Leamon King; Won ’56 Olympics Gold Medal in 400-Meter Relay

Leamon King, 65, who ran the second leg on the United States 400-meter relay squad that won a gold medal at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, died Tuesday in Delano of a heart attack.

King was stricken after being anesthetized for a surgical procedure for a foot injury.

Born in Tulare, King was a track star at Delano High School. He won the state 220-yard dash title as a sophomore, and the 220- and 100-yard dashes as a senior.

King went to the 1956 Games as the world record-holder in the 100-yard dash, a mark of 9.3 seconds set on a grass track. He also matched the world record of 10.1 seconds at 100 meters.

King eventually returned home to this San Joaquin Valley farm town, where he taught in the Delano Union School District for 28 years.