Wayne Curtis COLLETT

Wayne Collett of UCLA emerged as a world class one-lap runner in 1968 when he had five sub-46.0 marks. His fastest run of the year was in the quarter finals of the Final Trials, where he ran 44.9, but the effort of this run following a 45.6 heat led him to drop out in the semi-finals. In 1972, Collett was a surprise winner of the Final Trials, beating John Smith, Vince Matthews, and Lee Evans in a new personal best of 44.1. Matthews took his revenge in the Olympic final and beat Collett to the tape by some two meters. At the awards ceremony Collett and Matthews stood relaxed, arms akimbo, jackets disheveled and open, paying little heed to the national anthem. The IOC banned them for life from Olympic competition because of their behavior. Collett earned an M.B.A. in 1973 and a J.D. degree in 1977 – both from UCLA, and later worked as a lawyer, and in the real estate and mortgage business. In 1992 he was elected to the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame.

Personal Bests: 100y – 9.6 (1971); 200 – 20.2 (1968); 400 – 44.1 (1972); 880y – 1:52.6 (1971).