Olympic medal record Men's athletics Competitor for the  United States Gold 1948 London 200 metres Gold 1948 London 4x100 m relay Melvin Emery "Mel" Patton (born November 16, 1924) is an American track and field athlete, who won two gold medals at the 1948 Summer Olympics. Biography

Born in Los Angeles, California, Mel Patton or Pell Mell, as he was nicknamed in the late 1940s, made his mark in track and field while a student at the University of Southern California, where he was coached by the famous Dean Cromwell. He also attended University High School in Los Angeles.

Patton won the NCAA 100 yd (91 m) dash title in 1947 and in 1948 and 1949 completed the 100 and 220 yd (91 and 201 m) sprint double at that same meet. In 1947, he tied the 100 yd (91 m) dash world record of 9.4, then lowered it to 9.3 the following year. In 1949, he set a 220 yd (201 m) world record on a straightaway of 20.2, breaking a Jesse Owens record.

In the Olympic Trials, he suffered a rare loss to Barney Ewell in the 100 m final, then in the Olympic Games placed only fifth in the 100 m. He atoned for that disappointment by taking two gold medals in the 200 m and the 4 x 100 m relay. After retiring from competition, he was a track coach before entering the electronics industry. External links An Olympian’s Oral History - Melvin Patton v · d · eOlympic Champions in Men's 200 m

1900: Walter Tewksbury (USA)  · 1904: Archie Hahn (USA)  · 1908: Bobby Kerr (CAN)  · 1912: Ralph Craig (USA)  · 1920: Allen Woodring (USA)  · 1924: Jackson Scholz (USA)  · 1928: Percy Williams (CAN)  · 1932: Eddie Tolan (USA)  · 1936: Jesse Owens (USA)  · 1948: Mel Patton (USA)  · 1952: Andy Stanfield (USA)  · 1956: Bobby Joe Morrow (USA)  · 1960: Livio Berruti (ITA)  · 1964: Henry Carr (USA)  · 1968: Tommie Smith (USA)  · 1972: Valeri Borzov (URS)  · 1976: Don Quarrie (JAM)  · 1980: Pietro Mennea (ITA)  · 1984: Carl Lewis (USA)  · 1988: Joe DeLoach (USA)  · 1992: Michael Marsh (USA)  · 1996: Michael Johnson (USA)  · 2000: Konstantinos Kenteris (GRE)  · 2004: Shawn Crawford (USA)  · 2008: Usain Bolt (JAM) v · d · eOlympic Champions in Men's 4×100 m Relay 1912 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 1948 United States Barney Ewell, Lorenzo Wright, Harrison Dillard & Mel Patton Persondata Name Patton, Mel Alternative names Short description Date of birth Place of birth Date of death Place of death