans, j'ai d\u00fb arr\u00eater.<br\/>\n<br\/><strong>N'avez-vous jamais regrett\u00e9 d'avoir fait ce que vous avez fait ?<\/strong><br\/>\n<br\/>Pas du tout. Je ne regrette pas ce que j'ai fait. Je n'aimais pas l'id\u00e9e que quelqu'un d'autre m'emp\u00eache de faire ce que je voulais faire apr\u00e8s cela. Mais ensuite, j'ai vu le bien que cela faisait \u00e0 de jeunes enfants et cela a d\u00e9clench\u00e9 une r\u00e9flexion globale.<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 et sa femme Delois. Lors de leur s\u00e9jour \u00e0 Herzogenaurach en ao\u00fbt, ils ont c\u00e9l\u00e9br\u00e9 leur 14e anniversaire de mariage.\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 dans le magasin PUMA \u00e0 Herzo, pour d\u00e9couvrir la derni\u00e8re collection de course \u00e0 pied.\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>Comment s'est d\u00e9roul\u00e9e la collaboration entre PUMA et vous ?<\/strong><br\/>\n<br\/>Lorsque je m'entra\u00eenais \u00e0 l'universit\u00e9, je portais des chaussures Adidas. J'ai couru dix records du monde avec des chaussures Adidas sans recevoir d'argent. Mais les lanceurs blancs recevaient de l'argent. Je me suis demand\u00e9 pourquoi ils portaient toujours des chaussures neuves et j'ai pens\u00e9 : \u201cTous ces Blancs sont riches. Ils ont toujours des chaussures neuves.\u201d Mais ils recevaient leurs chaussures gratuitement, avec de l'argent en plus.<br\/>\n<br\/>Un jour de 1966, mon meilleur ami est venu me voir et m'a dit : \u201cTommie, tu as deux records du monde et ta voiture ne roule m\u00eame pas.\u201d - \u201cQuel est le rapport avec une voiture ?\u201d - \u201cTu peux \u00eatre pay\u00e9 pour ce que tu fais. Et si je te montrais des gens qui se soucient plus de toi que de ce que tu as et de ce que tu n'as pas. Qu'en penseriez-vous ?\u201d J'ai dit : \u201cIls n'existent pas : \u201dIls n'existent pas.\u201c - \u201dIls existent et ils aimeraient vous parler.\" C'est alors que j'ai rencontr\u00e9 Rudolf. Il \u00e9tait assis dans son bureau, souriant. Il m'a montr\u00e9 la chaussure et j'ai d\u00e9cid\u00e9 que j'aimerais porter cette chaussure. Il n'y a pas eu de signature de contrat ou quelque chose comme \u00e7a. Je suis rentr\u00e9 chez moi et j'ai commenc\u00e9 \u00e0 recevoir des choses que je n'avais jamais re\u00e7ues auparavant. Comme de nouvelles chaussures ou de nouveaux uniformes PUMA. Et tr\u00e8s vite, l'argent a commenc\u00e9 \u00e0 rentrer. C'est ainsi que je suis devenu un athl\u00e8te PUMA.<br\/>\n<\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"col articleText\">\n        <div ><br\/><strong>\u00c0 quoi faites-vous attention lorsque vous recrutez des athl\u00e8tes ?<\/strong><br\/>\n<br\/>En tant qu'entra\u00eeneur d'athl\u00e9tisme, je ne recruterais pas le num\u00e9ro 1 ou 2 de la ville ou de l'\u00c9tat. Lorsque je recrute, je m'int\u00e9resse aux num\u00e9ros 3, 4, 5 ou 6. Je recherche les personnes les plus rapides et dot\u00e9es des plus grandes capacit\u00e9s intellectuelles. Lorsque vous pensez d\u00e9j\u00e0 que vous avez tout ce qu'il faut, c'est l\u00e0 que les probl\u00e8mes commencent. On ne peut pas les entra\u00eener. C'est plus facile avec un enfant qui est ouvert d'esprit et qui veut apprendre et conna\u00eetre la vitesse.<br\/>\n<br\/><strong>Faites-vous encore du sport aujourd'hui ?<\/strong><br\/>\n<br\/>Je n'ai pas le choix. Je ne peux pas enseigner ce que je ne fais pas. Je courrai au moins 18 miles d'affil\u00e9e ou plus par semaine. Cela d\u00e9pend si ma femme me laisse rester \u00e0 la maison toute la journ\u00e9e.<br\/>\n<br\/><strong>Apr\u00e8s 1968, Tommie a entra\u00een\u00e9 des athl\u00e8tes et enseign\u00e9 la sociologie \u00e0 l'universit\u00e9.<\/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 >Le geste silencieux<\/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 swipepreve84e49ef-a83b-46aa-8636-7d726672587b\"><\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\t<div id=\"swipe_e84e49ef-a83b-46aa-8636-7d726672587b\" class=\"swiper myswiper scrollAnim\" data-ssize=\"1\" data-id=\"e84e49ef-a83b-46aa-8636-7d726672587b\">\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 swipenexte84e49ef-a83b-46aa-8636-7d726672587b\"><\/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 >En savoir plus<\/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\/fr\/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\/fr\/category\/sports\/\" class=\"secondary2\" style=\"margin-top: 17px;\">Sports<\/a>\n\t        <h4>Voulez-vous courir plus vite ?