Billy Mills’ dad told him, someday, son you’ll have wings of an Eagle

DID YOU KNOW: Australia’s world record holder Ron Clarke was the favorite in the 10000m at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. America’s Billy Mills (26), remembers, “I was diagnosed as hypoglycaemic: low blood sugar. I didn’t know if I could finish...But I just tried to stay with the leaders, lap after lap after lap.” Then came the moment that inspired Mills. Spotting the eagle embroidered on the shirt of a German runner, he cast his mind back to his childhood and kicked for home. “The wings of an eagle!” Billy says. “Back to my dad...‘Son, someday you’ll have wings of an eagle’. I may never be this close again. I’ve got to do it now...Then I felt the tape break across my chest. A Japanese man asked ‘Who are you?’ And I thought I’d miscounted the laps: ‘Finished’ You are the new Olympic champion’.” In a breathtaking final lap watched by a crowd of 85,000 and millions of TV viewers around the world, Mills stunned everyone, bursting into the lead and breaking the tape in a new Olympic record time of 28:24.4, 50 seconds faster than his previous PR.

posted Friday February 23rd