The Tokyo Olympics of 2021 are yielding great stories. But I have a hunch that few can surpass the achievement of a Pontiac man in the “other” Tokyo Olympics.
I’m talking 1964, when Hayes Jones grabbed gold in the 110 meter hurdles.
Hurdles. Plenty of them.
He was supposed to be too small. One leg was shorter than the other. His competitors had logged faster times. And in the days of strict amateur rules, he had to climb over the fence of a high school to practice on their track.
So after this uphill climb to the medal stand, what did Hayes Jones do with his gold?
I’ll save that nugget for you as we retrieve this story from the “oldies but goodies” video vault. I think my profile of him was done in 2012.
On a personal note, interviewing inspirational people like Hayes Jones was the best reward of my 37 years at WDIV.