Passing: Bob Mathias, Olympic Decathlon Champion

From Associated Press:

Bob Mathias, who won the gold medal in the Olympic decathlon in 1948 at age 17, and again four years later, then later served four terms in Congress, died Saturday in Fresno, Calif. He was 75.

“Bob Mathias was one of those rare individuals with the ability to inspire a nation through his determination and perseverance,” Peter Ueberroth, the chairman of the U.S.O.C., said in a statement.

By the time Mathias retired from decathlon competition in 1952, he had nine victories in nine competitions, four United States championships, three world records and two Olympic gold medals, all before he was 22.

He was so popular that his life became the basis of a 1954 movie, “The Bob Mathias Story,” with Mathias himself in the leading role.