Ali Wins Olympic Gold
In September 1960, an eighteen-year-old boxer from Louisville, Kentucky, named Cassius Clay won the light heavyweight gold medal at the Rome Olympics. The victory launched the career of the man who, after changing his name to Muhammad Ali, became one of the most famous and polarizing athletes of the twentieth century.
Clay began boxing as a boy of about twelve, reportedly after his bicycle was stolen and he told a police officer, Joe Martin, that he wanted to confront the thief. Martin, who also trained young fighters, steered him into a gym. Clay advanced quickly, winning Golden Gloves titles and earning a place on the U.S. Olympic team. He was already known for his speed, unusual footwork for a heavier fighter, and a talent for self-promotion. A frequently told story holds that he was afraid of flying and traveled to Rome with reluctance, though accounts of how severe his fear was vary.
The 1960 Games took place against the backdrop of the Cold War, and American officials were eager to show the strength of the United States abroad. Clay was outgoing in the Olympic Village, and he was widely reported to have been popular with athletes from many countries. In the light heavyweight final he faced Zbigniew Pietrzykowski of Poland, a veteran who had won medals at earlier European and Olympic competitions. Clay's quickness and sharp punching won him the decision, and he took the gold medal.
Later in life, Ali said that he had thrown his medal into the Ohio River after being refused service at a segregated restaurant in Louisville. Some biographers have doubted this account and suggest he may simply have lost the medal. Whatever the truth, the story became a powerful symbol of the contradiction between his status as an American champion and the racial discrimination he still faced at home. In 1996, he was presented with a replacement medal at the Atlanta Olympics, where he also lit the cauldron.
Clay turned professional soon after Rome. In 1964 he upset Sonny Liston to win the world heavyweight title, then announced his membership in the Nation of Islam and took the name Muhammad Ali. His refusal of military induction in 1967, during the Vietnam War, cost him his title and years of his prime, though the Supreme Court later overturned his conviction. His Olympic triumph was the first step on a path that made him a global figure in sport, politics, and popular culture.