Olympic bronze medalist, USATF Hall of Fame inductee and former world record holder John Powell died August 18 in Las Vegas. He was 75. During one of the great eras of discus throwing, Powell was a constant presence in the world and American rankings. A four-time Olympian, Powell who won bronze in 1976 and '84. 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 11th 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. A 2019 USA Track & Field Hall of Fame inductee, John is survived by his wife Wally Powell, his daughter Julie Powell, and grandchildren Maddie and Tyler McGivern. His daughter Tammy Powell McGivern died in 2021. At John's request, there will be no memorial service. Please consider contributions in John's memory to organizations he valued and supported: San Jose State Spartan Society, U.S. Olympic Committee, and the U.S. Humane Society. Powell's Hall of Fame interview can be found at https://www.usatf.org/news/2019/national-track-field-hall-of-fame-q-a-john-powell.