Willie Steele

Who was Willie Steele?

William Samuel "Willie" Steele was an American athlete who competed mainly in the long jump. Steele won the Gold medal in the long jump at the 1948 London Olympics. A two-time USA Outdoor champion, Steele was the 1948 Olympic Trials champion and a two-time NCAA long jump champion. He was considered the world's best long jumper in 1942 and 1946, and was world ranked #1 by Track & Field News their first two years of producing worldwide rankings, 1947 and 1948.

Steele was born in El Centro, California on July 14, 1923. At age 4 his family moved to San Diego where he graduated from Herbert Hoover High School in 1940.

Steele initially competed for San Jose State College, coached by Bud Winter in the early 1940s, In 1942 the 18-year-old Willie Steele won the AAU Junior long jump and had a best mark of 25-7 which topped the world rankings that year.

His college and track career was interrupted by World War II when he enlisted in the Army. He served in Italy and the Philippines, and he was decorated for his service.[1

After the war, Steele returned to college at San Diego State College where he played basketball, football, and as a track star won two NCAA and one AAU broad jump championships. He had personal bests in the 100 yard dash of 9.7 and 26’6’ in the long jump, a mere 2.25 inches behind Jesse Owens’ world record of 1935 that stood for some 25 years.