Ralph Mann

Ralph Mann

Personal information
Birth name	Ralph Vernon Mann
Born	(1949-06-16) June 16, 1949 (age 75) Long Beach, California, U.S.
Education	Carson High School (Carson, California)
Height	193 cm (6 ft 4 in)
Weight	86 kg (190 lb)
Sport
Sport	Track and field / Athletics
Event(s)	Sprint, hurdles
University team	Brigham Young University Cougars
Club	Southern California Striders
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	440 y – 46.6 (1970) 120 yH – 13.9 (1968) 400 mH – 48.51 (1972)
Medal record Representing the  United States Olympic Games 1972 Munich 400 m hurdles Pan American Games 1971 Cali 400 m hurdles 1975 Mexico City 400 m hurdles

Ralph Vernon Mann (born June 16, 1949) is a retired American sprinter and hurdler. He was an undergraduate at Brigham Young University, and later earned a Ph.D. in Biomechanics from Washington State University.^[1]

In 1969, Mann won his first NCAA 440 yard hurdles championship with a time of 49.6 seconds. Tying the NCAA and American records, the time was three-tenths of a second off the world record. A year later in Des Moines, Iowa, Mann captured his second NCAA championship and set a new world-record time of 48.8 seconds for the 440 yards hurdles. During his collegiate career Ralph was NCAA champion three times. He was a three-time All-American, and in 1970 was second in the voting for the Sullivan Award.

In 1971, Mann won gold in the 400m hurdles at the Pan-American Games.^[2]

He competed in the 400 m hurdles at the 1972 Olympics and won the silver medal.^[3] It should be noted his winning time of 48.4 seconds at the United States Olympic Trials that year was credited as a best mark for the event at sea level (the then world record was 48.1 s set at altitude).^[4]

In 1975, Mann won silver at the Pan-American Games. Ralph was also a four-time AAU champion - 1969-71 and 1975.^[2]

In 1976, Mann attempted to qualify for the Olympics again but came sixth and therefore outside the top 3 qualifiers.^[5]

Mann received the AAU’s DiBenedetto Award for the single most outstanding career, most notably for his Olympic silver medal.

In 2015, he was inducted into the USA National Track and Field Hall of Fame.^[6]

In 2019, Mann was inducted into the inaugural Carson High School (Carson, California) Hall of fame.^[7]

Mann taught and researched at the University of Kentucky. He also consulted for USA Track & Field.^[2]

Mann co-wrote the book Swing Like a Pro: The Breakthrough Scientific Method of Perfecting Your Golf Swing with Fred Griffin. This book was the culmination of Mann's expertise in the field of biomechanics and Griffin's experience of teaching golf as a PGA Professional.^[8]

He also co-authored with Amber Murphy the book The mechanics of Sprinting and Hurdling.^[9]

Mann has two children, Amber and Randall, a poet and literary critic.

Mann was ranked among the best in the US and the world in the 400 m hurdles from 1969 to 1976, according to the votes of the experts of Track and Field News.^[10][11]

Sporting positions
Preceded by Unknown	Men's 400m Hurdles Best Year Performance 1971	Succeeded by John Akii-Bua

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