During one of the great eras of discus throwing, John Powell was a constant presence in the world and American rankings. A three-time Olympian who won bronze in 1976 and '84, Powell would have made four Olympic teams if not for the U.S. boycott in '80. Displaying incredible longevity at the elite level, Powell earned World Championships silver in 1987 at age 40, 15 years after his first Olympic experience, a fourth-place effort in '72.
Powell was 13 times ranked in the world top 10 from 1972-87, topped by a No. 2 spot in '74. He earned 19 U.S. top 10 nods from 1969-88, ranking No. 1 five times. A U.S. champion seven times, including five in a row from 1983-87, Powell won the Olympic Trials in 1984. In 1975 he won the Pan American Games gold.
Smallish in a world of giants, the 6-2, 240-pound Powell was a San Jose City policeman from 1971-77. His rivalry with fellow American throwing ace Mac Wilkins produced a long series of big throws by the two men, who traded national golds along with verbal barbs that spiced up the rivalry.
In 1975, Powell set a world record of 69.08m/226-8 on May 4 in Long Beach, but his longest throw came on June 9, 1984 when he whipped the discus out to 71.26m/233-9, still the second-longest throw in American history. That mark ranks him as the 10th best performer in world history.
Powell coached at Stanford University in the 1980s, guiding Carol Cady to an American record in the women's discus in 1986. He also produced coaching videos that emphasized drills important in establishing consistent technique and hosted a series of throwing camps.