View source for Rod Milburn

{{short description|American hurdler}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2020}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| name = Rodney Milburn Jr.
| image =Rod Milburn c1972.jpg
| imagesize = 
| caption =Milburn c. 1972
| nationality =[[United States|American]]
| sport = [[Running]]
| event = 110 m hurdles
| club =
| collegeteam = [[Southern University]]
| birth_date ={{Birth date|mf=yes|1950|3|18}}
| birth_place = [[Opelousas, Louisiana]], U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|mf=yes|1997|11|11|1950|5|18}}
| death_place = [[Baton Rouge, Louisiana]], U.S.
| height = {{convert|6|ft|0|in|m|2|abbr=on}}
| weight = {{convert|175|lb|kg|abbr=on}}
| pb = '''110&nbsp;m&nbsp;hurdles''': 13.24 s ([[Munich]] 1972 then WR)<br />
'''120&nbsp;y&nbsp;hurdles'''; 13.0 s [[Eugene, Oregon]] 1971 then WR)<ref name=sr/><ref>[http://trackfield.brinkster.net/Profile.asp?ID=4492&Gender=M Rod Milburn]. trackfield.brinkster.net</ref>
| show-medals = yes
| medaltemplates =
{{MedalCountry | the {{USA}} }}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Olympic Games]]}}
{{MedalGold |[[1972 Summer Olympics|1972 Munich]] | [[Athletics at the 1972 Summer Olympics|110 m hurdles]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Pan American Games]]}}
{{MedalGold| [[1971 Pan American Games|1971 Cali]] | [[Athletics at the 1971 Pan American Games – Men's 110 metres hurdles|110 m hurdles]]}}
{{MedalBronze| [[1971 Pan American Games|1971 Cali]] | [[Athletics at the 1971 Pan American Games – Men's 4 × 100 metres relay|4 × 100 m relay]]}}
}}
'''Rodney "Rod" Milburn Jr.''' (May 18, 1950 – November 11, 1997) was an American [[Athletics (sport)|athlete]] who won gold at the [[1972 Summer Olympics]] in [[Munich]] in the 110 m [[hurdling|hurdles]].

Milburn attended J. S. Clark High School in [[Opelousas, Louisiana]].<ref>https://africanamericanhighschoolsinlouisianabefore1970.files.wordpress.com/2020/02/the-barking-bulldogs-1.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=August 2024}}</ref>

== Career ==
[[File:Rod Milburn 1971.jpg|thumb|left|Milburn in 1971]]
During the early 1970s, Milburn dominated the 110 m hurdles, tying or breaking the world record for the 110 m hurdles/120 yards five times.<ref name=iaaf>
{{cite book
 |title       = 12th IAAF World Championships In Athletics: IAAF Statistics Handbook. Berlin 2009.
 |publisher   = IAAF Media & Public Relations Department
 |location    = Monte Carlo
 |pages       = 546, 553
 |year        = 2009
 }}
</ref><ref group=note>120 yards is 109.73m, a difference of 27 cm with 110 m. This means for record purposes there is no conversion factor applied for hand-timing when converting between times recorded for the two distances.</ref><ref name="wrecords">Progression of IAAF World Records 2011 Edition, Editor Imre Matrahazi, IAAF Athletics, pp. 117–119 & p 501.</ref><ref>[http://www.nfhs.org/sports-resource-content/converting-times-manual-to-fat-and-from-english-to-metric-distances/ "Converting Times from English to Metric Distances"], National Federation of State High School Associations.</ref>
1971, as a sophomore at [[Southern University]], was when Milburn announced himself on the national and world stage. Amongst his achievements that year was his first world record. In a semi-final of the USA Championships he broke the record for 120 y with 13.0 s.<ref>Pat Putnam and Skip Myslenski (July 5, 1971) [https://web.archive.org/web/20101026153400/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1085038/index.htm "Firstest, Fastest And Mostest"], ''Sports Illustrated''.</ref><ref group=note>The world record was first set 13.2 s for 110 m hurdles by [[Martin Lauer]] in 1959. As discussed above, this time is equivalent to running 13.2 s for the 120 y hurdles. The record of 13.2 s was equalled 5 times in the intervening years, including by [[Ervin Hall|Erv Hall]] for 120 y in 1969.</ref> Milburn went on to win the title, in 13.1 s.<ref>Bob Payne (June 26, 1971) [https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1314&dat=19710626&id=hSUwAAAAIBAJ&sjid=s-wDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7335,3587506 "Rod Milburn Sets Record; Prefontaine Wins Hot Three"], ''The Spokesman-Review''.</ref> Milburn was to remain undefeated in 1971, including winning the 110 m hurdles event at the 1971 [[Pan-American Games]]. He also showed his versatility by winning a bronze as a member of the United States sprint relay team at the Pan-American Games.<ref name=sr>[https://web.archive.org/web/20200417172635/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/mi/rod-milburn-1.html Rod Milburn], sports-reference.com.</ref><ref>[http://digilander.libero.it/Mennea/Stagionali/WRL/1971/4x100.htm 4×100 m best performances 1971]. libero.it</ref> With these performances, Milburn earned the nickname "Hot Rod",<ref>Steve McGill. [http://www.hurdlesfirst.com/quietchampion2.htm "Rodney Milburn: The Quiet Champion, Chapter Two, The First Hurdle: Wooden Hurdles on a Grass Track"], www.hurdlesfirst.com, 2010.</ref> and was awarded the [[Track & Field News Athlete of the Year|Track and Field News Athlete of the Year Award]].<ref name="boyslife">{{cite book|author=Boy Scouts of America, Inc.|title=Boys' Life|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DlZVGZcX0hQC&pg=PA8|date=August 1972|publisher=Boy Scouts of America, Inc.|pages=8–}}</ref> His home state, Louisiana, also recognised him by awarding him the James J. Corbett Award as the outstanding male athlete from the state in 1971. He was to receive the same award a second time in 1973.<ref>[http://www.allstatesugarbowl.org/site59.php "The Corbett Award"], Official Site of the Allstate Sugar Bowl. Retrieved February 10, 2013.</ref> He was the 1973 [[NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships – Men's 60 meter hurdles|NCAA Indoor Champion]] for 60 yard hurdles.

