Ralph Cook Craig (June 21, 1889 – July 21, 1972) was an American track and field athlete. He was the winner of the sprint double at the

1912 Summer Olympics The 1912 Summer Olympics ( sv, Olympiska sommarspelen 1912), officially known as the Games of the V Olympiad ( sv, Den V olympiadens spel) and commonly known as Stockholm 1912, were an international multi-sport event held in Stockholm, Sweden, be ...

.Ralph Craig
sports-reference.com. Craig began his track career as a hurdler at Detroit Central High School, and only later developed into a sprinter at the University of Michigan. In 1910, he won the IC4A 220 y championship, repeating this the following year. In 1912, Craig qualified for the Olympic team and went to

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

, where he reached the final of the

100m The 100 metres, or 100-meter dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, the dash is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been conteste ...

. A big favorite was his compatriot

Donald Lippincott Donald Fithian Lippincott (November 16, 1893 – January 9, 1963) was an American athlete who competed in the sprint events. He competed for the United States in the 1912 Summer Olympics held in Stockholm, Sweden where he finished third in the ...

, who had set a World Record of 10,6 in the heats. After no less than seven false starts, Craig won the race in 10,8 – Lippincott only finished third. Craig fought out another battle with Lippincott in the

200m The 200 metres, or 200-meter dash, is a Sprint (running), sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 metre racetrack, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques is needed to successfully run th ...

, edging him to win the 200 m title. Craig was not a part of the American 4 × 100 m relay team, which was disqualified. Immediately after the Olympics, Craig retired from the sport. His younger brother,

James B. Craig James Blodgett Craig (March 11, 1893 – January 1990) was an All American football halfback and quarterback who played with the University of Michigan Wolverines from 1911 to 1913. He was named an All-American in 1913. He also served as the ath ...

, also ran track at Michigan and starred for the

Michigan Wolverines football The Michigan Wolverines football team represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins in college football history. The team is known for its ...

team, earning a consensus selection to the

1913 College Football All-America Team The 1913 College Football All-America team is composed of college football players who were selected as All-Americans for the 1913 college football season. The only two selectors who have been recognized as "official" selectors by the National Co ...

. In 1948, Craig made a return to the Olympics as an alternate on the US yachting team. Although he did not actually compete, Craig (59) carried the American flag at the opening ceremonies in London. Craig was employed for many years as an administrator with the New York State Unemployment Bureau. He died at Lake George, New York. In 2010 he joined the National Track and Field Hall of Fame.

Competitions

*In March 1911, Craig set a new record by running the 40-yard high hurdles in 5.2 seconds, breaking the prior record held by Forrest Smithson. *In May 1911, at his last competition wearing the Michigan uniform, Craig helped the Wolverines to a third-place finish in the inter-collegiate meet. He tied the inter-collegiate record in the 100-yard dash with a time of 9.8 seconds. He also tied the world record in the 220-yard dash with a time of 21.2 seconds. The Wolverines finished the meet with 24 points, trailing only Cornell (30 points) and Yale (24-1/2 points).

References

External links

Ralph Craig's entry in the Michigan Track & Field Hall of Fame
{{DEFAULTSORT:Craig, Ralph 1889 births 1972 deaths American male sprinters Athletes (track and field) at the 1912 Summer Olympics Sailors at the 1948 Summer Olympics – Dragon Male sailors Medalists at the 1912 Summer Olympics Michigan Wolverines men's track and field athletes Olympic gold medalists for the United States in track and field People from Lake George, New York Sportspeople from Detroit Track and field athletes from Detroit