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Ron Whitney

Personal information
Born	(1942-10-05) October 5, 1942 (age 82) Modesto, California, United States
Height	1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)
Weight	78 kg (172 lb)
Sport
Sport	Athletics
Event(s)	400 m, 400 m hurdles
Club	Southern California Striders, Anaheim
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	400 m – 46.6 (1967) 880 yd – 1:48.6 (1963) 400 mH – 49.06 (1968)
Medal record Representing the  United States Pan American Games 1967 Winnipeg 400 m hurdles Summer Universiade 1967 Tokyo 400 m hurdles 1965 Budapest 400 m hurdles

Ronald Howard "Ron" Whitney (born October 5, 1942) is a retired American hurdler and sprinter. Known for his fast finish, he was sixth in the 400 m hurdles at the 1968 Summer Olympics. He had entered the race as one of the favorites, having been ranked #1 in the world in 1967 and winning the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in the event for the second time earlier that year. At the Olympics, his first heat victory established a new Olympic record, only to be surpassed by David Hemery two days later.

Previously he had been the Pan American Games champion in the same event. While working on his master's degree at Colorado State University, he was the 1967 Gold Medalist at the World University Games. He also had won bronze two years earlier and while competing for Occidental College, where he was coached by Jim Bush, was runner up at the NCAA Championships in 1963.

At Thomas Downey High School in Modesto, California, Whitney was the champion at the 1960 Golden West Invitational, the equivalent of a national champion, at 800 m, a week after finishing fourth in the CIF California State Meet in the same event.

Whitney continued to compete into masters age groups as a pioneer of masters athletics.

Whitney continues to be involved in the sport as head track and field coach at Santa Rosa Junior College. He is a member of the Mt. SAC Relays Hall of Fame and the Occidental College Hall of Fame.

References

1. "UKA David Hemery". Ukathletics.org. Archived from the original on July 28, 2011. Retrieved September 21, 2012.
2. "Greatest British Olympic Hurdlers". About Olympics. July 11, 2010. Retrieved September 21, 2012.
3. "All-Time World Rankings – Men's 400 Hurdles" (PDF). Trackandfieldnews.com. Retrieved September 21, 2012.
4. "Statistics – USA Outdoor Track & Field Champions". USATF. Archived from the original on June 13, 2008. Retrieved September 21, 2012.
5. ^ "Ron Whitney Biography and Olympic Results | Olympics at". Sports-reference.com. Archived from the original on April 18, 2020.
6. Ralph Hickok (November 26, 2011). "History – Pan American Games Track and Field Medalists – Men". HickokSports.com. Archived from the original on July 30, 2012. Retrieved September 21, 2012.
7. "Clutch Performers". www.oxy.edu. December 9, 2019. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
8. "Past Champions : 13 Golden West : June : Results : Track : 2009 : DyeStatCal : The Internet Home of California High School Track, Field and Cross Country | DyeStatCal". Archive.dyestatcal.com. Retrieved September 21, 2012.
9. "California State Meet Results – 1915 to present". Hank Lawson. Retrieved December 25, 2012.
10. "U.S. Masters International Track Team – September 1978" (PDF). Mastershistory.org. Retrieved September 21, 2012.
11. "Santa Rosa Junior College". Santarosa.edu. August 13, 2004. Archived from the original on October 6, 2012. Retrieved September 21, 2012.
12. "Occidental : Occidental College Track and Field Hall of Fame". Oxyathletics.com. Retrieved September 21, 2012.

v t e 1968 USA Olympic track and field team
Qualification	1968 United States Olympic trials (track and field)
Men's track and road athletes	Jack Bacheler Wade Bell John Carlos Leon Coleman Willie Davenport Ron Daws Bob Day Tom Dooley Lee Evans Tom Farrell Ron Freeman Boyd Gittins Charles Greene Ervin Hall Rudy Haluza Jim Hines Larry James Goetz Klopfer Ron Kutschinski Ron Laird Tom Laris Marty Liquori Vincent Matthews Kenny Moore Van Nelson Conrad Nightingale Mel Pender Larry Questad Bill Reilly David Romansky Jim Ryun Lou Scott Ronnie Ray Smith Tommie Smith Tracy Smith Geoff Vanderstock Tom Von Ruden Ron Whitney George Young Larry Young
Men's field athletes	Bob Beamon Ralph Boston Reynaldo Brown Ed Burke Gary Carlsen Casey Carrigan Ed Caruthers Hal Connolly Frank Covelli Dick Fosbury Albert Hall Dave Maggard Randy Matson Charles Mays Mark Murro Al Oerter John Pennel Bob Seagren Jay Silvester Rick Sloan David Smith Gary Stenlund Norman Tate Bill Toomey Tom Waddell Art Walker George Woods
Women's track and road athletes	Margaret Bailes Doris Brown Lois Anne Drinkwater Judy Dyer Barbara Ferrell Francie Kraker Madeline Manning Mildrette Netter Mamie Rallins Jarvis Scott Esther Stroy Wyomia Tyus Patty Van Wolvelaere
Women's field athletes	RaNae Bair Estelle Baskerville Sharon Callahan Olga Connolly Barbara Friedrich Cathy Hamblin Eleanor Montgomery Carol Moseke Maren Seidler Martha Watson Willye White Pat Winslow
Coaches	Payton Jordan (men's head coach) Ted Haydon (men's assistant coach) John Oelkers (men's assistant coach) Frank Potts (men's assistant coach) Stan Wright (men's assistant coach) Alex Ferenczy (women's coach) Conrad Ford (women's coach)

• 1942 births
• Living people
• American male hurdlers
• World record setters in athletics (track and field)
• Athletes (track and field) at the 1968 Summer Olympics
• Olympic track and field athletes for the United States
• Sportspeople from Modesto, California
• Sportspeople from Santa Rosa, California
• Occidental College alumni
• Track and field athletes from California
• Universiade medalists in athletics (track and field)
• American masters athletes
• Medalists at the 1965 Summer Universiade
• Medalists at the 1967 Summer Universiade
• FISU World University Games gold medalists for the United States
• FISU World University Games bronze medalists for the United States
• Athletes (track and field) at the 1967 Pan American Games
• Medalists at the 1967 Pan American Games
• Pan American Games gold medalists for the United States in athletics (track and field)
• American Masters Athlete that competed in Olympics
• 20th-century American sportsmen