The overwhelming favourite to qualify for the [[1972 Summer Olympics|1972 Munich Olympics]]. Milburn in fact struggled but did qualify in 3rd place at the [[United States Olympic Trials (track and field)|USA Olympic Trials]]. In the final he hit hurdles due to the pressure of the world-record holder [[Willie Davenport]] running alongside him and only managed to hold the vital third and last qualifying place by a foot.<ref>R Hymans (2008) [http://www.usatf.org/statistics/champions/OlympicTrials/HistoryOfTheOlympicTrials.pdf The History of the United States Olympic Trials – Track & Field], USA Track & Field</ref> In [[Munich]] Milburn won the gold medal in the 110 m hurdles, tying the world record of 13.2 seconds, finishing ahead of [[Guy Drut]] and [[Thomas Hill (hurdler)|Thomas Hill]]. This time, which was recorded as 13.24 to the hundredth of a second, would become the first world record when only automatically recorded times would be ratified as world records.<ref name=iaaf/><ref group=note>From January 1, 1977, only automatic timings were accepted as world records by the IAAF. In addition, the IAAF scrapped world records for all imperial distances except for the mile.</ref>

Milburn's triumph was overshadowed by other events. The qualifying rounds for the 110 m hurdles event was delayed by the suspension of the games following the [[Munich massacre|terrorist attack in the Olympic Village]]. The final itself was then overlooked due to the furor over the behaviour of the American 400 meter runners [[Vincent Matthews (athlete)|Vince Matthews]] and [[Wayne Collett]] on the medal rostrum at their medal award ceremony.<ref>Steve McGill (2005) [http://www.hurdlesfirst.com/tomhill72.htm "Takin’ it Back to ’72, Through the Eyes of Tom Hill"]. hurdlesfirst.com.</ref>

In 1973 Milburn continued to demonstrate he was the world's pre-eminent high-hurdler by breaking the world record for the 110 m hurdles with a 13.1 s, knocking 0.1 s off a record that had lasted for 14 years,<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1948&dat=19730708&id=Z7gtAAAAIBAJ&sjid=CYEFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1059,2000476 "Rod Milburn Snaps Oldest World Record"], ''The Modesto Bee'', July 8, 1973.</ref> and equalling his own world record for 120 y hurdles of 13.0 s.<ref name="wrecords"/> The record-breaking times in the 110 m hurdles happened on July 6 in Zurich, Switzerland and on July 22 in Sienna, Italy; the record-equalling time in the 120 y hurdles happened on June 20 in Eugene, Oregon.

