Paul Thomas Deem (born August 16, 1957) is a retired American track cyclist who set the 1974 national record for the 3 km Velodrome in Encino, California. Deem won the gold medal for the 4 km team pursuit in the 1975 Pan American in Mexico City. Deem finished the team pursuit in tenth place at the

1976 Summer Olympics The 1976 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XXI Olympiad () and officially branded as Montreal 1976 (), were an international multi-sport event held from July 17 to August 1, 1976, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Montreal ...

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

with Leonard Nitz, James Ochowicz, Ralph Therrio. At the 1977 U.S. National Cycling Championships in

Seattle, Washington Seattle ( ) is the List of municipalities in Washington, most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the List of Unit ...

, Deem won first place in the

individual time trial An individual time trial (ITT) is a road bicycle race in which cyclists race alone against the clock (in French: ''contre la montre'' – literally "against the watch", in Italian: ''tappa a cronometro'' "stopwatch stage"). There are also trac ...

individual pursuit The individual pursuit is a track cycling event where two cyclists begin the race from a stationary position on opposite sides of the track. It is held at over for men and women. The riders start at the same time and set off to complete the rac ...

team pursuit The team pursuit is a track cycling event similar to the individual pursuit, except that two teams, each of up to four riders, compete, starting on opposite sides of the velodrome. Race format Both men's and women's events are competed over ...

, and the 100 km

time trial In many racing sports, an sportsperson, athlete (or occasionally a team of athletes) will compete in a time trial (TT) against the clock to secure the fastest time. The format of a time trial can vary, but usually follow a format where each athle ...

. No one since Deem has won four first-place positions at one cycling competition.http://lagunabeachgazette.com/paul-deem-olympic-cyclist/ Laguna Beach Gazette Deem retired from competitive cycling in 1981 due to a progressive loss of muscle tissue caused by

Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) is an inherited neurological disorder that affects the peripheral nerves responsible for transmitting signals between the brain, spinal cord, and the rest of the body. This is the most common inherited neuropath ...

. However, Deem continues coaching cyclists in Orange County,

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

. Deem is owner of CycleWerks in

Costa Mesa Costa may refer to: Biology * Rib (Latin: ''costa''), in vertebrate anatomy * Costa (botany), the central strand of a plant leaf or thallus * Costa (coral), a stony rib, part of the skeleton of a coral * Costa (entomology), the leading edge o ...

and

San Clemente San Clemente (; Spanish for " St. Clement" ) is a coastal city in southern Orange County, California, United States. It was named in 1925 after the Spanish colonial island (which was named after a Pope from the first century). Located in the O ...

, California. On August 27, 2013, Deem's wife, Debra Healy Deem, was hit by a motor vehicle when she was cycling on Pacific Coast Highway in

Newport Beach Newport Beach is a coastal city of about 85,000 in southern Orange County, California, United States. Located about southeast of downtown Los Angeles, Newport Beach is known for its sandy beaches. The city's harbor once supported maritime indu ...

, California. She died from sustained injuries (blunt forced trauma to the brain) the following day.

References

External links

Paul Deem: An Olympic Cyclist’s Triumph over Tragedy
{{DEFAULTSORT:Deem, Paul Living people 1957 births American male cyclists Olympic cyclists for the United States Cyclists at the 1976 Summer Olympics American track cyclists Cyclists at the 1975 Pan American Games Medalists at the 1975 Pan American Games Pan American Games gold medalists for the United States in cycling Cyclists from Eure-et-Loir 20th-century American sportsmen