2003 Hall of Fame Inductee
A double gold medalist at the 1964 Olympics, Mike Larrabee turned in one of the Games' most memorable performances. Coming into the homestretch of the 400 meter final, Larrabee was in fifth place. The 30-year-old schoolteacher put on a burst of speed to pass the four runners ahead of him and claim the gold medal in 45.1 seconds. Larrabee also ran the second leg (44.8) on Team USA's gold medal winning 4x400m relay team that set a world record of 3:00.7. Larrabee's performances in Tokyo capped a banner year in which he equaled the world record of 44.9 in winning the 400 meters at the Olympic Trials in Los Angeles. As a collegian, he competed for the University of Southern California, where he was part of the Trojans' 1954 and 1955 NCAA championship teams. Post-collegiately, he ran for the Southern California Striders. After two failed attempts to make the Olympic team (in 1956 and 1960), Larrabee made the wait pay off in 1964. Larrabee died April 22, 2003 at the age of 69 in Santa Maria, California. The cause was cancer, his family said. Events 400 m - 44.90 Records Held World Record: 400 m - 44.90 (September 12, 1964) World Record: 1,600 m relay - 3:00.70 Championships 1964 Olympics: 400 m - 45.10 (1st) 1964 Olympics: 1,600 m relay - 3:00.70 (1st) Occupations Teacher Sales representative