After this season, with no prospect of playing American football professionally and not able to endorse commercial products as an amateur athlete, Milburn joined the fledgling professional athletics tour run by the International Track Association (ITA).<ref>Steve McGill (2011) [http://www.hurdlesfirst.com/quietchampion6.htm "Rodney Milburn: The Quiet Champion, Chapter Seven, The Sixth Hurdle: From College to the Pros"]. www.hurdlesfirst.com.</ref> He was to remain unbeaten in their 1974 season.<ref>{{cite book|author=Joseph M. Turrini|title=The End of Amateurism in American Track and Field|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oBAlRrvBsu0C&pg=PA122|year=2010|publisher=University of Illinois Press|isbn=978-0-252-07707-4|pages=122–}}</ref> The ITA folded in 1976. By running as a professional, Milburn was ineligible to compete at the Olympics and defend his title.

In 1975, Milburn tried briefly to become an American football player with the fledgling [[World Football League]] team the [[Shreveport Steamer]].<ref name="lshof"/><ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1876&dat=19750611&id=cG4sAAAAIBAJ&sjid=iIoFAAAAIBAJ&pg=5893,2409400 "Steamer Likes Milburn"], ''Associated Press'', ''Herald-Journal'', June 11, 1975.</ref> His try out was unsuccessful.<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1314&dat=19750801&id=5x9OAAAAIBAJ&sjid=XO0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=7065,176878 "Broken Leg to Bullock Costs SF"], ''Associated Press'', ''The Spokesman-Review'' August 1, 1975.</ref>

Milburn returned as a hurdler in 1980 in time for an attempt at an [[1980 Summer Olympics|Olympic]] comeback. He won the British [[AAA Championships]] title at the [[1980 AAA Championships]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nuts.org.uk/Champs/AAA/index.htm |title=AAA, WAAA and National Championships Medallists |website=National Union of Track Statisticians |access-date=12 June 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gbrathletics.com/bc/aaa.htm |title=AAA Championships (men) |website=GBR Athletics |access-date=12 June 2025}}</ref> but the [[1980 Summer Olympics boycott|boycott]] of the Olympics denied him that possibility of going to the Olympics. He did, however, run as an amateur for two seasons with some success against the new generation of high hurdlers.

Sporting commentators note that Milburn was important in the history of hurdling for introducing two innovations: the double-armed lead (to reduce time in the air)<ref name="hurdlesfirstbeta.com">Steve McGill (2005) [http://hurdlesfirstbeta.com/free-articles/issues/rod-milburn-double-armed-man/ Rod Milburn: The Double-Armed Man]. hurdlesfirstbeta.com</ref> and the dime on the hurdle practice technique (knocking off dimes placed on the top of each hurdle without touching the actual hurdle).<ref name="hurdlesfirstbeta.com"/><ref>Steve McGill. [http://www.hurdlesfirst.com/110%20Greats.htm "110 Greats"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121203191100/http://www.hurdlesfirst.com/110%20Greats.htm |date=December 3, 2012 }}. www.hurdlesfirst.com.</ref>

== Early life ==
Milburn turned to the hurdles under the tutelage of his high school coach Claude Paxton at J.S. Clark High School in [[Opelousas, Louisiana|Opelousas]], [[Louisiana]].

By his senior year, he was the outstanding high school hurdler in the United States and broke the national age record for the 120 y hurdles at 13.5 s. Acknowledgments of his achievements at high school included being voted on the Louisiana Sports Writers Association All-State track and field team in both his junior and senior years.<ref name="lshof">[http://www.lasportshall.com/inductees/track-and-field/rodney-milburn/?back=inductee Rodney Milburn], Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame.</ref>

Following high school, he went to [[Southern University]] in [[Baton Rouge]], Louisiana, with an athletics scholarship.

Here he met [[Willie Davenport]], the 1968 110 m hurdles champion, who recognised his potential as a future Olympic champion and mentored the young athlete. He was coached at college by Dick Hill who had coached amongst others [[Bob Hayes]] the 1964 100 m Olympic champion.

