View source for Guinn Smith

{{Short description|American pole vaulter (1920–2004)}}
{{MedalTableTop}}
{{MedalSport | Men's [[Athletics (sport)|athletics]]}}
{{MedalCountry | the {{USA}} }}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Olympic Games]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[1948 Summer Olympics|1948 London]]|[[Athletics at the 1948 Summer Olympics - Men's pole vault|Pole vault]]}}
{{MedalBottom}}

'''Owen Guinn Smith''' (May 2, 1920 – January 20, 2004) was an American [[Athletics (sport)|athlete]], the [[1948 Summer Olympics|1948 Olympic]] champion in the [[pole vault]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Owen Guinn Smith -- WWII pilot, gold medalist in 1948|first=Patricia  |last=Yollin|newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle|date=2004-01-24 |url=https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Owen-Guinn-Smith-WWII-pilot-gold-medalist-in-2807763.php|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120707230338/http://articles.sfgate.com/2004-01-24/bay-area/17406568_1_stephen-smith-uc-berkeley-mr-smith|url-status=live|archive-date=July 7, 2012|access-date=2010-07-11}}</ref>

Born in [[McKinney, Texas]], Smith moved to [[California]] when he was a child. He was originally a [[high jump]]er, but [[UC Berkeley]], the university he wanted to attend, already had a strong high jumping team, so he took up pole vaulting. He won the [[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]] championships in 1941, the year before he graduated as a history major. During the remainder of [[World War II]], Guinn Smith served as an air force pilot in Asia.

Smith, the 1947 national pole vault champion, was sent to the 1948 Olympics in [[London]]. During a rainy competition, Smith took the gold in his last attempt for 4.30 m (14&nbsp;ft 1{{fraction|1|4}} in).

He died at age 83 in [[San Francisco, California|San Francisco]] of [[emphysema]].

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{cite Sports-Reference |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/sm/guinn-smith-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417173905/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/sm/guinn-smith-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2020-04-17 |title=Guinn Smith}}

{{Olympic Champions Pole Vault (Men)}}
{{USA Indoor Track and Field Championships winners in men's pole vault}}
{{Footer USA Track & Field 1948 Summer Olympics}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Guinn}}
[[Category:1920 births]]
[[Category:2004 deaths]]
[[Category:American men pole vaulters]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1948 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:California Golden Bears men's track and field athletes]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists for the United States in track and field]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1948 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from McKinney, Texas]]
[[Category:Track and field athletes from California]]
[[Category:Deaths from emphysema]]
[[Category:United States Army Air Forces pilots of World War II]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Texas]]
[[Category:NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships winners]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]
[[Category:Track and field athletes from Texas]]


{{US-athletics-Olympic-medalist-stub}}
{{US-polevault-athletics-bio-stub}}