Manning, Madeline (Mrs. Mims)
Track and Field
b. Jan. 1, 1948, Cleveland, OH
The first world-class American woman in the 880-yard/800-meter run, Manning set a world record of 2:18.4 as a student at Tennessee State in 1967, when she won the AAU indoor 880-yard run. She also set an American record of 2:02.3 when she won the 800-meter at the Pan-American Games that year.
Manning won the gold medal in the 800-meter at the 1968 Olympics, running an Olympic record 2:00.9. She retired from competition in 1970, but returned in 1972. After losing in the Olympic semi-finals of the 800-meter, she ran the second leg on the silver medal 4 by 400-meter relay team.
She retired once more after the Olympics, began competing again in 1975, and became the first American woman to break 2 minutes in the 800-meter, running a 1:59.8 at the 1976 Olympic trials. She again failed to make the Olympic finals and retired for a third time.
Manning was back on the track in 1979 and she won the 800-meter in the Olympic trials for the fourth time in 1980, but the U. S. boycott of the Moscow games prevented her from trying for another medal. Manning retired permanently after the 1981 season.
Though her career spanned fourteen years, she actually competed in only eight of those years. She won the national outdoor championship in her event in 1967, 1969, 1972, 1975, 1976, 1980, and 1981, and she was the indoor champion in 1967, 1968, 1969, 1972, and 1980.