== Later life ==
Milburn finally retired from athletics in 1983. Milburn was appointed the head track coach at [[Southern University]] in [[Baton Rouge, Louisiana]] in 1984 by his old college coach, Dick Hill. When Hill left Southern University in 1987, his replacement did not renew Milburn's contract.<ref name="latimes">Mike Penner (November 16, 1997) [https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-nov-16-sp-54586-story.html "Milburns's Golden Age Ended Early"], ''Los Angeles Times''.</ref>

Milburn struggled after this and took a job as a utility crewman at a paper and pulp mill of the Georgia-Pacific Corporation in [[Port Hudson, Louisiana]]: it was while working at this plant that Milburn died after falling into a tank containing a [[sodium chlorate]] solution.<ref name="NY Times">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/11/13/sports/rod-milburn-47-high-hurdler-earned-gold-at-munich-games.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm|title=Rod Milburn, 47, High Hurdler; Earned Gold at Munich Games|last=Goldstein|first=Richard|author-link=Richard Goldstein (writer born 1942)|journal=[[The New York Times]]|date=November 13, 1997|access-date=August 4, 2012}}</ref><ref name="Wallechinsky">{{cite book|last1=Wallechinsky|first1=David|author-link1=David Wallechinsky|last2=Loucky|first2=Jaime|year=2012|title=The Complete Book of the Olympics 2012 Edition|location=[[London]]|publisher=[[Aurum Press]]|isbn=978-1-84513-695-6}}</ref>

His death came as a huge shock to a [[track and field]] community that vividly remembered his achievements on the track. At his funeral, a message of condolence from [[Bill Clinton|President Bill Clinton]] and his wife, [[Hillary Clinton|Hilary]], was read.<ref name="aar">[http://www.aaregistry.org/historic_events/view/rod-milburn-talented-athlete-and-much-more Rod Milburn], African American Registry. Retrieved February 9, 2013.</ref>

For Milburn, it was a great misfortune that his best years came at a time when it was impossible for even an Olympic champion to earn a good living from track: by running professionally, he had made himself ineligible to defend his Olympic title in 1976, and was then denied a chance to run in the 1980 Olympics by the [[1980 Summer Olympics boycott|1980 Olympics boycott]] even when his eligibility for entry was reinstated.<ref name="latimes"/> In the end, a court injunction allowing the former professional athletes to run at the Olympic Trials came too late for Milburn to compete.<ref>Kenny Moore (July 7, 1980) [https://archive.today/20130407233905/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1123570/2/index.htm "Trying Hard To Go Nowhere"], ''Sports Illustrated''.</ref>

Milburn was honoured as one of Louisiana's top 50 athletes of the 20th Century by Sports Illustrated.<ref name="aar"/><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20030815103833/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/magazine/features/si50/states/louisiana/greatest/ "The 50 Greatest Louisiana Sports Figures"], ''Sports Illustrated'' 50th Anniversary, 2003.</ref> and in 1988 was inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame.<ref name="lshof"/>

== Rankings ==
Milburn was ranked among the best in the USA and the world in the 110 m hurdles, in two periods separated by his time on the professional athletics circuit, according to the votes of the experts of ''[[Track and Field News]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.trackandfieldnews.com/images/stories/Rankings/09-m110hbyathlete.pdf|title=World Rankings Index—Men's 110 m hurdles|publisher=[[Track and Field News]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.trackandfieldnews.com/rankings/men/110husranking.pdf|title=U.S. Rankings Index—Men's 110 m hurdles|publisher=[[Track and Field News]]|access-date=February 2, 2013|archive-date=January 2, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100102084303/http://trackandfieldnews.com/rankings/men/110husranking.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>
[[File:1972 stamp of Umm al-Quwain Rod Milburn.jpg|upright=1.2|thumb|Milburn on a stamp of [[Umm al-Quwain]]]]
{| class=wikitable
|+ 110 m hurdles
|-
!Year
!World rank
!US rank
|-
|1970
|align="center" | 6th
|align="center" | 4th
|-
|1971
|align="center" | 1st
|align="center" | 1st
|-
|1972
|align="center" | 1st
|align="center" | 1st
|-
|1973
|align="center" | 1st
|align="center" | 1st
|-
|1974
|align="center" | –
|align="center" | –
|-
|1975
|align="center" | –
|align="center" | –
|-
|1976
|align="center" | –
|align="center" | –
|-
|1977
|align="center" | –
|align="center" | –
|-
|1978
|align="center" | –
|align="center" | –
|-
|1979
|align="center" | –
|align="center" | –
|-
|1980
|align="center" | 5th
|align="center" | 4th
|-
|1981
|align="center" | 8th
|align="center" | 7th
|-
|1982
|align="center" | 4th
|align="center" | 3rd
|-
|}

