View source for George Saling

{{short description|American hurdler}}
{{MedalTableTop|sport=Men's [[Athletics (sport)|athletics]]|nation=USA|medals=
{{Medal|Competition|[[Olympic Games]]}}
{{Medal|Gold|[[1932 Summer Olympics|1932 Los Angeles]]|[[Athletics at the 1932 Summer Olympics - Men's 110 metre hurdles|110 m hurdles]]}}
}}
'''George J. Saling''' (July 27, 1909 &ndash; April 15, 1933) was an American [[track and field]] athlete, winner of [[110 m hurdles]] at the [[1932 Summer Olympics]].

Saling was born in [[Memphis, Missouri]], but the family moved to [[Corydon, Iowa]] when George was three months old. He graduated from Corydon High School in 1927 and was the captain of the basketball team.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.prairietrailsmuseum.org/newsletters/2007.06.Newsletter.pdf | title=George Saling Brings Home the Gold | date=June 2007 | publisher=Wayne County Historical Society | access-date=2016-01-24 | archive-date=2016-02-01 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160201090958/http://www.prairietrailsmuseum.org/newsletters/2007.06.Newsletter.pdf | url-status=dead }}</ref> At the [[University of Iowa]], Saling established himself as a world class hurdler during his senior year, in 1932, winning the [[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]] Championships in 110 m hurdles, equaling the [[Percy Beard]]'s world record of 14.4. At the [[Amateur Athletic Union|AAU]] Championships, Saling lost in 110 m hurdles final to [[Jack Keller (athlete)|Jack Keller]] by {{convert|4|ft|m}}, but won the 200 m hurdles title, thus earning a place in the Olympic team.

At the [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]] [[Olympic Games]], Saling beat his chief rival, [[Percy Beard]], in the semi-final by 0.2 [[second]]s and then again in the final by 0.1 seconds.

That would remain his last victory on the track, because George Saling was killed in a car accident in [[Missouri]] six months after the Olympic Games, aged only 23.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Footer Olympic Champions 110 m hurdles Men}}
{{Footer US NC 200m Hurdles Men}}
{{Footer USA Track & Field 1932 Summer Olympics}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Saling, George}}
[[Category:1909 births]]
[[Category:1933 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Corydon, Iowa]]
[[Category:American men hurdlers]]
[[Category:Iowa Hawkeyes men's track and field athletes]]
[[Category:University of Iowa alumni]]
[[Category:Road incident deaths in Missouri]]
[[Category:Track and field athletes from Iowa]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1932 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1932 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists for the United States in track and field]]
[[Category:People from Memphis, Missouri]]
[[Category:Deaths of competitors in the sport of athletics]]
[[Category:NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships winners]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]


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