<\/h4>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"description shortExcerpt\">\n\t\t\t\tAlors entra\u00eenez-vous comme Usain Bolt. Vous \u00eates-vous d\u00e9j\u00e0 demand\u00e9 comment fonctionne son programme d'entra\u00eenement ? Ici, il partage ses conseils d'entra\u00eenement avec CATch Up.\nLisez la suite si vous voulez devenir plus rapide.\n\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<a class=\"primary\" href=\"https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/fr\/sports\/train-like-usain-bolt\/\" data-no-translation=\"\" data-trp-gettext=\"\">lire l&#8217;histoire<\/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\/fr\/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\/fr\/category\/sports\/\" class=\"secondary2\" style=\"margin-top: 17px;\">Sports<\/a>\n\t        <h4>C'est ce qui fait de moi une l\u00e9gende<\/h4>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"description shortExcerpt\">\n\t\t\t\tIl a tenu ses promesses quand il le fallait. Six fois champion olympique et d\u00e9tenteur du record du monde, Usain Bolt a remport\u00e9 trois m\u00e9dailles d'or lors des championnats du monde d'athl\u00e9tisme 2015 \u00e0 P\u00e9kin.\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<a class=\"primary\" href=\"https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/fr\/sports\/thats-what-makes-me-a-legend\/\" data-no-translation=\"\" data-trp-gettext=\"\">lire l&#8217;histoire<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>D\u00e9tenteur de onze records du monde, Tommie Smith est sans aucun doute l'un des plus grands sprinteurs de tous les temps. Ses exploits remarquables sur la piste ont toutefois \u00e9t\u00e9 \u00e9clips\u00e9s par la pol\u00e9mique suscit\u00e9e par son \u201c geste silencieux \u201d dans le cadre de la lutte pour les droits humains lors des Jeux olympiques de 1968 \u00e0 Mexico. Apr\u00e8s avoir remport\u00e9 la m\u00e9daille d'or pour les \u00c9tats-Unis avec un temps record sur 200 m\u00e8tres, cet activiste noir s'est retrouv\u00e9 sans emploi et d\u00e9test\u00e9 par beaucoup dans son propre pays.<br \/>\nCATch Up a rencontr\u00e9 le septuag\u00e9naire au si\u00e8ge de PUMA \u00e0 Herzogenaurach pour une interview lorsqu'il a rendu visite \u00e0 son ancien sponsor.<\/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 et sa puissante d\u00e9claration","excerpt":"D\u00e9tenteur de onze records du monde \u00e0 la fois, Tommie Smith est sans aucun doute l'un des plus grands sprinters de tous les temps. Ses remarquables exploits sur la piste ont toutefois \u00e9t\u00e9 \u00e9clips\u00e9s par la fureur suscit\u00e9e par son \u201cgeste silencieux\u201d dans la lutte pour les droits de l'homme lors des Jeux olympiques de 1968 \u00e0 Mexico. Alors qu'il venait de remporter l'or sur 200 m\u00e8tres pour les \u00c9tats-Unis dans un temps record, l'activiste noir s'est retrouv\u00e9 sans emploi et d\u00e9test\u00e9 par de nombreuses personnes dans son propre pays.\nCATch Up a rencontr\u00e9 le septuag\u00e9naire au si\u00e8ge de PUMA \u00e0 Herzogenaurach pour une interview, alors qu'il rendait visite \u00e0 son ancien sponsor.","status":"publish","password":"","name":"tommie-smith-et-sa-d\u00e9claration-puissante","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 septembre 2014 \u00e0 14:02","date_local":"8 septembre 2014","time_local":"14:02","slug":"tommie-smith-and-his-powerful-statement","url":"https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/fr\/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":"Sports","slug":"sports","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":18,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":869,"filter":"raw","url":"https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/fr\/category\/sports\/"}],"theCategory":{"term_id":18,"name":"Sports","slug":"sports","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":18,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":869,"filter":"raw","url":"https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/fr\/category\/sports\/"},"isFeaturedArticle":true,"isTopArticle":false},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2903","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2903"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2903\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4137"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2903"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2903"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}