Calvin Smith
A soft-spoken Mississippi sprinter who quietly shattered the world 100m record in the era of Carl Lewis, proving pure speed needs no showmanship.
Born 1961 (age 65)·American sprinter·Birthday: January 8·Baby Boomers
Biography
In the flashy, rivalry-driven world of 1980s sprinting, Calvin Smith was an anomaly: a blisteringly fast gentleman. Hailing from Bolton, Mississippi, he developed his speed at the University of Alabama under coach Harvey Glance. While the track world focused on the duel between Carl Lewis and others, Smith simply ran. In the thin air of Colorado Springs in 1983, he clocked 9.93 seconds in the 100 meters, a world record that stood for three years and announced him as the fastest human on the planet. His real forte, however, was the 200 meters, where he won back-to-back world championships in 1983 and 1987 with a uniquely efficient, smooth stride. An Olympic gold medal came in the 4x100m relay in Los Angeles, though the 1980 boycott likely cost him more hardware. Smith's legacy is one of understated excellence—a champion who let his times, not his words, do the talking, and in doing so, carved a permanent place in track's history books.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Calvin was born in 1961, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Calvin Was Born
The biggest hits of 1961
#1 Movie
101 Dalmatians
Best Picture
West Side Story
#1 TV Show
Wagon Train
Calvin's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1961Born
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1966Started school
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1974Became a teenager
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1977Could drive
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1979Could vote
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1982Turned 21
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1991Turned 30
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2001Turned 40
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2011Turned 50
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2021Turned 60
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
2026Age 65 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Set the world record in the 100 meters with a time of 9.93 seconds in 1983, breaking Jim Hines' long-standing mark.
- Won the 200 meters World Championship gold medal twice, in Helsinki 1983 and Rome 1987.
- Earned an Olympic gold medal as part of the U.S. 4x100 meter relay team at the 1984 Los Angeles Games.
- Held the world record in the 100 meters for three years until it was broken by Carl Lewis in 1987.
Did You Know?
His 1983 100m world record of 9.93 was set at the U.S. Olympic Festival in Colorado Springs, not a major international meet.
He was known for his exceptionally clean, efficient running style and a quiet, humble demeanor off the track.
He won the prestigious Jesse Owens Award in 1983 as the top U.S. track and field athlete.
He later worked as a track coach at the University of South Florida.
“I ran my own race, and my world record was my truth.”
