Tommie C. Smith is an American former track and field athlete and wide receiver in the American Football League. At the 1968 Summer Olympics, Smith, aged 24, won the 200-meter sprint finals and gold medal in 19.83 seconds – the first time the 20-second barrier was broken officially. His Black Power salute with John Carlos atop the medal podium caused controversy, as it was seen as politicizing the Olympic Games. It remains a symbolic moment in the history of the Black Power movement. Tommie Smith (United States) set the men's 400 m world record of 44.5 in San Jose, USA on May 20, 1967. It stood 2 months, until Lee Evans's 44.95 on July 30, 1967. Wiki link