Charlie Tidwell Explained

Charles Tidwell
Sport:Running
Event:100 meters, 200 meters/220 yards, 200 m /220 y hurdles
Collegeteam:Kansas Jayhawks
Birth Date:1937 3, mf=yes
Birth Place:Independence, Kansas, United States
Death Place:Denver, Colorado, United States
Height:1.86m (06.1feet)
Weight:75kg (165lb)

Charles Tidwell (March 30, 1937 – August 28, 1969) was an American track athlete who was one of the best sprinter/hurdlers in the world in the years 1958–60. He was denied a chance to run in the 1960 Olympics by injury.

His life was cut short aged 32 when he shot himself to death after killing his wife following a violent quarrel between the two.

Track career

Tidwell was a native of Independence, Kansas, where he was a star athlete at his high school. The highlight was a national junior record for the 180 y low hurdles in 1955.[1] After graduating high school he attended the University of Kansas.

Tidwell was an outstanding sprinter for his college track team, the Kansas Jayhawks, winning five NCAA individual titles:

so helping the team win back-to-back NCAA team titles in 1959 and 1960.[5] [6] [7] [8] In the 1958 NCAA championships, Tidwell set a world best time in the 220 y hurdles.[7] [9]

Tidwell also won the Kansas Relays 100 y race in 1959 and 1960, winning Athlete of the Meet in 1959, and for this was honored as an inductee in the Kansas Relays Hall of Fame in 2005.[5] [7]

Tidwell's form meant he was one of the favorites to going into the United States Olympic Trials to qualify for the 100 and 200 m at the 1960 Rome Olympics. However, an injury suffered at the trials ruined his qualification chances. Tidwell had qualified first in his heat for the final of the 100 m. In the final, Tidwell had one false start. When the race finally got underway a pulled muscle at 50 m prematurely ended his race. The injury forced him to scratch from the 200 m trial event.[10] [11]

Tidwell achieved five world best times during his career - none were ratified as world records by the IAAF:[12]

American Football career

In 1962, Tidwell tried out with the National Football League team the Minnesota Vikings.[13] However, his try out was unsuccessful and he was cut from the squad later that year.[14]

Later life

In August 1969, Tidwell was involved in a domestic tragedy that led to the death of both himself and his estranged wife, Karen.

Reports state that he shot his wife at the house of one of her neighbors, then turned the gun on himself after a violent quarrel. The incident took place in Denver, Colorado where Tidwell and his wife were living at the time.[15] [16]

Rankings

Tidwell was ranked among the best in the US and the world in both the 100 m/100 y and 200 m/220 y sprint events in 1959 and 1960, according to the votes of the experts of Track & Field News.[17] [18] [19] [20]

100 meters
YearWorld rankUS rank
19592nd2nd
19603rd2nd
200 meters
YearWorld rankUS rank
1959--
19604th2nd

Notes and References

  1. https://web.archive.org/web/20160303213148/http://www.kcctfca.org/Results/StateTFResults/1954-1955%20State%20T&F%20Results.PDF "Shawnee Mission, Clay Center, Gardner Win Titles; Sixteen New Records, Two Tied; Tidwell Sets National Mark in Low Hurdles."
  2. http://www.trackandfieldnews.com/images/stories/tfn_pdfs/ncaa_history_pdfs/ncaam100.pdf "100 Meters, A History Of The NCAA Championships, 1921–2013"
  3. http://www.trackandfieldnews.com/images/stories/tfn_pdfs/ncaa_history_pdfs/ncaam200.pdf "200 Meters, A History Of The NCAA Championships, 1921–2013"
  4. http://www.trackandfieldnews.com/images/stories/tfn_pdfs/ncaa_history_pdfs/ncaa220h.pdf "220 Hurdles, A History Of The NCAA Championships, 1921–2013"
  5. https://archive.today/20130411055001/http://www.kuathletics.com/sports/c-relay/spec-rel/041811aae.html Charlie Tidwell (Men's 100 Meter Dash) - KU Track & Field (1958-60)
  6. http://www.kansas.com/2011/07/21/1942172/kansas-150-greatest-athletes-101.html Charlie Tidwell: Track and field
  7. https://archive.today/20130419094646/http://www.kuathletics.com/sports/c-relay/spec-rel/042105aad.html Sprinter Tidwell To Be Honored At Kansas Relays, Official Site of Kansas Jayhawks
  8. https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2706&dat=19600621&id=3QJgAAAAIBAJ&sjid=px4NAAAAIBAJ&pg=978,4486625 "Cephas Qualifies for Olympic Trials: Becomes Lone Wolverine on U.S. Team"
  9. https://newspaperarchive.com/hutchinson-news/1958-06-15/page-63 "Tidwell Sets World Mark"
  10. https://newspaperarchive.com/traverse-city-record-eagle/1960-07-02/page-13 "Thomas Sets New High Jump Mark in Olympic Trials"
  11. http://www.usatf.org/statistics/champions/OlympicTrials/HistoryOfTheOlympicTrials.pdf The History of the United States Olympic Trials - Track & Field
  12. Progression of IAAF World Records 2011 Edition, Editor Imre Matrahazi, IAAF Athletics, p 527.
  13. https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2199&dat=19620726&id=DD4yAAAAIBAJ&sjid=W-UFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6989,1820027 "Strictly Personal"
  14. https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1955&dat=19620810&id=6BMrAAAAIBAJ&sjid=cJwFAAAAIBAJ&pg=4493,3755169 "Vikings cut Two"
  15. https://books.google.com/books?id=gDgDAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22charles+tidwell%22+kills+wife&pg=PA27 "Former Track Star Shoots Wife, Turns Gun on Self"
  16. https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2199&dat=19690829&id=AidUAAAAIBAJ&sjid=GjoNAAAAIBAJ&pg=6468,6504128 "Ex KU Runner Kills Wife, Self"
  17. Web site: World Rankings Index--Men's 100 meters. Track & Field News. 2013-02-24. https://web.archive.org/web/20130609225745/http://www.trackandfieldnews.com/rankings/men/100worldbyathlete.pdf. 2013-06-09. dead.
  18. Web site: U.S. Rankings Index--Men's 100 meters. Track and Field News. 2013-02-24. https://web.archive.org/web/20130609230915/http://trackandfieldnews.com/rankings/men/100usbyathlete.pdf. 2013-06-09. dead.
  19. Web site: World Rankings Index--Men's 200 meters. Track & Field News. 2013-02-24. https://web.archive.org/web/20110914102957/http://www.trackandfieldnews.com/rankings/men/200worldbyathlete.pdf. 2011-09-14. dead.
  20. Web site: U.S. Rankings Index--Men's 200 meters. Track & Field News. 2013-02-24. https://web.archive.org/web/20120213190757/http://trackandfieldnews.com/rankings/men/200usbyathlete.pdf. 2012-02-13. dead.