Dave Wottle's dramatic stretch run earned him an upset victory in the 800 meters and established him as one of the stars of the 1972 Olympic Games. As a student at Bowling Green State University, Wottle first came on the national scene in 1970 when he finished second in the NCAA championship mile. Injuries sidelined him in 1971 but a year later he came back and won the national collegiate 1500m and the National AAU 800m before tying the world 800 record of 1:44.3 at the Olympic Trials. He also qualified in the 1500m, but was eliminated in the semi-finals of that event. In 1973, he won the NCAA mile in 1973, then turned professional and eventually became a college track coach and academic administrator at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tenn.
World Record: 800 m - 1:44.30 (July 1, 1972 - )
1972 Olympics: 800 m (1st) 1972 AAU: 800 m (1st) 1970 NCAA: 1 mi. (2nd) 1972 NCAA: 1,500 m (1st) 1973 NCAA: 1 mi. (1st)
Academic administrator Coach