View source for Andy Stanfield

{{Short description|American athletics competitor (1927–85)}}
[[File:Andy Stanfield 1950.jpg|thumb|Stanfield, circa 1950]]
{{MedalTableTop}}
{{MedalSport | Men's [[Athletics (sport)|athletics]]}}
{{MedalCountry|the {{USA}}}}
{{MedalCompetition | [[Athletics at the Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]]}}
{{MedalGold | [[1952 Summer Olympics|1952 Helsinki]] | [[Athletics at the 1952 Summer Olympics – Men's 200 metres|200 metres]]}}
{{MedalGold |1952 Helsinki | [[Athletics at the 1952 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 100 metres relay|4 × 100 m relay]]}}
{{MedalSilver | [[1956 Summer Olympics|1956 Melbourne]] | [[Athletics at the 1956 Summer Olympics – Men's 200 metres|200 metres]]}}
{{MedalBottom}}
'''Andrew William Stanfield''' (December 29, 1927 &ndash; June 15, 1985) was an American [[sprint (running)|sprinter]] and [[Olympic Games|Olympic]] [[Gold medal|gold]] and [[silver medal]]list.

==Biography==
Andy Stanfield born in [[Washington, D.C.]], but moved to [[Jersey City]] as a child. He graduated from [[Lincoln High School (New Jersey)|Lincoln High School]] in 1946, where he was already a talented athlete, excelling in the sprints and [[long jump]]. After his army service, Stanfield entered [[Seton Hall University]] in 1948. The following year, he won his first of a long list of national titles. His list includes six [[Amateur Athletic Union|AAU]] titles (1949: [[100 metres|100]] and [[200 metres|200 m]]; 1950: 60 y; 1951: long jump; 1952: 200 m; 1953: 220 y) and nine [[IC4A]] titles (both indoor and outdoor). He was coached by [[Johnny Gibson]], a former world record holder in [[400 metres hurdles|400 m hurdles]].<ref>{{cite news |first=Peter |last=Matthews |author2=Mel Watman |title=World record breaker Gibson dies at 101yrs |url=http://www.iaaf.org/news/Kind=131072/newsId=37188.html |publisher=IAAF |date=2007-01-09 |access-date=2007-01-16 }}</ref>

Internationally, the 200 m was Stanfield's strongest distance. In 1951, at the ICAAAA Championships, Stanfield—in the outside lane—won the Turn 220-Yard Dash in 20.6. The Turn-220 had never been commonly contested in the US. 220s were normally raced on "NoTurn" or "Straight" courses. In 1951 the [[IAAF]] commenced to establish world records for the Turn-200-Meters: the initial listing accepted was by Willie Applegarth of Great Britain in 21 1/5, set in London in 1914. That spring of 1951, Stanfield's Intercollegiate 220-Yard Dash in 20.6 was established by the IAAF as a new World-Record for the 200 m with 20.6 (220 yards is more than one meter longer than 200 meters).

Then, there was no "official" world record for the Turn-220. But in the United States, [[Ralph Metcalfe]] was generally agreed to have the American record at 21-flat set in Berlin 1933 (no wind). Then Jack Wierhauser of [[Stanford University]] clocked 20.9 (no wind) in 1936 at a US Olympics Trials at [[Randalls and Wards Islands|Randalls Island]]. [[Jesse Owens]] clocked 20.7 at the [[1936 Summer Olympics|Berlin '36 Games]] with wind. [[Barney Ewell]], at the US Nationals in 1939 at [[Lincoln, Nebraska|Lincoln]], [[Nebraska]], on the partial bend course on that track, clocked what was likely an AAU record of 21.1, but that course was never well-delineated.<ref>D.H. Potts, L. Quercetani. ''Progression of World best performances'', IAAF World Records</ref> At the 1948 US Olympic Trials, [[Mel Patton]] beat Barney Ewell, both clocked in 20.7 (no wind). None of these were ratified for the simple reason that the IAAF did not distinguish between records made on a turn from those on a straight.<!--Previous author incorrectly credited Ewell with a World-Record of 20.7-->

Stanfield would equal this performance twice, running 20.6 in 1952 and 1956. The '56 performance occurred at the AAU Championships, where Stanfield finished 2nd behind [[Thane Baker]], the champion. As the world record holder, Stanfield in 1952 was not a surprise winner of the gold medal at the [[1952 Summer Olympics]], equalling the Olympic Record in the final. As a member of the American [[4 × 100 m relay]] team, Stanfield won a second Olympic gold medal. He attempted to defend his 200 m title in the [[1956 Summer Olympics|1956 Games]], but lost it, finishing second to [[Bobby Morrow]].

Stanfield was a member of [[Alpha Phi Alpha]] fraternity.<ref name=wf2008>{{Cite journal |last=Myers II |first=Michael J. |date=Fall–Winter 2008 |url=http://www.sphinxmagazine.com/Articles/Alpha-and-the-Olympic-Games.aspx |title=Alpha Athletes at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, Germany |publisher=Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity and SJW Publishers |journal=The Sphinx |volume=93 |issue=3–4 |access-date=January 13, 2010}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

== External links ==
* {{USATF Hall of Fame|id=159}}

{{Footer Olympic Champions 200 m Men}}
{{Footer Olympic Champions 4x100 m Men|1952}}
{{USA Indoor Track and Field Championships winners in men's long jump}}
{{Footer US NC 100m Men}}
{{Footer US NC 200m Men}}
{{Footer US NC Indoor 60m Men}}
{{Footer USA Track & Field 1952 Summer Olympics}}
{{Footer USA Track & Field 1956 Summer Olympics}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Stanfield, Andy}}
[[Category:1927 births]]
[[Category:1985 deaths]]
[[Category:American male sprinters]]
[[Category:World record setters in athletics (track and field)]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1952 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1956 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists for the United States in track and field]]
[[Category:Seton Hall Pirates men's track and field athletes]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Jersey City, New Jersey]]
[[Category:Track and field athletes from Washington, D.C.]]
[[Category:Track and field athletes from New Jersey]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1956 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1952 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Olympic silver medalists for the United States in track and field]]
[[Category:USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships winners]]
[[Category:USA Indoor Track and Field Championships winners]]
[[Category:United States Army soldiers]]
[[Category:Lincoln High School (New Jersey) alumni]]
[[Category:Alpha Phi Alpha members]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]