==USA Championships==
Milburn was a very successful competitor at 110 m hurdles in the USA National Track and Field Championships during two periods between 1970 and 1981 separated by his time on the professional athletics circuit.:<ref>[http://www.trackandfieldnews.com/index.php/tafn-presults?list_id=36&sex_id=M&event_id=13 USA Outdoor Track and Field Champions, Men's 110 m hurdles] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141103003252/http://www.trackandfieldnews.com/index.php/tafn-presults?list_id=36&sex_id=M&event_id=13 |date=November 3, 2014 }}, USA Track and Field.</ref>
{| class=wikitable
|+USA Championships
|-
!Year
!110 m hurdles
|-
|1970
|align="center" | 4th
|-
|1971
|align="center" | 1st
|-
|1972
|align="center" | 1st
|-
|1973
|align="center" | 5th
|-
|1980
|align="center" | 4th
|-
|1981
|align="center" | 5th
|-
|}

In addition, Milburn was four times United States champion indoors at 60 m/60 y hurdles – in 1972–73 and 1980–81.<ref>[http://www.usatf.org/statistics/USA-Champions/USAIndoorTF/men/60mH.aspx USA Indoor Track & Field Champions, 60 m Hurdles], USA Track and Field.</ref> He also set world records indoors for 50 y hurdles in 5.8 s, the 55 m hurdles in 6.8 s, and the 60 y hurdles in 6.7 s.<ref name="lshof"/><ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1314&dat=19740225&id=0B5OAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Oe0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=4327,3905841 "Record Night in Pokey"], ''The Spokesman-Review'', February 25, 1974.</ref>

==Notes==
<references group=note/>

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* http://www.trackandfieldnews.com/index.php/special-articles/134, Track and Field News Cover, II June 1971.
* http://www.trackandfieldnews.com/index.php/special-articles/133, Track and Field News Cover, January 1972.
*[http://www.usatf.org/halloffame/TF/showBio.asp?HOFIDs=109 Rod Milburn] in the Hall of Fame of [[USA Track & Field]]
*Progression of IAAF World Records 2011 Edition, Editor Imre Matrahazi, IAAF Athletics.
*"Rodney Milburn, The Quiet Champion", Steve McGill, [http://www.hurdlesfirst.com/stories.html www.hurdlesfirst.com Personal Stories].
*http://rodneymilburn.com/usa_track__field, rodneymilburn.com, Milburn & Associates Entertainment Group.

{{s-start}}
{{s-ach|rec}}
{{succession box|before={{flagicon|USA}} [[Willie Davenport]]|title=[[110 metre hurdles#History of world records|Men's 110m Hurdles World Record Holder]]|years=September 2, 1972 — August 21, 1977|after={{flagicon|CUB}} [[Alejandro Casañas]]}}
{{s-ach}}
{{succession box|title=[[Track & Field Athlete of the Year]]|before={{flagicon|USA}} [[Randy Matson]]|after={{flagicon|FIN}} [[Lasse Virén]]|years=1971}}
{{s-sports}}
{{succession box|before={{flagicon|USA}} [[Thomas Hill (hurdler)|Thomas Hill]]|title=[[110 metre hurdles#Men.27s Seasons Best|Men's 110m Hurdles Best Year Performance]]|years=1971–1973|after={{flagicon|FRA}} [[Guy Drut]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{Footer Olympic Champions 110 m hurdles Men}}
{{Footer Pan American Champions 110m Hurdles Men}}
{{USA Indoor Track and Field Championships winners in men's 60 m hurdles}}
{{Footer US NC 110m Hurdles Men}}
{{Footer USA Track & Field 1972 Summer Olympics}}
{{Footer Collegiate Track Field Cross Country Athlete Hall of Fame}}
{{Los Angeles Rams 1973 draft navbox}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Milburn, Rod}}
[[Category:1950 births]]
[[Category:1997 deaths]]
[[Category:African-American track and field athletes]]
[[Category:American male hurdlers]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1972 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:People from Opelousas, Louisiana]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from St. Landry Parish, Louisiana]]
[[Category:Track and field athletes from Louisiana]]
[[Category:Southern Jaguars track and field athletes]]
[[Category:World record setters in athletics (track and field)]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists for the United States in track and field]]
[[Category:Accidental deaths in Louisiana]]
[[Category:Industrial accident deaths]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1972 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Track & Field News Athlete of the Year winners]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1971 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1971 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:Pan American Games gold medalists for the United States in athletics (track and field)]]
[[Category:Pan American Games bronze medalists for the United States in athletics (track and field)]]
[[Category:20th-century African-American sportsmen]]
[[Category:NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships winners]]
[[Category:NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships winners]]